Nova Sport

What Nova Sport does

Nova Sport Ltd is a UK-based specialist contractor that designs, supplies, and installs synthetic sports and play surfacing systems for schools, local authorities, sports clubs, football clubs, hospitals, and private clients. The company has been operating since 1987 and is structured as a trading division of Abacus Playgrounds Ltd, headquartered at 11 Enterprise Way, Jubilee Business Park, Derby. Its product portfolio covers polymeric sports surfacing, 3G artificial grass, MUGAs (Multi-Use Games Areas), wet pour safety surfacing, bonded rubber mulch, SUDS Bond permeable drainage, resin bound gravel, and synthetic play grass, complemented by recurring maintenance, repair, and cleaning services.

The company's technical offering centres on rubber granule and EPDM systems bound with polyurethane resin, producing impact-absorbing, porous surfaces compliant with Sport England Type 3 and Type 4 specifications and BS EN1177:2008 playground fall-height safety standards. Proprietary or specialised formulations include SUDS Bond drainage rated at up to 1,600mm of water per hour and 100% recycled rubber mulch. Installation is performed by in-house crews, and the company acts as the UK installation partner for third-party products such as Playtop spheres, which it integrates into wet pour projects.

Commercially, Nova Sport operates a project-based, sales-led model. Revenue is generated from one-time installation contracts (representative budgets from £4,416 for small playground wet pour projects to over £200,000 for large MUGA/artificial grass installations) plus professional services revenue from ongoing maintenance and cleaning. Go-to-market is direct and tender-driven, targeting UK institutional buyers through site visits, risk assessments, health and safety reports, and formal competitive tenders with local authorities and educational institutions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted on a project basis excluding VAT.

Name

Nova Sport

Legal name

Nova Sport Ltd

Website

https://novasport.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nova Sport Ltd is a UK-based synthetic sports and play surface installation and maintenance contractor serving schools, local authorities, sports clubs, hospitals, and private clients since 1987. It operates as a trading division of Abacus Playgrounds Ltd from Derby.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Surface Installation

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (32629)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060)

akta.pro primary industry

Artificial Turf & Synthetic Grass Manufacturing (IMAOAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Matting, Flooring & Safety Rubber Products (IMANALAI), Physical Education & Athletics Equipment (Gym, Sports Gear, Scoreboards) (EDAEAIAG)

Keywords

• Sports surfacing installation
• Synthetic pitch surfaces
• Playground safety surfacing
• Multi-use games areas
• Artificial grass installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sports Surfacing Installation: Project-based installation of synthetic sports surfaces including polymeric pitches, athletics tracks, MUGAs, and 3G grass. Revenue recognized per project with typical budgets ranging from £4,416 to over £200,000 based on project scope and size.
2. Surfacing Maintenance Services: Ongoing maintenance and cleaning services for installed surfaces including repairs, respraying, relining, and surface cleaning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nova Sport supplies and installs synthetic sports and play surfaces across the UK, including polymeric sports surfaces, 3G artificial grass, wet pour safety surfacing, bonded rubber mulch, Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs), SUDS Bond drainage, resin bound gravel, and play grass. The company complements installation with ongoing surfacing maintenance, repair, respraying, relining, and professional cleaning services. Customers are primarily UK local authorities, schools, sports clubs, parish councils, and private residences.

