Sport England has formed a partnership with American Football charity NFL Foundation UK to provide joint grant funding to charities in Greater Manchester and Birmingham.

The move will see the two sport bodies work with charities and community groups in the two areas for the next two years to provide programmes that support young people through the Foundation’s NFL Flag initiative.

This focuses on building confidence and skills among 12- to 20-year-olds and already operates across 13 London boroughs with more than 2,500 young people.

On offer are grants of between £35,000 to £60,000 with programmes running from June this year to March 2025.

The grant can be used for charities to build on their existing sport programme and to begin to use the NFL Flag tools to engage with young people.

The closing date for expressions of interest is 13 March.

“We are delighted to partner with Sport England and expand the NFL Foundation UK’s reach into communities in Greater Manchester and Birmingham as part of our commitment to helping to address inequality in society through the power of sport, education and opportunity,” said NFL UK general manager Henry Hodgson.

“It has always been our ambition to expand the NFL Foundation UK beyond London and engage more young people, and we are looking forward to working with local community organizations to co-create programs that will support local needs.

“We know how powerful NFL Flag is in connecting with underrepresented groups to help young people get active, and we are excited about the potential to further impact the lives of youngsters in the UK.”

Sport England executive director of partnerships at Sport England Phil Smith added: “In working with local community groups in Birmingham and Manchester themselves, and by providing a blend of opportunity, equipment and training, we believe this unique partnership can be transformational in helping more young people find a love for sport, while building social connections.”

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