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