EFL and Sky Bet launch £6m Building Foundations Fund for grassroots

The English Football League (EFL) and its title partner, Sky Bet, have launched a new funding initiative which will see Communities across the country benefit from £6 million worth of grants.

Called the Building Foundations Fund (BFF), the scheme has been designed to breathe new life into community projects throughout England and Wales and represents the largest multi-year, sponsor-backed fund dedicated solely to community activity.

BFF will give the 72 EFL clubs a chance to bid for grants of up to £100,000 to invest in ongoing programmes or to develop new initiatives.

From the current 2023-24 season Sky Bet will invest £1 million per year into the fund. A panel of industry experts will select the winning bids across a range of categories.

Projects that will receive funding will range from improving local sporting facilities to promoting the physical and social benefits of football.

To mark the start of BFF, Club Community Organisations (CCOs) at each of the 72 EFL Clubs will have the opportunity to spend an initial £10,000 grant.

Some of the initial projects have now been confirmed. One of them will see Blackburn Rovers spend the £10,000 on growing its ‘Remember the Rovers’ programme, which holds weekly sessions at Ewood Park, bringing people living with dementia together, who may otherwise be in social isolation, through the power of footballing memories.

Dan Colton, Managing Director, Sky Bet, said: ““The Fund is a core pillar of our new agreement with the EFL and we’re very excited to see the impact the £6 million will have on such important projects across England and Wales.”