Most clubs will now be aware of the ECB County Grants Fund, which commenced in 2021. It aims to support affiliated cricket clubs to create welcoming environments, provide enhanced facilities and playing opportunities for women, girls and disability cricket, and develop environmentally sustainable facilities.
To date, Devon Cricket has supported 44 clubs who have successfully received grants. In 2023, almost 75% of the projects supported were linked to tackling climate change, including provision of off-grid electrical supplies, rainwater harvesting and bore-hole water supplies.
The fund has three essential themes:
- Creating Welcoming Environments
- Providing Enhanced Facilities and Playing Opportunities for Women’s and Girls’ Cricket and/or Disability Cricket
- Tackling Climate Change
Clubs can apply for between £1,000 and £10,000 to support their viable club projects, however where we expect many applications to be submitted we may have to cap the top end award value.
We have been advised that the ECB 2024 County Grant programme will open for business on 1st February, after the County Cricket Boards have been advised of their budgets.
It is expected that for 2024 there shall be a linked association with actions identified in the Devon Cricket Facilities Strategy, so club projects better aligning with the actions within the Facilities Strategy, are likely to achieve priority should there be an oversubscription of deserving applications.
Once again, for the 2024 County Grant Funding rounds, Devon Cricket will be holding two separate application windows during the year. The strategy being to allow clubs to move forward with non-impacting projects during the playing season or embark on more impacting projects after the season completes.
We expect to open our first application window on Mon 5th February and run for six weeks until Fri 22nd March, however, we will confirm these exact dates in the coming weeks, and update on any changes to the application process, once the ECB have communicated such changes.
In the meantime, clubs who are considering applying for a County Grant in 2024 can proactively start to prepare their applications outside of the IMS portal by inviting quotations and progressing any necessary planning applications for their project.
For any County Grant Fund enquiries please contact our Funding & Facilities Manager, Nick Goodliffe.
