Quick Access Loan Scheme
Our mission is to grow tennis and padel by making them accessible, welcoming, and enjoyable. Ensuring local communities have access to quality facilities is critical to attracting and retaining more players.
The LTA’s Quick Access Loan Scheme aims to provide interest-free loans to support venues investment in facilities, prioritising the installation and construction of covered courts.
Fund objectives:
- Provide covered or floodlit playing facilities to encourage community accessible play all year
- Retain and increase the number of participants at the venue
- Offer and increase both non-members pay and play usage and coaching opportunities
- Grow the numbers of adults and juniors on the coaching programme
- Provide seamless booking of tennis courts and lessons through an online booking system
Key facts:
- Interest-free loan
- Open all year round with no submission deadlines
- Decision made within 6 weeks of full application
- Venues must be LTA-registered upon project completion
- There must be an adequate security of tenure at the venue, with the applicant legally-able to borrow money
- Online booking for courts and programmes is a requirement, through our online booking system
- Venues will need to develop a satisfactory sustainability action plan
- Venues will need to have in place an adequate sinking fund
- Venues must be properly constituted, not for profit, inclusive and accessible (the LTA Tennis Foundation is unable to fund companies limited by shares)
We want to work with people, committees and organisations that:
- are committed to growing tennis by opening up access at their venue
- are effectively engaging their community
- have the skills to deliver their project
Funding is held and awarded by the LTA Tennis Foundation (LTA TF). Applicants must demonstrate how the wider community will benefit from the investment.
- Pay and play – venues should ensure daily opportunities for non-members to book courts at peak and off-peak times. Pay and Play is a great way to attract new users and engage them in membership and the coaching programme.
- Coaching – affordable coaching opportunities and programmes should be accessible to non-members and members.
- Community outreach – venues should work with local schools and coaches to deliver opportunities and open access events for pupils and members of the local community.
LTA TF loan funding will be invested in line with the below framework:
|
Scheme |
LTA TF investment level |
Borrowing term |
|
Lighting upgrades to LED (outdoor and indoor) Venues must demonstrate current floodlit court utilisation of 50% Approx. cost per outdoor court - £10k |
£25k loan |
3 year repayment period
|
|
New floodlights |
£25k loan |
3 year repayment period
|
|
New court provision New year-round surfaces with floodlights or upgrading from seasonal use to year-round surface. |
Up to 60% of the project cost
|
5-7 year repayment period
|
|
Outdoor padel Approx. cost per court - £75k |
Up to 60% of the project cost |
5-7 year repayment period |
|
Covered padel (court and cover) Cost per court - £180k |
Up to 60% of the project cost
|
5-10 year repayment period |
|
Covered tennis court Approx. cost per court: - Airhall - £75k Canopy - £150k Framed fabric - £200k |
Up to 80% of the project cost
|
10-15 year repayment period |
* The LTA TF is not able to award loans of less than £25k
The following are not eligible project costs:
- Routine maintenance
- Clubhouse construction or renovations
- Like-for-like court resurfacing e.g. porous surface to porous surface
- Purchase of land for a venue
- Funding new venues/organisations without financial history e.g. 2 years of accounts
- Retrospective funding for previously carried out works
To assist venues in planning projects, and get a better understanding of the Quick Access Loan investment levels, we've developed a facility investment calculator. This calculator will indicate which level of LTA TF funding is possible for your venue, using the parameters of the table in the above dropdown, based on the scheme and based on the level of investment by the venue.
The applicant will be expected to contribute towards the cost of the project through reserves, access to other funding sources, and fundraising, e.g. Crowdfunder resources, to help you find applicant funding, are available on the Tennis and Padel facility funding and advice webpage below.
Each project application will be assessed on the financial sustainability and levels of investment required based on the current financial position and cashflow forecast. Where applicants have financing available to deliver the proposed development without the need for a QAL, funding will be prioritised where a need is demonstrated.
Depending on level of funding we'll look to take security unless this is not possible (facility is council or educational establishment).
- For loans of £100,000 and above a legal charge will be sought on the land
- For loans between £50,000 and £100,000 a restriction will be sought on the land
- For loans from £25,001 to £49,999 no charge or restriction will be sought
Repayment terms
The repayment terms for each scheme invested in are outlined in the table under 'What we will fund'. The first repayment is typically 6 months after funding has been fully released and project completion.
Tennis case studies
Esher Lawn Tennis Club
- Utilising the LTA TF investment, the club converted 3 grass courts to 2 floodlit tennis courts and a mini tennis area. As well as this the investment supported the conversion of a macadam-surfaced court and practice wall to 2 padel floodlit padel courts with gate access
- This investment allowed the club to attract a high-class coaching team and connect with a number of schools in the local area
- The members feel the club has since been “transformed” resulting in a runner up award in the LTA Club of the Year competition and now have around 900 members
"The additional courts also mean that we can run holiday camps every week of the school holidays and offer free taster sessions to local schools.”
Bishop’s Stortford
- With the investment form the LTA TF, Bishops Stortford were able to install 2 floodlit artificial clay courts as well as 2 floodlit padel courts
- The investment has allowed the club to boost their already very positive membership numbers as well as utilising the new gate access system to improve their pay and play numbers
- The project has also meant that the club could continue to attract further pay and play bookings with it being the only padel venue in the local area
Aldershot Tennis Centre
- After an investment from the LTA TF the Aldershot Tennis Centre was able to carry out much-needed upgrades to facilities, allowing them to enable the re-opening of the community tennis centre
- This investment helped to bring back in to use 4 indoor and 10 outdoor tennis courts all operating on a pay and play basis.
“By investing in the facility and making it far more welcoming for all sections of the community the centre has grown in all areas and is now becoming a popular competition venue in the area.”
Padel case studies
Please see our latest padel case studies where venues have used the Quick Access Loan Scheme to successfully grow and improve their venue and increase the popularity of padel:
Once you've submitted an expression of interest form, a member of the Property team will be in touch with you to discuss your project further. They will then ask you to provide supporting documents.
Please see the table below which outlines the documents they'll require and provides you with examples and guidance information.
|
Documents |
Relevant documents and information |
Helpful hints |
|
Completed cashflow and application form |
|
We've completed sample accounts to help you develop your application. There's also a guidance note available for further information on how to complete your application |
|
Business plan |
View the guidance notes to help you develop your business plan and provide you with advice on how to attract more participants to your venue |
|
|
2 years accounts |
N/A |
The cash balances should match the cashflow in the application form |
|
Scope of works, three tendered costs and a tender report |
|
The LTA works with a number of consultants who can help you develop your project scope and tender documents. Consultant costs can be included in the overall project cost
|
|
Draft legal agreements |
Quick Access Loan Agreement templates:
|
If you're successful in being awarded a loan you'll be required to sign an agreement which is appropriate to the structure and level of LTA TF investment. Please see these templates as an example |
Catch up below on our webinar about how you can use Quick Access Loans to grow your venue through capital investment: