Funding Floodlights for Your Football Club | How You Can Save Thousands on 3G Bookings
With the sun setting earlier during the winter months, finding a way to illuminate the football field becomes crucial for evening games and training sessions.
If your club is looking to fund floodlights, you've come to the right place.
In this ultimate guide, we'll shine a light on the various options available to you (including up to 75% funding!), allowing your team to continue playing long after daylight fades.
From traditional metal halide floodlights to energy-efficient LED systems, we'll explore the pros and cons of each, helping you determine the right solution for your club's needs and budget. We'll also provide tips on how to secure funding for your floodlights.
But it's not just about the lights themselves. We'll delve into the technical aspects of installing floodlights, ensuring that your club meets the necessary requirements.
Don't let darkness restrict your training sessions. Follow our guide and let there be light on your field, illuminating every match or coaching session, no matter the time.
The Importance of Funding Floodlights in Football Clubs
Floodlights are a crucial component of any football club's infrastructure. They allow teams to extend their playing and training hours well into the evening, ensuring that the pitch remains usable even as the sun sets earlier during the winter months.
This extended playing time is invaluable for clubs, as it provides more opportunities for players to train, especially when clubs are limited to grass pitches.
Without floodlights, football clubs would be limited to 3G pitch bookings, which are starting to cost more and become harder to find.
This can then be especially problematic for clubs with limited access to suitably lit grass playing fields, as they may struggle to accommodate all of their teams and training sessions within the confines of daylight.
Moreover, floodlights enhance the overall experience for players, coaches, and spectators. They create a more professional and immersive atmosphere, making evening matches and training sessions feel more professional.
This can be a significant draw for the local community, fostering a greater sense of club pride and loyalty among supporters. Ultimately, the importance of floodlights in football clubs cannot be overstated, as they are a vital component of any successful and thriving club.
Sports Lighting Cost: Why Funding Floodlights is Necessary
Without adequate lighting, a club's ability to operate and grow is severely limited, as it restricts the number of hours the pitch can be used and the types of events that can be hosted.
This is why funding floodlights is so important. A suitable floodlight kit needed for football teams can range anywhere from £2,000-£10,000, which is out of reach for most clubs.
Furthermore, many football leagues and governing bodies have strict regulations regarding the minimum lighting requirements for their competitions. Clubs that fail to meet these standards may be prevented from hosting certain matches or even face exclusion from higher-level competitions.
Investing in quality floodlights ensures that a club remains compliant with these regulations and can continue to participate in the tournaments and leagues that are crucial to its development and success.
Types of Sports Field Lighting
When it comes to illuminating a football pitch, clubs have a range of floodlight options to choose from, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Understanding the different types of floodlights available can help clubs make an informed decision that best suits their needs and budget.
Portable LED Floodlights
In recent years, LED floodlights have emerged as a popular alternative to metal halide systems. LED lights are highly energy-efficient, often consuming up to 50% less electricity than their metal halide counterparts.
They also have a longer lifespan, reducing the need for frequent bulb replacements. Additionally, LED floodlights offer superior light quality and distribution, ensuring a more even and consistent illumination across the pitch.
The initial investment for LED systems may be higher, but the long-term cost savings and improved performance make them an attractive option for many football clubs.
Metal Halide Floodlights
One of the less common types of floodlights used in football is the traditional metal halide system. These lights are known for their high light output and long lifespan, making them a reliable choice for many clubs. However, metal halide floodlights can be energy-intensive and require regular maintenance, which can add to the overall operating costs.
We recommend clubs look to LED sports floodlights where possible.
Understanding the Cost of Floodlights
The cost of installing and maintaining floodlights for a football club can vary significantly depending on several factors, including the size of the pitch, the type of lighting system chosen, and the complexity of the installation process.
When it comes to the initial investment, floodlights can cost up to £10,000 on the full kits. This is a big investment for football clubs but, as we’ll see later, can save clubs thousands of pounds in the long run.
