Portable Sports Floodlight Funding & Grants
Funding And Grants For Portable Sports Floodlights
Grants, crowdfunding and sponsorship can help clubs, schools and community organisations bring evening training within reach. Start with the routes most relevant to your sport.
A dedicated portable floodlight grant for eligible grassroots football organisations in England.
View Football FundingGrant or crowdfunding support for eligible projects that help people become more active.
View Movement FundCountry-specific programmes for projects that strengthen communities across the UK. Scottish sport-focused projects are limited to £10,000.
View Awards For AllThe Quickest Way To Get Started
Most funders will want evidence that the lights solve a genuine local need and create a measurable increase in participation.
Begin with your sport's governing body, then check national and local funds.
Show who will benefit, how many extra sessions you can run and which barriers will be removed.
Ask Right Light for a clear quote showing the proposed RL20K package and VAT.
Many funders will reject costs committed or paid before a formal award is made.
Funding Contribution Calculator
Choose an RL20K package or enter your total project cost manually if you need to include spare batteries, accessories or other project costs. The calculator is preset for eight 52Ah RL20K floodlights costing £6084 including VAT.
Choose An RL20K PackageSelected Package: 8 × RL20K 52Ah (4 Hour Run Time)
Tell us which package you are considering and we will provide a written quotation with VAT clearly shown.
This calculator is for illustration only. Always confirm the funder's required contribution and whether VAT is eligible before applying.
Football Funding
Football has the clearest direct funding route for portable floodlights. Check this scheme before attempting a broader grant.
Football Foundation Portable Floodlights Grant
Funding of up to £25,000 is available towards new or previously owned portable floodlights for eligible organisations where grassroots football is central to the offer.
- Available to eligible not-for-profit clubs, voluntary groups, charities, CICs, local authorities, County FAs and educational establishments offering community access.
- Portable lights can be used on artificial pitches and natural-turf training areas.
- The Foundation will not fund portable lights for grass pitches used for match play.
- You must explain the need, show that the training area can cope with extra use and provide evidence of secure on-site storage.
- For a football-club application, the applicant must be the chair, secretary or treasurer.
- Your proposed package and price
- VAT amount and recovery position
- Expected additional teams, sessions and users
- A pitch-use and rotation plan
- Storage photographs and safeguarding arrangements
County FA Facilities Team
If you are not ready to apply, or the project includes other facility improvements, speak to your County FA. Its facilities team can help shape the need, confirm the most suitable programme and identify supporting evidence before you submit.
Find Your County FAFunding Routes By Sport
Some governing bodies offer grants directly; others provide a funding finder, facilities adviser or introductions to local partners. Open your sport below, then compare its route with the national funds in the next section.
Rugby Union
Start with the RFU club-funding hub and your RFU facilities contact or Constituent Body. Ask which programmes are currently available and whether portable lighting is an eligible cost, as regional and time-limited opportunities change during the season.
Strong application angle: additional winter training, growth in women and girls' rugby, youth provision, disability rugby and making better use of existing grass space.
Use The RFU Funding FinderRugby League
The RFL's Community Investment and Funding hub lists current support and fundraising guidance for community rugby league clubs. Programme rules vary, so confirm that portable lighting is an eligible cost before including it in an application.
Strong application angle: protecting evening participation, developing girls' and junior teams and creating a sustainable training offer for the wider community.
Visit The RFL Funding HubCricket
The published 2026 ECB County Grants Fund application window ended on 30 September. Ask your County Cricket Board about future rounds and other available support. Portable floodlights are not expressly listed among the fund's project categories, so obtain confirmation of eligibility before including them in a proposal.
Strong application angle: extending safe practice time for priority groups, enabling more teams to share practice areas and overcoming limited indoor-net availability.
Hockey
England Hockey's facilities-funding page specifically recognises lighting upgrades as a type of project that may need funding. It points clubs towards Sport England, Active Partnerships, crowdfunding and developer contributions such as Section 106 or Community Infrastructure Levy funding.
Strong application angle: safe winter training, increased pitch capacity, junior and inclusive sessions and partnerships with a school or shared facility.
See England Hockey's Funding RoutesTennis And Padel
The LTA Tennis Foundation is not accepting applications from new organisations in 2026 and expects further opportunities in 2027. Its current grant framework supports revenue projects rather than capital purchases. For portable lighting, start with community grants or crowdfunding; LTA facility loans may suit a wider tennis or padel development.
