English Schools' Football Association

Registered charity 1173338 · since 2017schoolsfootball.org·England·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.

Key takeaways

English Schools' Football Association's grant support goes to its Member Associations, and its Development Fund is open to ESFA districts, schools, County Schools' FAs, County FAs and wider partners, so an organisation outside those groups is not among those named.
Its stated aims are new school football activity, no duplication of activity in the area, and more children playing football as a direct result of the grant, and a bid should show the activity would not go ahead without development funding.
The annual report gave no readable grants figure and no grant range is stated, so the size of a realistic request cannot be worked out from its figures.
Its listed application method is by invitation only and it does not accept unsolicited requests, though the Development Fund guidance and application form can be downloaded from its development page, so a named eligible group should check with the funder before sending a full application.

Overview

English Schools' Football Association is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1173338).

English Schools' Football Association is a charity registered in England and Wales that exists for the mental, moral and physical development and improvement of school children and students up to twenty years of age through association football. It runs local and national football competitions for schools, representative football for talented players, and development opportunities to attract new players. Its geographic focus is England.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The ESFA’s charitable purpose is the mental, moral and physical development of schoolchildren and students up to twenty years of age through association football. It delivers this through local and national school competitions, representative football for talented players, and development opportunities to attract new players. Its grant support goes to Member Associations and includes development, futsal and disability grants. Its ESFA Development Fund has supported new schools’ football activities across England and has been available to ESFA districts, schools, County Schools’ FAs, County FAs and wider partners. Bids for that fund have been expected to stimulate new activity, avoid duplication, make the case that the activity would not proceed without development funding, and bring more children into football.

Themes

School football development
Futsal
Disability grants

Geographic Focus

England.

How to apply

For the ESFA Development Fund, interested organisations who had not received correspondence were directed to the development page to download and return the guidance and application forms.

Who can apply:

ESFA Development Fund: ESFA districts, schools, County Schools’ FAs, County FAs and wider partners.

What to send:

ESFA Development Fund: Guidance and application form.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

Applicants should show that new activity is being stimulated.
Applicants should show that the new activity does not duplicate other activity within the area.
Applicants should show that the activity would not be able to go ahead without development funding.
Applicants should show that more children will play football as a direct result of the grant.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

England

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to English Schools' Football Association.

Football FoundationRollingGave £106M Michael Carrick FoundationRollingGave £70,942 EFL in the CommunityRollingGave £11.7M The Hargreaves FoundationRollingGave £1.7M The Tim Henman FoundationRollingGave £64,369 The Generational FoundationNo public processGave £969k Personal Best FoundationRollingGave £7,588 Wembley Stadium FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £499k The National League TrustInvitation onlyGave £1.1M Chester Diocesan Board of EducationInvitation only

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 30 June 2021	£850,140	£665,954	—	Accounts for year to 30 June 2021
year to 30 June 2022	£1,148,267	£1,098,181	—	Accounts for year to 30 June 2022
year to 30 June 2023	£1,278,479	£1,237,820	—	Accounts for year to 30 June 2023
year to 30 June 2024	£1,281,753	£1,247,534	—	Accounts for year to 30 June 2024
year to 30 June 2025	£1,307,805	£1,194,231	—	Accounts for year to 30 June 2025

— No grants figure for those years.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.