Sport England has announced it is committing £75m of funding to be invested in the English regions and governing bodies in an attempt to further promote grassroots development.

The new investment is in addition to the £315m of funding for National Governing Bodies (NGBs) which was released at the beginning of the year. It is being sourced from additional lottery sales and savings from back-office costs.

The investment includes £46.5m to the nine regional sports boards, with £26.5m going to NGBs and a further £2m to other partners.

A working group has been established with UK Sport and the Youth Sport Trust to ensure investment is linked with strategic planning, with detailed proposals to be discussed to determine the precise destination of the funds.

Sport England chief executive, Roger Draper, said: “This new investment will play a key role in getting more people into sport through our regional networks, NGBs and our national partners.”

In a separate announcement, Sport England also dedicated a further £300,000 for Team England’s preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne to cover a budget shortfall, which will be repaid if the Commonwealth Games Council can find commercial sponsors.