The FA has opened a new route for football projects connected to faith and local communities in England. Its Faith and Football Fund is now accepting applications, with County FAs, grassroots clubs, semi-professional clubs, leagues and faith organisations among those eligible to apply.
The announcement was made by The FA on 24 August 2026. That matters because this is not a report of a possible scheme: the application window is officially open. It does not, however, mean that any individual project has been selected or funded yet.
What the new fund is for
According to The FA, the Faith and Football Fund will support locally delivered faith, intersectional and community football initiatives in England. The focus is therefore on projects run close to the people they are intended to serve, rather than a single national programme delivered directly by The FA.
The FA has not, in its announcement, named specific projects that will receive support. Applicants will need to put forward their own initiatives within the fund’s stated scope.
For clubs and groups already working in this area, the opening of the fund creates a clear next step: apply before the deadline. For everyone else, it is worth keeping the distinction straight. The fund exists, but successful applications have not yet been announced.
Who can apply
The FA lists several types of eligible applicant. County FAs can apply, as can grassroots and semi-professional clubs. Leagues and faith organisations are also included.
That is a broad group within English football, but it is still a defined one. The announcement does not state that every football organisation will automatically receive funding, nor does it confirm how many projects will be supported.
The key point is that eligibility gives an organisation the chance to apply. It is not the same as approval. Any applicant will need to follow The FA’s application process and meet the requirements attached to the fund.
The dates to keep in mind
There are two important dates in the process. Applications close on Friday 25 September 2026, according to The FA. That leaves a fixed window for eligible organisations to submit their plans.
The FA will also hold an information webinar at 10:00am on Friday 11 September 2026. This gives potential applicants a scheduled opportunity to hear more about the fund before the closing date.
Projects supported through the scheme must be completed by 31 December 2027. So this is not an open-ended commitment: any successful initiative will have a stated end date.
Where the fund fits in
The FA says the new fund follows its Faith and Football Series, which has run since 2019. That series is the background to the new application process, rather than a separate claim that the fund has already delivered outcomes.
The announcement places faith, intersectional and community initiatives together in the fund’s purpose. In practical terms, the next stage is now with eligible local organisations, which can decide whether their work fits the scheme and submit an application.
What is still not confirmed
The FA’s announcement confirms the fund, the eligible groups, the closing date, the webinar and the project completion deadline. It does not name successful applicants, funded projects or a timetable for announcing decisions.
Those details will only become clear later in the process. Until then, the main verifiable moment is the information webinar on 11 September, followed by the application deadline on 25 September.