The Places and Spaces Fund

Please include the following in your application meet the following to be considered: 

Criteria 1: Project outline 

Criteria 2: Activation plan 

Criteria 3: Match funding 

Criteria 4: Inclusivity 

Criteria 5: Funding 

Criteria 6: Organisation Check 

Criteria 7: Permission & Ownership 

Active Essex and The London Marathon Foundation encourage you to consider all aspects of accessibility in your application. Please ensure you have watched the above video and referred to the Access for All toolkit here. You will be required to answer a question on your accessibility considerations within your application.  

We will prioritise applications that reach inactive people from the following communities to enable them to lead active lives: 

• Supporting ethnically diverse communities 

• Assisting residents living with long term health conditions 

• Assisting residents living with disabilities 

• Enabling people from lower socio-economic groups  

• Projects supporting Women & Girls  

You can apply if you are a: 

• Formally constituted club, association, or trust 
• Registered Charity 
• Local Authority 
• Social Enterprise 
• Registered CASC 
• Community Interest Company
• Non-for-profit company limited by guarantee, without share capital and without persons of significant control. 

We cannot accept applications from: 

• Individuals 
• Sole traders 
• Organisations that are aimed at generating profits primarily for private distribution 
• Coaches
• Previously Places and Spaces funded organisations from the last two financial years (from February 2024 to the present). 

• We will support a range of indoor and outdoor projects supporting one or more of the fund’s key priority audiences (see funding priorities) 

• If all permissions in place (at the point of application), we will fund fixed assets 

Examples of other projects we may fund include: 

• Facility renovations 

• Improvements to public or community spaces so they can deliver physical activity (e.g., local parks, open spaces, community halls, faith centres) 

• Purchasing new or replacing fixed equipment 

• Improving access to facilities to make them more accessible to new user groups 

• Active Essex and The London Marathon Foundation encourage you to source materials with consideration for sustainability e.g. avoiding single use materials where possible and working towards Carbon Neutral initiatives. Please make sure you provide any details of this in your application. 

• We want projects to reflect a mix of communities and places from across Essex. We will ensure there is a geographical spread of funding, and a range of activities delivered across the projects we support. 

• We believe people understand what’s needed in their communities better than anyone else. It’s important to us that you involve your community in the design, development, and delivery of the project you are planning. 

• Projects delivered outside Essex County Council Districts (for example Southend and Thurrock) 

• Creation, renovation or maintenance of grass or artificial sports pitches cannot be funded – Football clubs are advised to review grants available via the Football Foundation https://footballfoundation.org.uk/looking-for-funding 

• Projects that only enhance the experience of those already active 

• Items which will only benefit an individual or family, rather than the wider community 

• Contingency costs, loans, endowments, or interest 

• VAT you can reclaim 

• Activities that generate profits for private gain 

• Costs that have already been incurred 

• Work on land or buildings where you do not meet our requirements around land ownership and permissions. 

Please note this list is not exclusive. Active Essex reserves the right to review applications on a case-by-case basis to ensure proportionate universalism and adhering to funding guidelines. All decisions are final. 

Projects applying for funding must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for funding:

• Not currently fit for purpose to support wider physical activity opportunities 
• Non-traditional spaces for physical activity or sport 
• In the heart of the community but don’t currently deliver physical activity opportunities 
• If all permissions in place (at the point of application), we will fund fixed assets. 

Projects will need to demonstrate they have all relevant planning/ building permissions in place at the point of application. 

All work needs to start by July 2026.

Proof of match funding will be required. 

Organisations must either be asset owning or have a minimum lease agreement of 5 years remaining. 

Only applications that clearly target at least one of the key priority audiences (listed below) will be eligible to apply. 

Please complete the short and simple online application form – link at the top of this web page.  

Delivery partners must comply to our Standard Operating Conditions. To ensure we are working with safe, inclusive and reputable organisations and activities, Active Essex requires funding recipients to adhere to our Standard Operating Conditions outlined in this short video here.  

Please relate your application to our funding priorities and let us know who your project will support and how many inactive people you plan to engage. Please tell us how much money you need and what it will be spent on. We encourage you to speak to your Active Essex Relationship Manager for your area, before you apply. This will ensure the team can provide advice and offer support on your application. Click here to see who your relevant team member is.  

We will acknowledge receipt of your application and will let you know the outcome week two weeks after your application submission. We will contact you should we need any further information about your application.  

If you are successful, you’ll receive a simple award agreement clarifying the purpose of the award, the amount, and the conditions of the award. Once the agreement has been signed and processed, you will receive your funding within 30 days.  

This fund shouldn’t support 100% of project costs, so an element of match funding should be demonstrated. The greater the match funding, the higher the application will score for this criteria point. 

In terms as what might count as match funding: 

• Funding contribution to the project from the applicants own funds 

• Funding obtained by other funding sources e.g. other funding grants or charitable donation from another organisation 

• In kind (non-cash) funding of free goods or services such as staff and volunteer time (using time that someone works on the project as match funding). To do this you will need to include a full description of the work that is expected to be carried out and the cost of this time. 

How much funding can I request?

Application can request between £3,000-£9,999

Not all funding for intended project has yet been secured. Can I still apply for this fund?

No. we will need evidence that all additional funding (if required) has already been obtained.

When does my project need to completed by?

All work needs to have been started by July 2026.

When will I hear if my application has been successful?

We aim to make all organisations aware of the outcome of their application week commencing 20th April 2026.

Is there a deadline for applications?

Applications open on Monday 9th February 2026 and will close Monday 23rd March 2026.