Rushcliffe Sports Grant – Elite Athletes

Guidance 

The Rushcliffe Sports Grant – Elite Athletes is in place to alleviate some of the financial burden that competing at an elite level places upon individuals and their families, as this is often a barrier to achievement.

Grants are made to athletes who are currently competing at international level within their sport to help with costs such as travel, training, accommodation, competition fees and equipment, specialised coaching and other specialist support deemed appropriate by the National Governing Body over the next year.

The Rushcliffe Sports Grant - Elite Athletes opens on Monday 17^th February 2025 and closes for applications on Sunday 16^th March 2025.

You will be able to save your application and return to complete it at a later date and you will be shown a reference number when you submit your application – please make a note of this as confirmation of your submission.

Scope of the Award

The scheme will support 20 athletes with a grant of £300. 

Eligibility and Criteria

Applicants must fulfil the following criteria to be eligible for the Rushcliffe Sports Grant – Elite Athletes:

• Applicants must be a permanent resident of Rushcliffe Borough
• Applicants must be aged 14-25 years OR competing in a disability sport regardless of age.
• Applications from athletes under the age of 18 must be completed by a legally responsible adult, for example a parent or guardian.
• Applicants must be part of the NGB performance pathway and competing for a Home Nation Country (GB, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) and/or in the national training squad in their chosen sport (This varies with different sports but you should, at least, be competing with performers from other countries in your sport, in recognised competitions)
• The sport must be a Sport England recognised sport or discipline.
• Applicants must be of amateur status.
• Applicants must be endorsed by the National Governing Body. A letter addressed directly to the Sports Development Officer at Rushcliffe Borough Council, confirming the applicant’s level of participation must be provided to be considered for funding. This can be from the Performance Director, National or International coach (who must be suitably qualified and affiliated) or manager to be considered for funding.
• Repeat recipients must clearly demonstrate improvements over the past twelve months. If no improvement is demonstrated, a grant may not be awarded – unless acceptable mitigating circumstances are detailed within the application.
• All grants awarded are entirely at the discretion of Rushcliffe Borough Council and subject to funding being available.

Application and Decision Process

All applications submitted by the deadline will be assessed against the criteria and a report will be submitted to the Rushcliffe Sports Grant Panel. Applicants will be informed of the Council’s decision in writing.

It is anticipated this grant will receive a high number of applications and owing to this the Council will be unable to discuss unsuccessful applications. The decision of the Council will be final.

The Council will prioritise applications based on the following criteria:

• Priority will be given to competitors in sports or disciplines represented at the Olympic & Paralympic Games or Commonwealth Games.
• Priority will be given to applicants (or parents/guardians of applicants aged 14-18) who are in receipt of Universal Credit and/or receiving free school meals.
• Advice will be taken from National Governing Body Officers to help prioritise applications from the same sport.
• Any Rushcliffe Borough Council Grant awarded to individuals in previous financial years will be taken into consideration and priority may be given to applicants who have not received financial assistance previously.
• Consideration will be given to the level of commitment required to achieve national / international success within the chosen sport.

Terms and Conditions

Individuals will be required to sign an athlete’s agreement which states that recipients are:

• To reference Rushcliffe Borough Council during any written or verbal press engagements where the topic of funding and support is covered.
• To be available for a maximum of 2 public appearances if required. These may include: awards evenings, school based visits etc. They would be planned around your training and competition commitments.
• To give permission for the image you have uploaded to be used on both printed and web-based publications in relation to elite sport and the promotion of Rushcliffe Borough Council.
• In the event of you winning a major championship or medalling at a large event, you must reference support from Rushcliffe Borough Council.
• To provide information for interviews when requested for the promotion of the scheme and yourselves, to a maximum of 2 requests per year. This information will be requested by a member of the Community Development team only.