Lta Tennis Foundation

Charity Number: 1148421

Annual Expenditure: £22.3M
Throughout England And Wales, Scotland, Guernsey, Isle Of Man, Jersey

Contact Info

Website: https://www.lta.org.uk/what-we-do/lta-tennis-foundation/

Phone: 0208 487 7000

Email: info@ltatennisfoundation.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £2.9m in grants (2024)
  • Success Rate: 44% (based on 2023 data)
  • Decision Time: Approximately 3 months
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £100,000
  • Geographic Focus: Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.lta.org.uk/what-we-do/lta-tennis-foundation/

Email: info@ltatennisfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 0208 487 7000

Grant Application: Complete eligibility quiz at https://www.lta.org.uk/what-we-do/lta-tennis-foundation/grant-making-framework/

Overview

The LTA Tennis Foundation (charity number 1148421) was established in May 2022 through the merger of the previous Tennis Foundation and the LTA Trust into one consolidated charity vehicle. The Foundation's mission is to “improve lives through tennis” with funding solely for grassroots tennis, particularly focusing on diverse and underserved communities where the game is less well established. In 2024, the Foundation awarded £2.9 million in grants to 36 organisations, impacting nearly 35,000 people and supporting the training of 700 coaches, leaders, and volunteers. The Foundation works through three core areas: supporting organisations embedded within communities who use tennis as a force for good, enabling communities and schools through funding expertise and equipment, and developing often neglected facilities and courts. The Foundation is also partnering with the UK Government on a £30 million investment to impact 3,000 park tennis courts across Great Britain.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Innovate

  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £50,000
  • Duration: One year
  • Focus: Innovative projects improving lives through tennis
  • Application: Online application during open windows

Scale

  • Grant Range: £10,000 - £100,000 per year
  • Duration: Up to 3 years
  • Focus: Proven projects looking to expand their reach and impact
  • Application: Online application during open windows

Recover

  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £25,000
  • Duration: One year
  • Focus: Limited emergency funding for tennis charities facing crisis situations
  • Application: Online application during open windows

Quick Access Loans

  • Range: Minimum £25,000
  • Focus: Facility development and improvements
  • Format: Loan scheme rather than grant

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on specific groups and societal outcomes:

  • Deprivation and Life Chances: Supporting those living in highest areas of deprivation
  • Disabled People: Ensuring accessible tennis opportunities
  • Lower Socio-Economic Groups: Creating pathways and opportunities
  • Mental Health: Using tennis to enhance mental wellbeing
  • Women and Girls: Creating safe, welcoming tennis sessions for isolated women and girls
  • Young People from Underserved Communities: Developing career pathways into tennis
  • Ex-Offenders: Supporting rehabilitation programmes
  • Refugees and Temporary Accommodation Residents: Providing community connection through tennis

All projects must robustly focus on delivering impact in four key areas:

  • Improved physical health
  • Enhanced mental wellbeing
  • Increased life skills
  • Expanded social connection

What They Don't Fund

  • International projects or organisations not registered in Great Britain
  • Companies limited by shares or sole traders
  • Private organisations - only properly constituted, not-for-profit organisations
  • Individuals - cannot fund individual applicants
  • Facility loans under £25,000 (for Quick Access Loan Scheme)
  • General club support - support for tennis clubs only in exceptional circumstances

Governance and Leadership

Chair

Tim Lawler MBE - Chief Executive of SportsAid and experienced charity trustee. Lawler led the merger process that created the current LTA Tennis Foundation.

Board of Trustees

The Foundation has a diverse board including:

  • Sandi - LTA Deputy President (from January 2020) and LTA President (2023-2025)
  • Hitesh - From West Bromwich, led UK Government support for major sports events after London 2012, Chair of Sport 4 Life UK and trustee of the Albion Foundation
  • Cynthia - Treasurer, board member since 2015
  • Chris - Chartered accountant with Deloitte background, former Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, PhD in Organisational Sociology of Voluntary Associations
  • Simon - LTA Finance Director with executive responsibility for the LTA Tennis Foundation

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Eligibility Check: Complete the short eligibility quiz (approximately 1 minute) at https://www.lta.org.uk/what-we-do/lta-tennis-foundation/grant-making-framework/
  2. Application Form: The quiz directs applicants to the most appropriate application form for their project
  3. Assessment: Applications are initially assessed by LTA colleagues who make recommendations to the Foundation's Board of Trustees
  4. Decision: The Board of Trustees makes the ultimate funding decision

Applications are evaluated against key themes: eligibility, assurance, capability, relevance, benefits, and value.

