Finance

Ground Grading and Improvement

Funding and Guidance for clubs playing in the National League System (Male and Female)
 
All clubs playing at Step 1-7 from the Male Pathway or 1 – 4 of the Female Pathway can access Football Stadium Improvement Funding to help secure funds for their club to play at the required level. Funded by the Premier League with an annual budget of £6m, the FSIF awards capital grants to clubs from the Football League down to the lower levels of the FA National League System to improve safety at their stadia and to enable them to satisfy The FA’s ground grading requirements.
 
Grants of up to 70% can be achieved to support Ground Grading requirements and ground improvements, with differing grant levels available dependent on the level of the pyramid your club plays at.
 
For more information on the Football Stadia Improvement Fund and what is available, please click below:

footballfoundation.org.uk/grant/football-stadia-improvement-fund 

The FA National League System (NLS) and Women’s Pyramid provide a structure for the senior levels of the male and female game respectively in England.

The FA work closely with both structures to implement a standardised set of facility requirements, or ground grades, to ensure club facilities are of a sufficient standard to cater for the playing and safety needs of the game at that level. Any club wishing to enter either structure or progress within it must meet the ground grading at the desired level before they are able to proceed. 

The male NLS steps, grades and links to requirements for Staffordshire are as follows:

Grade A Step 1, National League   Information Sheet (Grade A)
Grade B Step 2, National League North & South   Information Sheet (Grade B)
Grade C Step 3, Northern Premier League & Southern League Central  Information Sheet (Grade C)
Grade D Step 4, Northern Premier League South East Division
 Information Sheet (Grade D)
Grade E The entry requirement for Step 4
 Information Sheet (Grade E)
Grade F Step 5, Midland Football League Premier Division & North West Counties League Premier Division
 Information Sheet (Grade F)
Grade G Step 6, Midland Football League Division 1, NW Counties League Division 1 South & WM Regional League Premier Division
 Information Sheet (Grade G)
Grade H The entry requirement for Step 6
 Information Sheet (Grade H)
Minimum Grading Requirements Step 7, Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division, Midland Football League Division 1 & WM Regional League Division 1  Information Sheet (MGR)


The Women’s Pyramid steps and grades for Staffordshire are as follows:

Grade A Step 1, FA Women’s Premier League - National Division 
Grade A Step 2, FA Women’s Premier League - National Division 
Grade B Step 3, Women’s Combination League 
Grade C Step 4, West Midlands Regional Women’s League Premier Division
N/A Step 5, West Midlands Regional Women’s League Division 1 North & South 
N/A Step 6, Staffordshire Girls and Ladies League Adult Female Division
                                               
The grading requirements for the Women’s Pyramid can be found here.