Innovation Fund

Sport England will set up an Innovation Fund in order to fund and encourage new and innovative ways of promoting and supporting participation in sport.

Funding summary

The Innovation Fund will provide medium to large awards to organisations that demonstrate they can address specific barriers to growing and sustaining participation in sport. This fund will be targeted at projects which offer potentially higher return for higher risk, as might be expected from an innovative approach. Successful projects will be seen as 'market leading'. The fund will be designed to promote effective take-up of the lessons learned during the process. This would be aimed at making the project into business as usual so that impact can be sustained. Evaluation will therefore be an important part of a successful project proposal.

Funding available

£5 million per year, revenue and capital funding, from 2009/10. The fund will be designed to make a small number of medium to large awards over £10,000.

Timing

Sport England will accept applications for the first round of this fund from April 2009. There are likely to be two rounds per year.

Eligibility criteria

The fund will be open to bona fide organisations including applicants from sports clubs, voluntary or community organisations, local authorities, education establishments (such as schools, colleges and universities) or a collaborative or consortia approach which can demonstrate the potential to grow and sustain participation in community sport. Sport England will set criteria which target funds at projects designed to maximise the benefits for community sport in line with the objectives of the fund.

Application process

There will be a two-stage process: an initial short application to assess alignment with the fund's objectives, and then a longer process designed to understand the project and decide on the appropriate funding level and monitoring and evaluation methodology.

Monitoring and evaluation requirements

All Sport England funded programmes will be subject to an appropriate level and type of monitoring and evaluation. This will be geared to ensure that the organisation both meets its statutory duties and manages risk regarding delivery of programme outcomes. Where applicable, requirements will also be proportionate to past performance - good delivery will mean a lighter monitoring requirement, with poor performance calling for greater attention. Further details of monitoring and evaluation requirements and procedures will be available to potential applicants and recipients as new funds are formally launched.

Partner contribution required

Partner commitment in practical terms will be essential, but partner financial contribution, whilst encouraged will not be required, given the experimental nature of some of the solutions which will be proposed. Sport England would expect to see support from the national governing body of the relevant sport(s).

Relationship to other funding streams

This funding stream will use funds which previously would have been part of the Community Investment Fund.