ECB County Grants Fund [2025]: How to apply & top tips

The ECB County Grants Fund for 2025 opens on 1 February. In this article, I’ll share the themes, how much your cricket club can apply for, timings and a few top tips to give you the best chance.

ECB County Grant Fund 2025 eligibility – Who can apply?

All ECB-affiliated clubs in England and Wales are eligible to apply.

How much can you apply for?

Each club can apply for a sum between £1,000 (minimum) to £10,000 (maximum).

What projects can be funded?

Broadly, the three areas are:

Creating welcoming environments – open to affiliated cricket clubs registered for All Stars or Dynamos, or actively involved with women’s and girls’ competitive cricket and / or disability cricket. It is an expectation that any junior programme will include and actively engage with girls

Enhanced facilities and playing opportunities for women’s and girls’ cricket and / or disability cricket – open to affiliated cricket clubs actively engaged in competitive female only cricket

Tackling climate change – Open to any affiliated cricket clubs

The ECB states that priority will be given to applications from clubs that are actively engaged with ECB programmes (All Stars, Dynamos, Women’s and Girls’ Cricket and / or Disability Cricket).

How to apply?

Download and read the 2025 guidance notes (see below). These are thorough and will give you the basis for whether your club qualifies and if so, how to go about it.

My advice before you get started

The best approach is to read the guidance notes carefully, decide your club’s need and if / how it fits within one of the three specific areas.

Then, talk to the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB) or your local county board for advice if you can before your application is put together. It will save time and definitely give you the best chance.

It’s tempting to dive in and get it done quickly but writing funding bids is a particular skill. Assemble the evidence required and write a compelling application based on clearly defined outcomes.

Impact, costs and a realistic timeframe for delivery that matches when funds are available all need to be thought through.

Of course, there is a timing element here. If you wait for many months, that boat will have sailed. Projects have to fit within an ECB funding cycle.

As ever, competition for cricket grants in 2025 is going to be fierce given the sheer number of very credible projects and causes out there. There is only a certain amount of ECB money available in each county so give it everything.