Sports: Finance

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding across England.

Sport England allocates funds to National Governing Bodies and grassroots sports providers primarily based on their ability to deliver against the aims set out in their ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy around getting more people active, reducing the number of inactive people and tackling long-standing inequalities. This also includes The Movement Fund which invests over £20 million annually into community physical activity programmes.

Sport England’s website provides full transparency data about how their funding is invested.

Additionally, the Government is investing £85 million in the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) programme in 2026/27 - via Sport England, national Football Associations and the Football Foundation. Projects funded through the programme include new and upgraded artificial grass pitches, changing rooms and clubhouses. A key objective of the MSGF programme is to increase access and participation levels for women and girls, disabled players and communities most in need across the UK. We will ensure these communities are prioritised using deprivation and inactivity data.

An additional £15 million is being invested through Sport England into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in their chosen sports.