2027 Club Accreditation (Clubmark) and Affiliation Update
The ECB has provided further information about Club Accreditation and annual Club Affiliation in 2027. Devon clubs can use the autumn and winter to review their governance, safeguarding arrangements and club records before the new season.
The key clarification is that not every affiliated club needs to complete a full Accreditation application in 2027. Affiliation and Accreditation are separate processes.
What is the difference between Affiliation and Accreditation?
Club Affiliation is the annual process through which clubs affiliate to Devon Cricket Foundation (DCF) as their Recreational Cricket Board and establish their relationship with the ECB. Clubs will complete the 2027 process through Play-Cricket, including acceptance of the Affiliation Terms and Conditions.
Clubs should check now that the people authorised to act for them, typically the Chair and Secretary, have Main Administrator access on Play-Cricket. This will help them deal with affiliation communications and actions when the process begins in the new year.
Club Accreditation (formerly Clubmark) is the ECB's club recognition scheme. The full 2027 application window is open to clubs that held Clubmark accreditation between 2022 and 2025. Clubs accredited through the 2026 Accreditation Pilot will instead complete a short self-assessment and development plan.
The ECB's longer-term ambition is to give all affiliated clubs the opportunity to work towards Accredited Club status.
When does Accreditation open?
The 2027 application window opens in January and closes on Friday, 30 April 2027. Clubs within the 2027 group should use September to December to prepare their documents and address any gaps, particularly where changes need approval at an AGM.
Accreditation will be completed through Play-Cricket. Clubs should also download and retain any documents they need from the existing Clubmark Portal before it is decommissioned.
What will clubs need to show?
The ECB’s Club Accreditation 2027 Requirements Checklist (PDF) sets out the evidence across three areas:
- Governance: a signed and dated open constitution, or appropriate Articles of Association for an incorporated club, adopting key ECB regulations; an up-to-date, signed Safe Hands Policy Statement; a committee including a Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Club Safeguarding Officer; AGM minutes dated within the previous 12 months; and a club bank statement from the previous six months.
- Safeguarding: an up-to-date and compliant Safe Hands Management System (SHMS) profile; the required DBS check and safeguarding qualification for the Club Safeguarding Officer; and DBS clearance for captains, coaches and managers.
- Operations: insurance evidence covering £5 million Public Liability and £10 million Employers’ Liability, plus accurate information about active teams and sections on Play-Cricket and SHMS.
Clubs should use the checklist to confirm exactly what applies to their application and how each requirement will be evidenced.
Five actions clubs can take now
- Review your Constitution or Articles of Association against current ECB requirements and plan any amendments through the appropriate club approval process.
- Review and update your Safe Hands Policy Statement.
- Update Play-Cricket and SHMS after committee elections or changes to volunteers and teams.
- Check Main Administrator access on Play-Cricket for the officials authorised to act for the club, typically the Chair and Secretary.
- Check DBS and safeguarding requirements for the relevant roles and address any gaps or renewals early.
These steps are useful for all clubs preparing for 2027, including those that are not in the full Accreditation application group.
Key dates
|
September - December 2026 |
Prepare documents and review governance and safeguarding arrangements. |
|
January 2027 |
Annual Affiliation begins and the Accreditation application window opens. |
|
Sunday, |
DCF SHMS checkpoint for overseas player requirements. |
|
Friday, |
ECB Accreditation application deadline and DCF start-of-season SHMS checkpoint. |
|
Saturday, |
DCF final SHMS compliance checkpoint. |
Starting now gives committees time to make changes through their normal processes and be ready for the 2027 season.
Support from the Devon Cricket Foundation
If you are unsure whether your club's Constitution or Articles of Association meet current ECB requirements, send it to your regional Club Development Officer. We can review it and provide a clear report setting out any amendments needed and practical guidance on making them.
| North & East Devon |
| Antony Cox antony.cox@devoncricket.co.uk 07375 323421 |
| South & West Devon |
| Ian McCombes ian.mccombes@devoncricket.co.uk 07939 016149 |
