FAQs. In this document you can find information on how to apply for the following RFF Grants or Loans:

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1 FAQs The Awards Panel The Awards Panel meets every couple of months to consider all current applications put forward by the Case Officers. Clubs will be notified by within 10 days of the meeting of the result of their Meetings are currently scheduled for the end of January, March and May in In this document you can find information on how to apply for the following RFF Grants or Loans: Helping Hand Grant Groundmatch Grant Groundmatch Plus Grant Interest Free Loan Helping Hand Grant A: You can apply for a grant of between 500 and 1,500 which is matched against the club s own contribution to the project (either from club funds, sponsors or external grants). maintenance, goalposts and perimeter fencing). The RFF will not fund works that would be classified as annual maintenance, such as end of season pitch renovations. A: Complete and return the RFF Helping Hand Application Form along with the club rules, evidence you can occupy your site for one year or more, one quotation identifying the total project costs and evidence of your matching funds. A: If successful, the club will receive an award letter and terms and conditions, both of which should be signed and returned. At this stage the club can commence the project. The RFF will not accept any retrospective applications for work that has already taken place. Q: How often can my club apply to this fund? A: A club can apply for a maximum of 5,000 over a 24 month period. The 24 months is calculated from the date of the final drawdown of any previous RFF award. This may be a combination of Helping Hand and Groundmatch grants. Rugby Football Foundation, Rugby House, Twickenham Stadium, 200 Whitton Road, Twickenham. TW2 7BA

2 Q: Can I apply for a RFF loan to fund the same project as my grant application? Groundmatch Grant A: You can apply for a grant of between 1,500 and 5,000 which is matched against the club s own contribution to the project (either from club funds, sponsors or external grants). maintenance, goalposts and perimeter fencing). A: Complete and return the RFF Groundmatch Application Form along with a copy of the club rules, evidence you can occupy your site for five years or more, two quotations identifying the total project costs, latest club bank account statement, latest annual accounts and evidence of your matching funds. A: If successful, the club will receive an award letter and terms and conditions which should be signed and returned. At this stage the club can commence the project. The RFF will not accept any retrospective applications for work that has already taken place. Q: Can I apply for a RFF loan to fund the same project as my grant application?

3 Groundmatch Plus Grant A: Where a project can demonstrate a significant impact on the retention and recruitment of players, the RFF will consider a small number of applications within a year over the 5,000 limit. In such cases clubs can apply for up to 10,000 which is matched against the club s own contribution to the project (either from club funds, sponsors, external grants). maintenance, goalposts and perimeter fencing). A: Complete and return the RFF Groundmatch Plus Application Form along with a copy of the club rules, evidence you can occupy your site for five years or more, two quotations identifying the total project costs, latest club bank account statement, latest annual accounts, evidence of your matching funds and a letter of support from your local Constituent Body Facility Coordinator and RFU Rugby Development Officer. A: If successful, the club will receive an award letter and terms and conditions which should be signed and returned. At this stage the club can commence the project. The RFF will not accept any retrospective applications that have already taken place.

4 Interest Free Loan A: Clubs who are voting members of the RFU and play at level 4 or below of English league. A: You can apply for an interest free loan of between 5,000 and 100,000 which will be repayable over a period of up to 15 years. Typically, the following repayment periods apply to the amount of loan offered. However, the RFF does have the flexibility to consider longer repayment periods depending on the club s financial status: 40,000 or less 5-8 years 40,000-75, years 75, , years maintenance, goalposts and perimeter fencing). Project fees and improvements to a club bar are ineligible for support but can be counted in the club s partnership funding contribution. A: Complete and return the RFF Stage One Interest Free Loan Application Form along with a copy of the club rules, project design drawings (scale 1:100 if clubhouse), detailed QS estimate of project costs, latest three years of annual accounts, five year cash flow forecast, details on any existing debt secured against the property and evidence of tenure for a period at least matching the level of loan requested: 5,001-10,000 5 years 10,001-25, years 25,001-50, years more than 50, years A: On reviewing your stage one application, the RFF will either confirm you can progress to stage two of the application or recommend that the club withdraw the At stage two of the application, the club will need to provide a club plan demonstrating its retention and recruitment plans, support from the Constituent Body for the project, planning permission, three tenders and tender appraisal and evidence of partnership funding to achieve the total project cost. The application will then be considered at the next Awards Panel Meeting (see above). A: If successful the club will receive an award letter terms and conditions which should be signed and returned. The club will then need to secure the loan either through a restriction against the title for loans of less than 50,000 or with a charge against the property for loans up to 100,000 with the RFF s appointed legal representatives Bates, Wells & Braithwaite (BWB). On confirmation that the loan has been secured, the club can commence the project. The RFF will not accept any retrospective applications for work that has already taken place or started before securing the loan. Loan Security 100,000 Charge on the club s land 50,000 or over, but less than 100,000 Less than 50,000, and the club has a strong balance sheet Less than 50,000, and where there are concerns over the club s balance sheet Charge on the club s land, unless either value of club s land is minimal or the costs of taking a charge would be disproportionate, in which case a restriction is placed on the club s land A restriction is placed on the club s land Charge on the club s land

5 A: Once you have returned the signed grant acceptance form, secured the loan and fulfilled any award conditions, the club can commence submitting invoices for works completed to the RFF. At this stage the RFF will make a payment to the club to the value of the loan awarded and the invoices submitted. Q: Can I apply for a RFF grant to fund the same project as my loan application? A: You can discuss your application with your local RFF Case Officer whose contact details are as follows: Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Cornwall Somerset Devon Dorset and Wilts Middlesex Hampshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Kent Surrey Sussex Essex Gloucestershire Berkshire Hertfordshire Jon Bendle Jason Bowers Rick Bruin JonBendle@RFU.com JasonBowers@RFU.com RickBruin@RFU.com Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 Notts, Lincs and Derby Eastern Counties Leicestershire East Midlands Lancashire Cheshire Staffordshire North Midlands Northumberland Durham Yorkshire Cumbria Warwickshire Pete Shaw Tom Bartram Alex Bowden PeterShaw@RFU.com TomBartram@RFU.com AlexBowden@RFU.com