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Projects are likely to involve the construction of new pitches or improvement of existing ones that need levelling or drainage works.

Sport England is also particularly keen to improve and protect playing fields in community ownership. It will also look to prioritise and further support those where ownership of playing fields sites is being transferred to the community from public ownership.

Key features include:

• Projects must be community-led and demonstrate strong local partnerships.
• Projects must demonstrate the contribution they will make to sports development.
• Projects must offer protection of the site for sporting use for at least 25 years.
• Successful applicants will be supported with the design, specification and delivery of the capital works aspect of projects. Sport England will arrange for the procurement, contracting and management of capital works to be undertaken on the organisation's behalf to enable successful projects to focus on sports development and sustaining the project.
• Playing fields for which funding is being sought must have been identified through either a published Playing Pitch Strategy, adopted Local Development Plan or Local Needs Assessment.
• Applicants must provide partnership funding.

The maximum grant is £50,000. The first deadline is Wednesday 6 July.

For more information visit http://www.sportengland.org/funding/protecting_playing_fields.aspx or call 08458 508 508

To download a protecting playing fields prospectus visit http://www.sportengland.org/funding/protecting_playing_fields/key_features_of_ppf.aspx

All applications should be submitted online at https://enquiry.sportengland.org/applicationportal/login/applicationlogin.aspx