Decision Timeline

Current Application Window: 10 September 2025 - 30 November 2025

Decision Communication: By 31 January 2026 (approximately 3 months from application deadline)

The Foundation runs multiple funding rounds per year. In 2023, there were two main funding rounds.

Success Rates

Based on 2023 data from the second funding round:

  • 27 organisations applied
  • 12 organisations were successful
  • Success rate: approximately 44%

This represents a competitive but reasonable success rate, with applications undergoing rigorous review.

Reapplication Policy

While no specific waiting period is publicly stated, the Foundation maintains records of unsuccessful applications indefinitely for statistical and research purposes. Organisations are encouraged to contact info@ltatennisfoundation.org.uk for guidance on reapplication after an unsuccessful attempt.

Application Success Factors

Key Requirements for Strong Applications

  1. Clear Alignment with Mission: Projects must demonstrably align with the vision of “tennis opened up” and mission of “improving lives through tennis”
  1. Focus on Specific Groups: Applications must robustly focus on specific groups or societal outcomes where the project can genuinely improve lives
  • Improved physical health
  • Enhanced mental wellbeing
  • Increased life skills
  • Expanded social connection
  1. Proper Constitution: Organisation must be properly constituted (Constitution, Articles of Association, or rules in place), not-for-profit, inclusive, and accessible
  • How the wider community will benefit from the investment
  • Pay and play opportunities with daily access for non-members
  • Affordable coaching accessible to non-members
  • Community outreach with local schools and coaches

Examples of Funded Projects

  • The King's Trust: “Get Started in Tennis” programme - three-year funding to open career pathways for young people from underserved communities
  • Sport for Life International: Building Character through Tennis (BCtT) programme in Birmingham - three-year grant enabling almost 1,400 children to participate
  • Greenhouse Sports Ltd: Greenhouse Gamechangers project expansion - reaching thousands more young people aged 9-16 from communities facing poverty, expanding from London to Portsmouth and Leicester
  • LUSU Sports: Programme using tennis to tackle loneliness, improve wellbeing, and reduce risk of falls among older people
  • Arden Active: “Innovate” grant for tennis sessions for Ukrainian refugees in Solihull and Birmingham
  • Get Set 4 Tennis: Coach education programme for post-16 young people with SEND
  • HACRO: Introducing tennis to TurnAround project supporting ex-offenders
  • Pride in Tennis: Expanding Rally Allies programme to foster inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ players

Application Language and Terminology

The Foundation uses specific language that applicants should mirror:

  • “Tennis opened up”
  • “Improving lives through tennis”
  • “Force for good”
  • “Underserved communities”
  • “Community embedded”
  • “Accessible and inclusive”

Contact and Support

Questions can be directed to info@ltatennisfoundation.org.uk before applying. The Foundation encourages pre-application contact for clarification.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Target the Right Stream: Choose between Innovate (new ideas, £5k-£50k) and Scale (proven projects expanding, £10k-£100k) carefully based on your project's maturity and track record
  1. Demonstrate Clear Social Impact: Go beyond tennis participation numbers - show how your project will improve lives through the four impact areas (physical health, mental wellbeing, life skills, social connection)
  1. Focus on Underserved Communities: Applications focusing on diverse and underserved communities where tennis is less established are strongly aligned with the Foundation's priorities
  1. Competitive but Achievable: With a 44% success rate, the Foundation is competitive but significantly more accessible than many national grant makers - approximately 2 in 5 applications succeed
  1. Plan for Reporting: Successful applicants provide a 6-month update and annual impact evaluation - factor this into your project planning and demonstrate evaluation capability in applications
  1. Organisational Structure Matters: Ensure your organisation is properly constituted as a not-for-profit entity before applying - private companies and sole traders are ineligible
  1. Multi-Year Funding Available: The Scale programme offers up to 3 years of funding - if you have a proven model, consider applying for longer-term support rather than one-off grants

Similar Funders

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References