Coventry Bowls Small Grants - Print version

Aims

The Coventry Bowls Small Grants aims to:

• increase year-round participation in bowls (especially indoor provision)
• support clubs in purchasing and maintaining bowls equipment including short mat
• encourage inclusive access for older adults, disabled players, and young people
• strengthen community wellbeing through inclusive sport
• help increase physical activity levels

Eligibility criteria

To access the Coventry Bowls Small Grants, the following eligibility criteria apply:

• Coventry-based bowls clubs or community groups (CV1 – CV6) with a priority around indoor bowls provision 
• access to an indoor venue (e.g. clubhouse, community centre, school hall etc.) 
• proof of tenure of venue/facility  
• constituted group with its own bank account 
• demonstrated or willingness to carry out outreach work and community engagement in partnership with the Bowls Development Alliance  
• for indoor provision, hold current affiliation or commit to affiliating to the English Short Mat Bowling Association (ESMBA) 
• completion of the Club Health Checker via the Bowls Development Alliance, with one-to-one support where required 

Additional supporting information 

To be eligible to apply, you must be able to provide proof of:  

• Your organisation/company has a management committee/board of trustees/board of directors with at least three unrelated people as members, a list of those directors will be required showing who has bank authorisation.  
• Your Club’s Constitution and/or Code of Conduct.
• Proof of a bank account in the name of the Club with at least two unrelated signatories.  
• Your Club’s Safeguarding Policy.  
• Your Club’s Equal Opportunities Policy. 

What we can support

Available funding

• Grants of up to £3,000 are available for Coventry-based organisations
• It is unlikely that we will be able to award multiple grants at the top end of the scale (£3,000) and as the budget is limited, we are likely to receive more applications than we can fund
• There is no match funding requirement for this grant

What we can support

• Bowls equipment:  Starter kits, mats, bowls, jacks, storage, delivery mats, bowling arms, pushers, handling units etc
• Community engagement: External marketing support, open days, taster sessions, schools outreach work etc
• Coaching: Volunteer training, coach development
• Minor facility adaptations: Storage, flooring, toilets and changing rooms, catering facilities etc
• Accessibility enhancements: Equipment or minor modifications to improve access e.g. ramps, grab bars, widened doorways

What we cannot fund

We cannot fund:

• costs you are committed to paying already, including salaries for existing staff, rent and utilities 
• facility hire of your own spaces 
• costs that are not for direct delivery; for example, project development (such as feasibility or consultation costs), project evaluation and/or unexplained or contingency costs 
• costs you have already incurred; this could be retrospective costs – those owed from before the date on the award letter, or costs from projects that started before we made our offer to you 
• costs that include funding another organisation; for example, distribution of grants on our behalf – you can't use our funds to make grants to other organisations 
• costs for the benefit of an individual, such as purchases for personal or private gain, including personal items of equipment and clothing 
• costs someone else is already funding; for example, any costs covered by another source of funding – you must declare all sources of funding for your project in your application 
• we also cannot provide funding for recoverable VAT or cash purchases. 
• promotion of religious or political activities 
• groups with significant financial free reserves 
• contribution to endowment fund, payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans 
• travel or expeditions 
• general appeals  
• statutory work in educational institutions 
• sponsored or fundraising events or groups raising funds to distribute to other causes 
• schools, churches or PTAs unless community benefit is demonstrated 
• projects that are not focused on bowls provision

How to apply

Application process

For more detail, please read the Coventry Bowls Small Grants information documents and application form [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/8485/coventry-bowls-small-grants].

• Grants of up to £3,000 are available for Coventry based organisations
• Your application will need to include the following:
  • A completed application form
  • An itemised budget for your project (included within the application form)
  • A delivery plan (optional - a template will be available to download)
  • Two valid quotes per item to be submitted with applications to justify the amount requested for equipment, minor adaptations to facilities or accessibility enhancements 
  • A letter of support from a venue or partner organisation (if applicable for organisations that do not own their facility) 
• Please submit your completed application and supporting documentation to covsport@coventry.gov.uk with 'Coventry Bowls Small Grants Application' in the email subject field by 5pm on Sunday 1st February 2026.

Funding timeline

• Application submission deadline: 5pm on Sunday 1 February 2026
• Decisions announced: February 2026
• Funding provided by: 31 March 2026

Funding bid tips

• Show the community need – e.g., how your project improves inclusivity and accessibility for more people to play bowls
• Explain the local impact – clearly outline how your project will enhance bowls provision in Coventry
• Support with evidence – include at least 2 valid quotes in applications to justify funding for equipment, facility adaptations, or accessibility improvements
• Prioritise requests – provide a clear order of importance for the funding you are seeking. We may not be able to fund everything!

Funding application support available from the Bowls Development Alliance (in partnership with Coventry City Council)

• Funding application guidance and support in January – available both online and in person at your request
• Club Health Checker, club affiliation and governance support at your request
• Online Coventry Bowls Support Fund session in January 

Please contact victoriaevans@bowlsdevelopmentalliance.com [mailto:victoriaevans@bowlsdevelopmentalliance.com] to request support or for more information.

Additional conditions of the award 

• All grant applicants will need to complete an end-of-grant monitoring form at the end of their project and supply at least one case study with a photo or video.  
• All grant applicants will be expected to participate in any appropriate publicity as requested by Coventry City Council or the Bowls Development Alliance. 

Contacts 

• Coventry Sport Team on covsport@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:covsport@coventry.gov.uk]  
• Bowls Development Alliance on victoriaevans@bowlsdevelopmentalliance.com [mailto:victoriaevans@bowlsdevelopmentalliance.com]  

Accessibility 

• All applicants are welcome to contact us before submitting an application for an informal conversation or to answer any questions. 
• If you have access needs and wish to discuss ways in which we can help with completing your application (for example, providing the application form in a different format), please contact us by email and we will be pleased to assist you.

Data protection 

Coventry City Council complies with the Data Protection Act and the UK GDPR and is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a Data Controller. 

For full details of how and why we collect personal data, please view our privacy notice [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/privacynotice].