Premier League Charitable Fund

The Premier League Charitable Fund (PLCF), an independent UK-registered charity established in 2010 by the Premier League, harnesses football's power to unlock potential and drive positive change for children, young people, and communities across England and Wales. Its mission centers on creating sporting, health, educational, and personal opportunities through funding and supporting over 100 club community organisations (CCOs) linked to professional clubs from the Premier League to the National League. Grounded in values of inclusivity, partnership, empowerment, and evidence-led impact, PLCF emphasizes football as a vehicle for social good, community cohesion, and addressing disadvantage in deprived areas.

PLCF prioritizes themes like community cohesion, education, health and wellbeing (mental and physical), sports participation, youth engagement (ages 5-25), employability, and social action. It funds national programmes such as Premier League Primary Stars (primary education and resilience), Inspires (secondary mental health and aspiration), Kicks (diversion from crime), Changemakers (female empowerment and social action), and Protect the Planet Challenge (youth climate projects). Supported activities include life skills mentoring, employability support, community sports, volunteering, and environmental initiatives, aiming for outcomes like improved attainment, reduced inequalities, better health, and youth leadership.

Eligible applicants are strictly UK-registered charities that are CCOs connected to professional football clubs in England or Wales, meeting the Capability Code of Practice for safeguarding and governance; unsolicited applications are not accepted—funding occurs via invitation, partnership, or the grant management portal. No income thresholds apply, but it suits medium-to-large organisations with operational capacity. Grants range from tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds annually (totaling £34-35 million yearly), including project, core, capacity-building, and match funding, with multi-year awards common; no public deadlines, aligned to football seasons.

Distinctively, PLCF stands out for its massive scale (nearly £500 million invested since inception, benefiting 2.5 million participants), strategic co-production with partners like the Professional Footballers’ Association, and focus on empowering football club charities as change agents—excluding non-club-linked entities or activities outside its themes and geography.