Most clubs pay for a new safety boat with two or three grants and a small club contribution. The Funding Finder is our live directory of UK funders that pay for safety boats, electric outboards, batteries, solar and shore charging, accessible boating and youth projects – and it is free for clubs to use.
Sources: UKGrantmaking (Funders Together), 2024-25; National Lottery; Sport and Recreation Alliance; Great British Energy Local Power Plan, Feb 2026 (“up to” is a ceiling). Funding Finder counts as of November 2026.
A funding list that keeps up with you
- Always current. We research and re-check funders every week – the National Lottery, sport bodies, wind and solar farm funds, energy and water companies, port authorities, councils, accessibility charities, livery companies and local community foundations – and update the directory as rounds open, close and change.
- Searchable by location. Enter your postcode or choose your region to see the funders that cover your water, alongside the national ones.
- Filter by what matters. Grant size, open now, type of funder, and angle – green and net zero, accessibility and inclusion, youth, community, maritime and water safety.
- Your priority report. Answer a few questions and get every funder ranked high, medium or low priority for your club, with the reasons.
- Track your bids. Tick the funders you have applied to and record the outcome, all saved in your account.
- Weekly funding update. Deadlines can be short, so members can opt in to a weekly email with new funders and deadline changes.
Three funders from the directory
These are well-known national funders, shown here with the latest details from our directory. Members see more than 200 more, including the local and specialist funders most clubs never find.
Live from the directory · last checked 3 November 2026
The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF)
National Lottery Awards for All England
Grants up to about £20,000
Eligibility, deadlines and contacts
- Area covered
- England
- Grant size and match funding
- £300–£20,000, for up to 2 years. No match funding required.
- Boats and equipment?
- Yes. "Equipment" is listed as an eligible cost, as are small land or refurbishment projects.
- Electric / green angle
- Moderate. The priorities are community-focused: bringing people together, improving places and spaces, helping people reach their potential at the earliest stage, and cost-of-living pressures. TNLCF also has an environmental emphasis, so the sustainability angle helps but should not lead.
- Status and deadlines
- Open, ongoing. Apply at least 16 weeks before you need the money, because decisions currently take up to 16 weeks. | Open, rolling. Apply at least 16 weeks before you want to start or spend; decisions take up to 16 weeks.
- Contact
- England advice line 0345 4 10 20 30, [email protected] (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)
- Clubs funded before
- Southampton Amateur Rowing Club: £3,729, 13 Feb 2008, "Safety Launch and Safety Equipment" (Awards for All). https://tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/grants/recipients/360G-blf-org-SouthamptonAmateurRowingClubCharity:CharitableUnincorporatedAssociation111945 Goring Gap Boat Club: Awards for All grant for a coaching and safety launch to expand beginners' courses. The amount and year are not shown. https://tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/welsh/funding/grants/0030047020 A rowing club in Bewdley: Awards for All grant for a safety launch plus coach and launch-driver training. The amount and year are not shown. https://tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/welsh/funding/grants/0030012713 Dover Rowing Club: Lottery grant for a coaching and rescue launch, trailer and safety bags. The grant record matches "Provision of equipment, coaching and safety training sessions", £3,250, 16 Feb 2006. https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/welsh/funding/grants/0030044160 ; https://tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/grants/recipients/360G-blf-org-DoverRowingClubCharity:CharitableUnincorporatedAssociation111846
Sport England
Movement Fund (grant route)
Grants up to about £15,000
Eligibility, deadlines and contacts
- Area covered
- England
- Grant size and match funding
- £300–£15,000, for projects of up to 12 months. The grant route has no stated match requirement, but showing a club contribution or other funding makes an application stronger. Awards over £10,000 need alignment with at least Tier 1 of the Code for Sports Governance. Applicants need a governing document and at least three unrelated trustees or directors.
- Boats and equipment?
- Yes. Eligible costs include "equipment" and "new or upgraded facilities". Ineligible: recoverable VAT, retrospective costs, and costs already covered by other funders.
- Electric / green angle
- Strong. "Improving both environmental sustainability and providing physical activity opportunities" is a listed priority, and 10% of the £160m budget is ringfenced for environmental sustainability. Sport England said on 27 May 2026 that nearly £1.3m had gone to 138 environmental sustainability projects. The application still has to meet the core outcomes: inactive or under-represented groups, such as girls aged 5–16, low-income families and disabled people.
- Status and deadlines
- Open on a rolling basis with no deadline. Apply at least 12 weeks before spending, and expect a decision in 6–8 weeks. A Greater Manchester Moving briefing from August 2026 and an OCVA listing from May 2026 both confirm it is live.
- Contact
- Sport England Funding Helpline, 0345 8508 508 (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm), [email protected]
- Clubs funded before
- None found on Sport England's pages. The RYA ran a webinar on 8 June 2026, "Unlocking funding opportunities: is the Sport England Movement Fund right for your club?", with a Sport England funding officer, which suggests watersports clubs are getting awards.
Aviva
Aviva Communities Fund (match-funded crowdfunding)
Grants up to about £25,000
Eligibility, deadlines and contacts
- Area covered
- UK
- Grant size and match funding
- Up to £25,000/yr (2026); donations matched up to £250 each
- Boats and equipment?
- Yes, if it serves the focus areas
- Electric / green angle
- High. The 2026 focus is financial wellbeing and climate action (greener spaces, community resilience). An electric launch replacing petrol is a legitimate climate-action project.
- Status and deadlines
- Open in 2026 (OCVA notice June 2026); rolling via Crowdfunder. Needs at least 12 months of operation (Mersey RC's CIO dates from Jan 2026, so eligible from Jan 2027 unless the predecessor club counts) and income under £1m.
- Contact
- [email protected]
- Clubs funded before
- Not found
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Questions about funding
Can a rowing or sailing club get a grant for a safety boat?
Yes. The National Lottery, Sport England, Sport Wales, wind farm community funds, port authorities and many local trusts have all funded safety launches, rescue boats and outboards for clubs.
Are there grants for electric boats or outboards?
Increasingly, yes. Port authorities have funded electric launches for Thames clubs, and energy-company and wind farm funds give extra weight to low-carbon projects. Members can filter the directory for green and net-zero funders.
Why do I need to register?
The directory changes every week. An account lets us show you the funders for your area and club type, save your application tracker, and – if you choose – send you the weekly update when new funders appear or deadlines move. It is free and you can close it at any time.
Do we need to be a registered charity?
Not always. Many sport and lottery funders accept constituted clubs and Community Amateur Sports Clubs. Some trusts only fund registered charities – the priority report flags these.
What happens to the details and files we send?
They are stored privately on this website and seen only by our team, who use them to help with your funding. You can ask us to delete them at any time.
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