For the second consecutive year, Fare and the international campaign Football v Homophobia (FvH) are providing a small grants scheme for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia (IDAHOT) on 17 May.

A total of 20 groups will be awarded a grant of up to €400 to take action in tackling discrimination against LGBT people in football on or around the day. The fund is available to independent groups across Europe, including fans, grassroots clubs, campaign organisations, youth associations and others, that use football to promote diversity.

The twenty grants will be made available for actions which further the aims of Football v Homophobia, including: make existing football structures safe, welcoming and inclusive for LGBT people; create opportunities for LGBT people to engage with football; and improve representation of LGBT people throughout the game.

Claudia Krobtizsch, Fare network Programmes Co-ordinator said: "We are very happy to be able to support the FvH campaign to take action for IDAHOT and ensuring that activists and groups across Europe can get involved in tackling LGBT discrimination.

"Working with the FvH campaign around this significant date supports our work to make football welcoming of everyone."

In 2015, the IDAHOT grants funded a total of 15 groups in Europe, Africa and Central America, who organised activities around the day including football tournaments, awareness-raising campaigns, social gatherings and panel discussions around discrimination and LGBT participation in football.

The scheme is a part of an ongoing collaboration between Fare and FvH to raise awareness and address LGBT discrimination in football, which also includes the initiatives of the Football v Homophobia Month of Action in February.

"We saw some fantastic work funded through our small grants programme for the February Month of Action this year. Education packs were produced for fans in Austria, young people in Bosnia & Herzegovina organised an anti-discrimination tournament and rainbow flags were displayed in stadia. All of these actions are helping us make European football more inclusive.

"IDAHOT provides us with another chance in the year to focus our efforts." explained the campaign Director Lou Englefield.

IDAHOT was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTI people internationally. The theme announced for 2016 is 'Mental Health and Well Being' to address the way many states characterise sexual and gender diversities.

Organisations wishing to apply for a small grant can do it online until 2 May 2016. All successful applicants will be informed by 4 May 2016.