Strong application angle: affordable evening sessions, opening courts to new groups, youth coaching and creating year-round community access.
Athletics And Running
England Athletics publishes club-funding opportunities, but the latest verified Club Improvement Fund round closed on 30 April 2026. Check for future rounds and use the Movement Fund, Awards for All and local Active Partnership support as alternative starting points.
Strong application angle: safer winter sessions, removing access barriers and increasing participation among underserved young people or community running groups.
See England Athletics FundingBowls
Bowls England gives affiliated clubs free access to its Open4Community Funding Portal, which searches hundreds of external grants. Use it alongside Awards for All and local community funding, particularly where evening activity will attract new ages or community groups.
Strong application angle: broader community use, evening coaching, intergenerational activity and opening the club to people who cannot attend daytime sessions.
Use The Bowls England Funding PortalNetball, Basketball And Other Outdoor Sports
Basketball England Development Grant: Detailed guidance lists typical awards of £250–£1500 for affiliated clubs, leagues and associations. Applications are handled regionally, with an October opening and assessment through April, subject to available funds. Ask your Regional Chair whether a portable-lighting project qualifies before applying.
Basketball England Development Grant Information
Where no dedicated portable-light grant is available, start with the Movement Fund, Awards for All, your local Active Partnership and local-authority or community grants. Ask your governing body's regional development contact about new or area-specific opportunities before applying.
Strong application angle: converting an underused outdoor court or training area into a safe evening venue, widening access for women and girls and reducing the cost of hiring indoor facilities.
Find Your Local Active PartnershipMulti-Sport And UK-Wide Funding
These routes are not tied to one sport. Eligibility depends on the organisation, location, project outcomes and whether equipment is an allowable cost.
Sport England Movement Fund
Eligible organisations in England can seek between £300 and £15,000 as a grant or crowdfunding pledge. The strongest projects help people facing barriers to activity and can clearly show who will become active as a result.
- Suitable for clubs, charities, schools with community benefit and other eligible not-for-profit organisations
- Build the case around participation outcomes—not simply the purchase of equipment
- Prepare a governing document, accounts, bank evidence and detailed budget
Equipment and facility projects are more likely to receive a crowdfunding pledge. Sport England usually pledges half the project target, up to £15,000, with the community raising the other half. There is no submission deadline, but apply at least 12 weeks before starting or spending. For football floodlight purchases, check the Football Foundation first.
Read The Crowdfunding Guidance
Check The Movement FundNational Lottery Awards For All
Country-specific Awards for All programmes offer £300 to £20,000 for eligible community-led projects lasting up to two years. A floodlight project needs to connect clearly to stronger communities, better shared spaces or helping more people reach their potential.
In Scotland, projects focused on sport or arts can receive up to £10,000 for work lasting up to 12 months. The £20,000, two-year limit applies to broader community-led projects. Confirm which category your lighting proposal falls under before applying.
Landfill Communities Fund Grants
Biffa Award, FCC Communities Foundation and other environmental bodies support eligible community recreation projects near qualifying sites. Postcode, public-access and project-size rules are strict, so run the funder's eligibility checker before investing time in an application.
Councils, Active Partnerships And Community Foundations
Local authority grants, councillor ward budgets, parish or town-council awards and regional community foundations can help close a smaller funding gap. Active Partnerships can often identify programmes that are difficult to find through a national search.
- Search your council website for community, sport, wellbeing and small-capital grants
- Ask whether Section 106 or Community Infrastructure Levy funds support local sport facilities
- Check your local Community Foundation and County Sports Partnership
Sport NI Olympic Legacy Fund
The first 2026/27 Olympic Legacy Fund application round closed on 14 October 2026. A further allocation is planned for November, but its application dates have not yet been verified. Published criteria describe 65% crowdfunding support for eligible Northern Ireland sports organisations, with campaigns normally between £5000 and £50,000. Confirm the next window, current conditions and portable-light eligibility before proceeding.
Read The Olympic Legacy Fund AnnouncementBe Active Wales Fund
Eligible Welsh not-for-profit sports clubs and community groups can apply for equipment and projects that increase participation. Standard awards range from £300 to £50,000, with up to 90% funding for awards up to £25,000. The next window opens on 4 November 2026: expressions of interest are due by 9am on 8 January 2027 and full applications by 4pm on 13 January. Confirm how portable floodlights are assessed, including any planning and site-tenure requirements.
