Support and Funding

Business Support

In addition to support available to facility providers through a number of our Member Bodies including the British Equestrian Trade Association, British Horse Society and Association of British Riding Schools, many equestrian facilities will be able to benefit through organisations looking after the interests of small businesses. A few of these are mentioned here.

Business Link is the government organisation established to support, provide advice, and guide both start-up and established businesses. This support includes finance and grants, employment, health and safety, marketing, regulation, IT and e-commerce.

The Federation of Small Businesses is the UK's leading lobbying and benefits group for small and medium sized businesses. Over 200,000 members (including more than 200 equestrian businesses) receive a range of benefits including free business banking, access to preferential arrangements telecommunications, financial, insurance and private medical services, legal helplines and templates for contracts and other legal documentation.

Funding

Although there are many funding opportunities in general, many are only accessible to not for profit organisations, clubs, charities and community related projects. Traditional commercial and private equestrian enterprises may therefore find it difficult to identify funds that they are able to apply to. However there are plenty of examples where equestrian facilities have received funding so below are a number of links that we hope you will find useful.

The BEF Facilities Strategy (from page 28) contains a section on funding that provides comprehensive information on the main sports and rural based funding organisations, including funding parameters, contact details and guidance on how to apply.

Relevant links:

• Sport England

            General Funding Information

            Awards for All

            Community Investment Fund

            Sportsmatch

• Sport Scotland
• The Sports Council for Wales
• Foundation for Sports and the Arts
• Big Lottery Fund
• j4b Grants - online funding information and search resource
• Rural Net - subscription based website including funding information for rural-based community organisations

Community Amateur Sports Club scheme (CASC)

Although not direct funding, the Government's Community Amateur Sports Club scheme provides sports clubs with an opportunity to save money on its costs, thereby freeing up funding for development.  The key benefits include:

• 80% mandatory business rate relief. Local authorities can offer up to 100% relief to clubs at their discretion.
• The ability to raise funds from individuals under Gift Aid. A registered CASC can reclaim up to £28 in tax for every £100 donated, though at the moment this does not apply to all types of donations.
• CASCs are exempt from Corporation Tax on profits derived from trading activities if their trading income is under £30,000 pa.
• Profits derived from property income are also exempt for CASCs if gross property income is under £20,000 pa, of particular relevance following the abolition of the nil rate band.
• CASCs whose income does not exceed these thresholds will no longer be required to complete an annual Corporation Tax return.

This scheme will not suit all facility owners as to achieve the full benefits the facility would need to be under the ownership of a 'club'.  However a number of facilities have successfully achieved CASC status and we will soon publish case studies enabling others to see how this can be done.  More information can be found at www.cascinfo.co.uk.