Scoping the Supply and Demand Needs for Grassroots Football and Multi-Sports Facilities Across Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland

Introduction The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) invites proposals for the following research and scoping project to carry out a comprehensive needs assessment of grassroots football and multi-sports facilities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The project will inform the allocation of £205m grassroots facilities investment across the UK over the next 3 years, and the distribution of further investment to achieve full community coverage by 2030. Purpose The overarching objectives of the scoping exercise are to answer the following: What are the current numbers of grassroots football pitches and facilities in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland; what is their quality and how are they distributed? How many of them support multi-sport usage i.e. for at least one other sport; of what type? What is the current rate of usage of those facilities in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland and how is that demand for facilities likely to evolve in each nation over the next 10 years? What are the current and future needs gaps between supply and demand for local facilities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? What, therefore, is the facilities pipeline that grassroots investment must deliver in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (i) over the next 3 years and (ii) over the next 10 years? The answers to these questions will provide a roadmap for the delivery of grassroots investment, highlighting where need is greatest, what investment is likely required where and supporting local areas with their future-focussed facilities planning.