FA Cup sponsors Budweiser set to invest £1m in grassroots football

The FA and Budweiser have announced that Budweiser will invest £1 million directly into grassroots football in the UK over the next two seasons, as part of their FA Cup sponsorship.

As a long-standing supporter of football around the world, from the FIFA World Cup to the Copa America to the iconic FA Cup, says Budweiser, it understands the importance of grassroots football in developing future heroes of the game, and the vital role football plays in bringing together local communities all around the world.

The new initiative, called Budweiser Club Futures, will help to fuel this grassroots support giving sixteen grants of £50,000 to non-league clubs across steps 5-7 of the English football pyramid over the next two years.

Eight grants will be available during the 2012/13 season, with a further eight grants available during the 2013/14 season. Within each season, one of the chosen eight clubs will win an additional £100,000 "Super Grant" – as voted by football fans from early next year through the official FA Cup and Budweiser UK Facebook pages.

Budweiser Club Futures will aim to "help clubs to help themselves" by improving any part of their general facilities. It will also help clubs become more financially sustainable, giving the opportunity to create a legacy in their community to inspire future generations of footballers.

The FA's Director of Football Development, Sir Trevor Brooking, commented: "This level of football traditionally survives on the generosity of volunteers and a real sense of community spirit. So it goes without saying that this £1m investment as part of the Budweiser Club Futures programme is a fantastic gesture, with the £100,000 Super Grant being a real pot of gold for the clubs involved".

Budweiser European Marketing Director, Iain Newell, said: "We know the importance of non-league clubs to the future of the beautiful game and to local communities so we're proud to be able to give these clubs a financial boost. As a long-standing supporter of football around the world, Budweiser is committed to partnering with the communities where we live and work to support local clubs as they build their legacies.

"Budweiser also has a long-standing history of promoting responsible drinking so in addition to the core funding for vital infrastructure and other improvements, each of the sixteen winning clubs will be given additional funding and support to run community based Responsible Drinking programmes".

These include Designated Driver, Family Talk – a programme that encourages family to talk to their children about alcohol responsibility, and Good Sport – a training programme in responsible drinks bartending.