Ongoing maintenance and operational costs are very low for sports floodlights, especially LED sports floodlights, due to how efficient they are.
Football Pitch Floodlights Cost - How You Can Save Money
Although football floodlights are often a big investment for clubs, they end up saving you money in the long run. With the cost of 3G pitch bookings constantly increasing, the running cost for football clubs is only getting bigger.
Training on a grass pitch with your new LED floodlights means no more AstroTurf bookings which can save you £100s a week, especially if your club has multiple teams or age groups.
See the infographic to learn just how much your football club could save.
Fundraising Options for Funding Floodlights
Securing the necessary funding to install and maintain floodlights can be much easier than you think. There are several different ways football clubs can go about fundraising and we have outlined the most common ones below.
Football Foundation Portable Floodlights Funding
The most common way and often the best way for clubs to attain funding for their portable football floodlights is through the Football Foundation.
The Football Foundation offers up to £25,000 in funding for portable football floodlights (for each club). They will cover up to 75% of the total cost of your floodlights if you qualify and this can make even the larger floodlight kits affordable.
Do You Have To Be a Football Club To Apply For Football Foundation Funding?
No, the Football Foundation program is not just for registered football clubs, but you have to have grassroots football be an integral part of what you do.
Who Can Apply For Funding?
Pros
- A not-for-profit football club or voluntary group*
- A Local Authority
- A County FA
- A Professional Club Community Organisation
- An educational establishment providing facilities for the community
- A registered charity
- A not-for-profit company
- A community interest company (CIC) or other social enterprise
- A company limited by guarantee
*Please note, if you’re a Football Club looking to apply for Football Foundation funding, only the Chair, Welfare Officer, Secretary or Treasurer of that Club can submit an application form.
Cons
- An individual or sole trader
- A national governing body
- A commercial / for-profit entity
- A club within the Premier League, Football League, National League System (Step 1 to 6), Women’s Football Pyramid (Tier 1 – 4) or the Welsh Premier League
- Educational establishments providing facilities solely for their students
How Do You Apply For the Football Foundation Grant?
When applying for the grant, you must give a detailed explanation as to why you need to purchase the floodlights and what and where they will be used.
You will also need to explain that your facilities can cope with the additional use to prevent any grass pitches from becoming overused.
Each football club can only apply for funding once every season and only Chair, Welfare Officer, Secretary, or Treasurer of that Club can submit an application form.
This means that you need to take time with your funding application and ensure everything is submitted correctly.
See the infographic we have put together for applying for floodlight funding:
Floodlight Funding Process Explained:
- Contact Arcanum Sports - Ring or email the team at Arcanum Sports explaining how you need a quote for funding and make sure to include how many lights you want a quote for as well as any specific requirements.
- Get 2x Quotes - Get 1 quote from Arcanum Sports as mentioned above and get 1 quote from another store.
- Apply for Funding - Apply for funding using this link and it should take you around 1 hour to complete.
- Wait for Approval - If successful, your approval from the Football Foundation will take around 5-7 days to come through and maybe longer in busier months.
- Confirm Order to Arcanum Sports and Receive Proforma Invoice - Once you have approval, contact Arcanum Sports and receive a proforma invoice.
- Make 25% Payment and Receive Full Invoice - Pay the 25% payment from the proforma invoice and then we will give you a full official invoice.
- Submit Invoice to Football Foundation - Once you have your official invoice from Arcanum Sports, you can take this to the Football Foundation and submit it to them. Then await funds, which takes 1-2 weeks.
- Pay Arcanum Sports the Remaining 75% - With your funds from the Football Foundation, pay Arcanum Sports the 75% remaining balance on the official invoice.
- Receive Your Floodlights in 3-5 Days - After payment, you’re new Sports-LITE floodlights will be shipped.
- Play Football - That’s it! Get straight to playing football on any pitch at any time.
