Criteria

Through working in partnership with Crowdfunder UK, Sport NI wants to invest in new, additional and exciting projects. We are keen to hear from any sports club, sporting organisation or Parent Teacher Association with a great idea that will make a difference within their community; that promotes sporting activity with a desire to increase current club membership and activity or provides opportunities for new people to get involved.

We believe that investment in local community-based clubs or sporting organisations, that are accessible and have facilities and equipment within the community will drive increased participation whilst encouraging people to get active and back to sport as we live with Covid-19.

In addition to the programme objectives Project Re-Boot: Activate seeks specifically to;

• Support the following priority groups of people:
• Women & girls;
• People with disabilities;
• People with long term limiting illness;
• Children & young people – especially those aged between 11-18 years;
• Older people aged over 50;
• Ethnically diverse communities;
• People on a low income;
• Families;
• People living in areas of greatest need; and
• People living in rural areas
• Support projects which deliver new and additional opportunities to engage people who are new to sport or physical activity or people returning to sport or physical activity.
• Promote volunteering supporting projects which recognise and support the development of volunteers in the community and that offer multiple opportunities to get involved.
• Encourage innovation – We are very keen to support a diverse range of projects including those which offer innovative solutions that respond to the needs of different participants.

• A constituted sports club which is affiliated to a governing body of sport recognised by Sport NI, you can find the most recent list of recognised governing bodies on our website at http://www.sportni.net/performance/governing-bodies/recognition-of-governing-bodies
• A community/voluntary/sector organisation that delivers or enables sport and/or physical recreation as your primary activity. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI.
• A charitable trust that delivers or enables sport and/or physical recreation as your primary activity. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI.
• A constituted Parent Teacher Association (PTA) that delivers or enables new/additional extracurricular sport and/or physical recreation including residentials. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI.

This fund is designed to help grassroots sport and physical recreation providers which means we are not able to help the following organisations through this fund:

• Local authorities.
• Schools (excluding PTAs), colleges and universities.
• Commercial sport and physical recreation providers, e.g. private gyms.
• Leisure operators.
• Individuals who are either employed or self-employed within the sport and physical recreation sector.

As Project Re-Boot: Activate is all about being innovative and creative in how you deliver your sport or diversify your offer as a club or organisation, we are not being overly prescriptive in what we will fund, but projects must be new and/or an additional activity to address the challenges of living with Covid-19.

We are allowing clubs and organisations the opportunity to be as creative as you can and we will consider supporting almost anything (within reason) if it delivers the outcomes of the programme.

There are however a few things that we cannot invest in:

• Projects not related to the Covid-19 challenge.
• Capital works or single items above £1,000 (inc. VAT).
• Activities that replace a statutory function e.g. curriculum time sport delivery (after-school is eligible).
• Existing activities already in place e.g. current training sessions, etc.
• Retrospective costs.
• General organisation running costs, office equipment, furniture, maintenance.
• Salary costs, loan repayments and endowments.
• Entertainment costs, food and beverages.
• Secondary, further or higher education e.g. A Levels, Degrees, etc.
• VAT that can be recovered from HM Revenue and Customs.
• Activities promoting religious or political beliefs.
• Donations/fundraising events or activities.
• Costs incurred before successful Letter of Offer issued.
• Insurance, affiliation, entry fees or membership fees.
• Accommodation/hotels and travel outside NI
• Strategic planning/development e.g. consultancy fees.
• Access NI registration fees.
• Livestock.

If your application is approved, you’ll get match funding of up to 60% (if you are located in an area of high social need or a rural area based on NISRA NI Multiple Deprivation Measures) or up to 50%, towards your initial crowdfunding target.

Match funding from Sport NI will not exceed the maximum of £5,000.

To receive a pledge, you will need to do two things (the ‘fund conditions’):

• Raise at least 25% of your initial target,
• Raise this from a minimum of 25 unique supporters.

If these two fund conditions are met, Sport NI will pledge up to 50% or 60% of your target up to a maximum of £5,000.

• An applicant will be provided with an offer which will be valid for 4 weeks after the date of notification. If the applicant does not launch a crowdfunding campaign within 4 weeks of notification, the offer will be rescinded.
• The applicant must then raise the remaining 15% or 25% from the crowd (depending on your club’s status as outlined previously) to achieve 100% of your funding target and receive the Project Re-Boot: Activate funds.
• If an applicant does not achieve the funding target within the 8-week time period, Sport NI reserves the right to withdraw its support. If an applicant is within 10% of their target- Sport NI may increase the time period.
• If the project fails to reach 100% of the target, the Sport NI funding pledge will be cancelled. The project owner will be encouraged to review what went wrong and, if appropriate, to attempt to crowdfund again.

Before completing your application please read the Project Re-Boot: Activate Eligibility and Pledge Criteria

Funded projects will be required to agree to the Project Re-Boot: Activate Conditions of Grant.

A full copy of the programme guidance note can be found at www.sportni.net