The window to apply for the 2025 Chase-funded UEFA Grassroots Leaders Award is now open.
About the Course
The Irish FA UEFA Grassroots Leaders Award is designed to enhance the knowledge of coaches working with children aged 5-12 years. This is an online course and will take place from December 2025.
Find out more about the course
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the fully funded places, you must meet the following criteria, at the time of application:
- be aged 16 and over,
- be living in Northern Ireland,
- at least one of the following; come from a low-income household or a low socio-economic background e.g. you may have an annual household income under £22,800, receive universal credit, received free school meals as a child or your parents were in a low paid or low skilled job when you were 14,
- Successful completion of Irish FA’s National Coaching Certificate within the previous six years (only applicable for candidates from Northern Ireland).
We'll also ask you two questions (with a maximum 200-word limit). Your answers will be used to assess your suitability for a fully funded place and should demonstrate the impact the qualification would have on helping you achieve your football coaching ambitions:
- the first asks why you should be considered for funding so we can understand your motivation for taking this course,
- the second is about your football aspirations to understand how you will use this qualification to benefit football.
About the Application Process
- The application window for applications for the fully funded UEFA Grassroots Leaders Award will close on 18 August 2025 (noon)
- When the window closes an independent panel from across the Irish FA will assess the applications and will contact the successful candidates early in August.
- If successful, you will be notified by the Coach Education Team
- Only the successful applicant can receive the funding to be used for their own UEFA Grassroots Leaders Award.