Where Do I Apply For the Football Foundation Grant?
Use this link to be taken to the Football Foundation’s page where you can apply for funding at the bottom:
What Other Funding Options Are Available For Floodlights?
Although the Football Foundation funding grant is most commonly used by football clubs, there are other funding options available. We have listed some below but there are many specific options also available online depending on where your club is based.
Sport Scotland
- The Sport Facilities Fund (SFF) provides funding for capital projects that enhance or develop spaces for sports and physical activities.
- There are dedicated funds for floodlights to boost capacity at suitable sports venues.
Sport Nortehrn Ireland
- Sport Northern Ireland has announced a plan to invest £17.5m of its National Lottery funding into sports facility projects over the next five years.
Premier League Stadium Fund
- A stadium improvement fund is available for Step 1-6 clubs.
Cymru Football Foundation
- The Fit-For-Future Equipment Fund provides grants up to £30k for projects costing up to £40k, with a target of 20% partnership funding. There are two application windows each year. Example projects include portable floodlights.
Sport England
- Sport England's Small Grants Programme offers up to £15,000 in funding for 2023 to support sports and physical activities for individuals who may be less physically active.
Scottish FA
- Partnering with the UK Government, Scottish football clubs, local authorities, leisure trusts, and stakeholders, the Scottish FA will pinpoint key football facilities needing investment across six regions. This will ensure critical grassroots facilities are maintained, sustained, and improved to boost local participation.
Crowdfunding Your Sports Floodlights
If you don’t qualify for any of the funding options available above and maybe you are a coach looking to do sessions on grass pitches, it is possible to try and crowdfund your floodlights.
If you are a football club and can’t find funding, then being able to crowdfund floodlights from people involved in the club is a great way to save money in the long run. Getting the upfront cost paid down now with community funding and saving £1000s in the coming years with no more artificial 3G pitch bookings.
If you're a football coach considering the purchase of portable floodlights, you likely only need a smaller kit size to meet your needs. While these smaller kits are more budget-friendly compared to the larger systems typically used by football clubs, they still represent a significant investment. To make this more feasible, you might explore crowdfunding options within your local community.
Having floodlights can greatly benefit your football program and community. With proper lighting, you can extend coaching sessions beyond daylight hours, offering more flexible training times. This means more practice opportunities for your players, including younger children who may benefit from additional training sessions.
By communicating these advantages to your community, you can highlight how floodlights will not only enhance the development of local talent but also support the overall growth and success of your football program.
Crowdfunding allows you to rally support from parents, local businesses, and community members who share your commitment to improving the local sports environment.
Conclusion: Bringing Light to Your Football Club With Funding
In the ever-evolving world of football, the importance of floodlights cannot be overstated. These essential components of a club not only extend the playing and training hours but also create a more professional and engaging atmosphere for players, coaches, and spectators alike.
They are a worthwhile investment for a football club at any level and, with proper funding, can be much more affordable than you first thought.
As the sun sets earlier during the winter months, the need for reliable and efficient floodlighting becomes increasingly crucial for clubs that want to remain competitive and provide a high-quality experience for their community.
If your football club is considering upgrading to energy-efficient LED floodlights then looking into the various funding options, especially the grant from the Football Foundation, is something we strongly recommend.
If you or your club needs any more help in achieving funding or walking through any of the steps, reach out to our team today and we can assist.
If you now need a quote for portable floodlights, we recommend checking out the page below to ensure you get the right floodlight kit size and options.
See Our Range of LED Football Floodlights Now!
Now that you know how to get funding, you'll need to know which kit size and options are best for you.
Click the button below to go to our collection of portable football floodlights and get your quote today!
Sports Lighting Manufacturers
Our sports floodlights are manufactured from Ritelite. The Ritelite Sports-LITE kits offer some of the best specifications on their football floodlight kits and we are proud to be a registered distributor of the Sports-LITE training kits.