ECFA Development Fund & Case Studies
The ECFA Development Fund was delivered in the 2021-22 season to support Accredited Colleges to lead on the delivery of a collaborative project in partnership with one or more local football stakeholders.
The fund supported colleges to drive collaborative delivery that meet the needs of the college and the local community. The fund was awarded to 12 colleges through an application process to deliver against pre-determined project briefs which provide a range of innovative approaches to developing football in further education and grassroots football.
Development Fund projects have sustained in partnership with their community partners. These partnerships are essential for ensuring that all stakeholders can continue to deliver outcomes beyond the 2021-22 funded project cycle.
Funded Projects
Walsall College
Utilising Technology
Deliver an innovative extra-curricular programme that will focus on upskilling students around technological support for grassroots football using technology to engage young people and to retain players in the game.
Sheffield College
UEFA Women’s Euros 2022 Legacy
Deliver a range of programmes that will increase the number of female participants and workforce within Sheffield College and local community.
Leyton Sixth Form College
Workforce Deployment
Deliver a ‘Football Champions’ initiative through a community partnership between the college and a local charity with a focus on how to facilitate a successful ‘journey’ for a young person into the football workforce.
Loughborough College
Workforce Deployment
Deliver a women’s coach development network in partnership with the County FA and local clubs/leagues to upskill women’s coaches in the East Midlands.
Milton Keynes College
UEFA Women’s Euros 2022 Legacy
Invest in a staff member at the college to promote, plan and deliver various female focused football events and sessions both within college and the community to support the Milton Keynes Legacy group, Women’s Euro 2022.
Lancaster & Morecombe College
Growing Disability Provision
Develop a disability community hub with the support of two local specialist schools and a local community centre with the shared goal of improving the local provision for disability football.
Blackburn College
Football & Mental Health
Develop a collaborative approach to mental health support. Collaborating between college football provision and external agencies/organisations to create a network of student support mechanisms that engage with community projects such as wellbeing workshops, coaching and training.
Chesterfield College
Female Referee Academy
Support female students to pursue different officiating opportunities within futsal and football. The project will train, deploy and develop the female officials through working in collaboration with the local County FA and grassroots leagues.
Merrist Wood College
Referee Academy
Upskill the student workforce in partnership with the County FA to create a referee academy that services local grassroots football and offers an extensive range of support to qualified student officials.
Thomas Rotherham College
Utilising Technology
Partner with a local grassroots club to support students and participants in overcoming depression and social barriers through technology in football.
Tyne Metropolitan College
Workforce Deployment
Partner with a grassroots club to train up students that deliver football sessions to those for who English is a second language (ESOL), ethnic minorities and Special Educational Needs, with a focus on utilising local charities and police to engage hard to reach participants.
South Tyneside College
Workforce Deployment
Develop and deploy a student workforce carousel to deliver coaching sessions to ethnic minorities, disabled, women and lower socio economic groups.
Find Out More
If you are an ECFA Accredited College and would like more information about funding opportunities please contact Joshua Stockdale, AoC Sport National Football Development Officer.