Product overview

Nova Sport is a UK-based sports and play surface installation and maintenance company that offers a portfolio of synthetic surfacing products designed for various recreational and athletic applications. The core product line includes polymeric sports surfacing, 3G sports grass, MUGAs (Multi-Use Games Areas), wet pour, play grass, rubber mulch, SUDS Bond, and resin bound gravel. These products are complemented by maintenance and cleaning services. The company specializes in installing surfaces for schools, local authorities, sports clubs, and community facilities across the UK, with services ranging from new installations to restoration of existing surfaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Polymeric Sports Surfacing Rubber granule-based surfacing bound with polyurethane resin, providing a durable, porous, and shock-absorbing surface for multi-sport use including football, hockey, netball, and athletics. Available in Sport England Type 3 and Type 4 variants for different sports applications.
• 3G Sports Grass Third-generation artificial grass with sand and rubber crumb infill, pile heights 40-60mm, designed for football and rugby pitches with excellent drainage and all-weather playability. Capable of sustaining up to 80 hours of play per week.
• MUGA (Multi-Use Games Areas) Versatile fenced sports areas that accommodate multiple sports (football, basketball, tennis, netball, hockey) with customizable surfacing and line markings, and optional heavy-duty rebound fencing and goal units.
• SUDS Bond Permeable drainage solution combining aggregate and recycled rubber with water handling capacity up to 1600mm per hour, suitable for high-traffic sports and recreational areas.
• Wet Pour Surfacing Seamless rubber surface made from EPDM rubber granules bound with polyurethane resin, providing impact-absorbing safety surfacing compliant with BS EN1177:2008 for playground fall heights.
• Play Grass Synthetic grass designed for playground applications, offering a soft, safe, and low-maintenance alternative to natural grass for play areas.
• Rubber Mulch Bonded rubber mulch surfacing made from 100% recycled rubber shreds encapsulated in polyurethane polymer with non-toxic inert coloured pigments, EN1177 certified for playground fall heights.
• Resin Bound Gravel Smooth, permeable surface combining natural aggregate with clear resin binder, suitable for sports paths, waterfront areas, and multi-use surfaces.
• Surfacing Maintenance Services Maintenance and restoration services for existing sports and play surfaces, including cleaning, repairs, patch work, respraying, and relining.
• Surfacing Cleaning Services Professional cleaning services using high-pressure water systems to remove moss, algae, debris, and restore surface appearance and safety.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3G pitches can sustain up to 80 hours of play per week compared to approximately 6 hours for natural grass
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Playtop UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlaytop UK supplied Playtop spheres (600mm, 450mm, 350mm) in May Green, Purple and Red colours for the Teats Hill Flats wet pour project in Plymouth. Nova Sport serves as the installation partner for Playtop products in UK playground projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sutcliffe Play: UK playground and sports surfacing company providing wet pour, rubber mulch, and MUGA installations to schools and councils, competing for many of the same education and local authority tenders as Nova Sport.
• Notts Sport: UK-based manufacturer and installer of synthetic sports surfaces (polymeric, 3G, MUGAs) serving schools, clubs, and local authorities, directly overlapping Nova Sport's core product and customer segments.
• Reform Sports Surfaces: UK specialist in polymeric sports surfaces, athletics tracks, and MUGAs serving schools, clubs, and local authorities, competing head-to-head with Nova Sport on public sector surfacing tenders.
• Playtop UK (via MIP: Wet pour surfacing supplier and installer of playground and sports surfaces in the UK; Nova Sport is an installation partner for Playtop products, making it both a supplier-adjacent peer and a channel partner.
• Soft Surfaces Ltd: UK installer of wet pour, rubber mulch, and playground safety surfacing serving schools, nurseries, and local councils, with a customer and product mix nearly identical to Nova Sport's play and education segments.

Broad incumbents

• TigerTurf UK: Major global artificial turf brand (whose Atomic Pro 40 product Nova Sport installs) that also delivers turnkey sports pitch installations, competing for the same 3G pitch and MUGA projects across the UK.
• FieldTurf: Large global artificial turf and sports surfacing company active in football and multi-sport installations, overlapping with Nova Sport's 3G grass and MUGA offerings for UK institutional buyers.
• Polytan: International sports surfacing manufacturer and installer offering polymeric, athletics track, and artificial turf systems, competing with Nova Sport on UK school, athletics, and football facility tenders.

Others

• Abacus Playgrounds Ltd: Parent company of Nova Sport and itself a playground equipment and surfacing provider; serves overlapping customer segments and represents both the corporate parent and a comparable playground-focused installer.
• Sika UK: Major supplier of polyurethane resins and bonding systems used in polymeric and wet pour sports surfacing; an upstream materials provider rather than a direct installer, but its product decisions affect the whole installer ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NovasportLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/Novasportuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novasportandplay
• Instagraminstagram.com/nova_sportuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nova Sport