Affiliation Process and Fees for 23/24 Season
As we approach the end of the 2022/23 season, attention will soon be turning to the affiliation process for 2023/24, which is currently scheduled to open in the week commencing 5th June 2023.
As part of this, the FA affiliation method will see the biggest change for almost a decade as it moves from the Whole Game System to the England Football Portals, which clubs will be familiar with as the home of Player Registration and England Football Accreditation.
Through the new FA model, and in line with the evolving landscape of football, a “team fee”, rather than a “club + team fee” model, is being introduced.
Regional National Feeder League (Step 7) and below
As affiliation fees are no longer split into a “club fee” and a “team fee”, Essex FA’s affiliation fees have also been reviewed and aligned with the new FA model. Essex FA has not altered, or increased, its affiliation fees for the last 15 years, and instead of grassroots clubs being charged £23 as a club fee and then £12 per team, a flat grassroots fee of £17 per team is to be introduced for 2023/24 for all teams at Regional National Feeder League (Step 7) level and below.
National League System and EFL
Team fees for clubs within the English Football League (EFL) and National League System (NLS) have also been adjusted. EFL team fees have been set at £500, NLS Step 1 & 2 teams at £250, NLS Step 3 & 4 teams at £150 and NLS Step 5 & 6 teams at £100.
Insurance Partner Sportsguard
Our partnership with Sportsguard Insurance is also continuing, so grassroots clubs can benefit from excellent and competitive personal accident insurance and public liability insurance during the affiliation process, and for the 2023/24 season Essex FA will continue to support clubs and teams with these costs by completely subsidising the cost of public liability insurance at £20 per club, and will also provide an £8 contribution per team, towards personal accident insurance costs, when these products are purchased through Sportsguard Insurance. Clubs and teams that operate above Regional National Feeder League Level will need to liaise with their respective Leagues regarding minimum levels of insurance required.
We feel this provides a consistent and streamlined offering for our member clubs and teams, whilst continuing to minimise financial costs in the current climate, as well as continuing to provide financial support towards the insurance related aspects, that are required as part of the affiliation process.
Affiliation Support
Ahead of the affiliation process opening you can find an introduction to the changes to the affiliation process on The FA’s Grassroots Technology Knowledge Base by clicking below.
You can also find guidance about the various requirements depending on the type of teams that are being affiliated by clicking below.
The FA Grassroots Technology Team will be running an introduction session for clubs on the new process at 6:30pm on Monday 15th May. You can register to attend the event by clicking below.
A lot of work has gone into preparing the Club Portal for the upcoming changes and much of the functionality is already in place. The FA have also enlisted the help of some of the volunteer workforce to test the ‘end-to-end’ affiliation process from a club perspective and provide valuable feedback over the past few weeks.
We will be in contact with clubs ahead of 5th June to confirm individual aspects of tailored support including details of training events and further links to useful resources.
In the intervening period, we would recommend ensuring that club and team official information and ground details for your teams are kept up-to-date on the Club Portal to ensure the smoothest route through the new process.
If you have any queries about affiliations for next season, please don’t hesitate to contact your local Football Services Officer.