County Grants Fund
Who can apply?
The scheme is open to all ECB affiliated cricket clubs in England and Wales. However, some projects are restricted to clubs that actively engage in ECB National Programmes.
How much can be applied for?
Clubs can apply for between £1000 - £10,000
What can the County Grant Fund be used for?
The County Grant Fund aims to support eligible clubs to deliver projects in the following three areas:
1) Creating Welcoming Environments – supporting All Stars, Dynamos, Women’s and Girls’ Cricket and / or Disability Cricket
1.1) Social Space – furniture / decoration / flooring / patio / decking / heating / glazing
1.2) Toilet Facilities – sanitaryware / tiling / flooring / baby-changing facilities
1.3) Catering – kitchen units / appliances / professional catering equipment / barbecue
1.4) Arrival and Access – lighting / signage / car park / disabled access
1.5) Digitising – Wi-Fi / Broadband hardware (excludes subscription fees) / TVs / PA or Music systems / Electronic Point of Sale equipment
2) Providing Enhanced Facilities and Playing Opportunities - supporting Women’s and Girls’ Cricket and / or Disability Cricket
2.1) Non-Turf Match Pitch (must be an ECB Approved System)
2.2) Non-Turf Practice Facility (must be an ECB Approved System)
or
2.3) Enhanced Changing Facilities:
- Create individual shower spaces with drying areas
- Improved toilet provision – sanitaryware / tiling / flooring
- Decoration / mirrors / hand dryers / grooming points
- Personal possession lockers
3) Tackling Climate Change – supporting ECB affiliated Cricket Clubs
3.1) Flood Resilience* – building protection / targeted drainage** / ditch or culvert clearance
3.2) Drought Resilience* – rainwater harvesting / irrigation*** / bore holes
3.3) Energy Saving – Insulation / LED lighting / Solar PV / Solar Thermal / energy-efficient heating systems
3.4) Water Management – Water-saving sanitaryware / greywater recycling / efficient appliances
How will the project be managed by Berkshire?
There are a few key points we would like to make to clubs at this stage:
1) Eligibility and Prioritisation – Priority will be given to clubs that actively engage in ECB programmes including All Stars Cricket, Dynamos, Women’s & Girls’ Cricket and / or Disability Cricket. The ‘Tackling Climate Change’ theme is open to all affiliated clubs. Clubs that are in areas at risk of flooding will be prioritised for this theme. ‘Providing Enhanced Facilities and Playing Opportunities’ theme is restricted to clubs that offered Women & Girls Cricket and/or Disability Cricket in 2021. ‘Creating Welcoming Environments’ theme is open to clubs that offered All Stars, Dynamos, Women & Girls or Disability Cricket in 2021. Projects that create more opportunities for participation in cricket will receive a higher weighting in the panel’s selection process. Projects that are aligned with the county strategy and ECB strategies will be looked on more favourably.
2) Process – Clubs interest in applying should reach out to Tom Jackson - Club Support Manager who will be able to advise on next steps. The club will be required to apply through the Investment Management System (IMS) which will be reviewed before being either passed to the panel or referred to the club for amendments. Finally, the application will be reviewed by a panel appointed by BCF.
3) Scale of Support – Within Berkshire’s annual budget it may not be possible to support every application, with some projects deferred to the next funding window or signposted to other sources of funding as appropriate.
Application Process & Deadlines:
Berkshire will be implementing 3 initial funding windows between February 2023 to June 2023 to group applications.
| Window | Opens | Closes | Panel Meets | Feedback |
| 1 | 1st Feb 2023 | 12th Feb 2023 | 13th-17th Feb | 17th Feb |
| 2 | 13th Feb 2023 | 26th March 2023 | 27th-31st March 2023 | 31st March 2023 |
| 3 | 27th March 2023 | 31st May 2023 | 1st-6th June 2023 | 7th June 2023 |
| 4 (TBC) | ||||
| 5 (TBC) |
Next Steps:
- Familiarise yourself with the guidance notes
- Use the ‘Creating welcoming Environments’ resource, Facilities Review Checklist and Facilities Survey to help develop your project plan.
- Identify who from your club will lead on your projects – you will need 2 contacts
- If you feel you have a project/idea, please contact Tom Jackson - Club Support Manager
- Guidance in creating a planning application https://www.sportengland.org/how-we-can-help/facilities-and-planning/planning-for-sport/sports-club-planning-application-guide
- For further support, please contact Tom Jackson – Club Support Manager