Check Be Active Wales FundingA Place For Sport: An alternative Welsh crowdfunding route for eligible community facilities and modernisation projects. It normally offers 50% match funding up to £15,000, rising to 60% for qualifying priority projects. Fundraising milestones and minimum supporter numbers apply. Confirm portable-light eligibility before proceeding.
Check A Place For SportSchools And Education
Schools can combine education budgets with community partnerships, but the permitted use of government funding changes. Obtain approval from the school business manager or trust finance team before committing expenditure.
School Sport And Capital Budgets
PE and sport premium cannot fund purchases classed as capital expenditure under the school or trust's accounting policy, including grouped equipment purchases. Ask your business manager or trust finance team whether portable lights must be funded from a separate capital budget, and check current Department for Education guidance before committing expenditure.
Read Current DfE GuidanceCommunity-Use Partnership
A school that makes facilities available to local clubs may be able to apply jointly or through an eligible community partner. Movement Fund equipment projects must demonstrate significant community use; Awards for All England excludes ordinary school equipment improvements and school-only activities. Agree storage, access, insurance, safeguarding and responsibilities, with a timetable showing benefit beyond ordinary school provision.
PTA And Alumni Fundraising
Give the campaign a specific outcome, such as “fund four extra winter training nights each week”. Combine a sponsored event, online donations and a visible progress target. Alumni or former pupils can be approached as donors or introductions to local employers.
Lettings And Local Sponsorship
Future pitch or court hire can help form a business case, while a local business can sponsor equipment in return for appropriate recognition. Confirm the school's advertising, procurement and safeguarding policies before agreeing benefits.
Community Groups And Charities
A community-led project can be stronger than an equipment-led request. Show how portable lighting creates new activity and benefits groups who currently miss out.
Lead With The Need
Use waiting lists, cancelled sessions, lack of affordable indoor space, member surveys and local participation data to demonstrate the problem.
Share The Benefit
Invite schools, youth organisations, disability groups and neighbouring clubs to use the lighting. Letters of support make the community benefit tangible.
Show Sustainability
Explain secure storage, trained operators, maintenance, insurance and how subscriptions, hire income or sponsorship will support the project after the grant.
Fundraising And Sponsorship Options
These routes can provide partnership funding, cover a grant shortfall or fund the whole package when no suitable grant is open.
Cash4Clubs — Adult-Only Organisations
£2000 grants are available to eligible not-for-profit organisations using adult sport to benefit their communities. Equipment purchases can be supported. Organisations with junior members or any junior activities cannot apply, even for an adult-only project. The current programme FAQ and application section give a deadline of 5pm on 1 January 2027. Decisions are expected by the end of February 2027.
Check Cash4Clubs And ApplyCrowdfunding With Match Funding
Run a time-limited campaign built around the extra sessions the lights will unlock. Sport England's Movement Fund can offer crowdfunding support to eligible projects, while Crowdfunder lists other partner funds.
Search Crowdfunder Partner FundsSponsor One Light Or One Training Area
Create simple packages for local employers: a contribution towards one light, a team-season package or lead-project sponsorship. Offer proportionate benefits such as social posts, website recognition, pitch-side signage or community-day involvement.
Member-Backed Campaign
Combine a modest one-off member contribution with a sponsored challenge, raffle, quiz night or tournament. Translate the total into a clear target—for example, the number of lights funded—so supporters can see progress.
Everyday Online Shopping
Platforms such as easyfundraising allow supporters to trigger retailer-funded donations when they shop online, at no additional cost to the supporter. It is unlikely to fund an urgent purchase alone, but can contribute to the target over time.
Explore EasyfundraisingYour Floodlight Funding Checklist
Gathering these items before starting an application will make the process quicker and improve the quality of your case.
- Organisation constitution and bank account details
- Latest accounts and relevant policies
- Clear RL20K quotation with VAT shown
- Number of lights and runtime required
- Training-area map and proposed positions
- Current versus proposed weekly usage
- Participant numbers and priority groups
- Evidence of demand or waiting lists
- Secure storage and responsible operators
- Insurance and maintenance arrangements
- Letters from partners or facility owners
- Any partnership funding already secured
Need An RL20K Quotation For Your Application?
Tell us your sport, training-area size, required runtime and the fund you are applying to. Right Light can provide a clear written quotation for the proposed portable floodlight package.
Right Light is not a grant-awarding body and cannot guarantee eligibility or funding. The information above is a starting point only. Always read the funder's latest terms and obtain written approval before placing an order or incurring costs.