The Grant Policy - Funding Information - SportsAid Peterborough

The Grant Policy

1. General Principles

1.1 The general direction of SportsAid policy will be determined nationally and the Grants Committee will issue operational guidelines.

1.2 It is however recognised that each grant giving body, whether it be national or regional, has autonomy, with the ultimate responsibility vested in the relevant body of trustees. It is therefore acknowledged that there may be regional variations in policy, arising from decisions that are made in the best interests of the charity.

1.3 A responsible officer of the governing body of the relevant sport should formally endorse all applications. The endorsement validates the information contained on the form and provides further comments about the applicant.

1.4 All grants will be known simply as “SPORTSAID GRANTS” this will apply whether they     are funded nationally or regionally, or whether the applications are received nationally and passed on to the Regions or whether the applications are received directly by the Regions.

2. Criteria for Applicants - Able Bodied

2.1 National Criteria: Applicants must be young British competitors, living and training in England, with high potential, who are members of the GB/England team or squad members or who are judged to have the potential to compete successfully in recognised national competitions with a view to international representation in due course. Please note that the members of the Development Squad may not necessarily meet the above criteria. This must be specified. This status must be confirmed and endorsed by a monitored officer of the relevant Governing Body.

2.2 Regional Criteria: The above criteria apply to the Regional nomination however the grant amount will be potential to the funds available. Where possible, it should meet the recommended SportsAid grant amount of £500.00 minimum.

2.3 The age range of applicants is normally 12 to 18 year old. Consideration may be given to submissions for those outside these ages (under 12 and up to 21) but the applications must be accompanied by a special justification.

2.4 Those who benefit from individual National Lottery funding are not eligible for a SportsAid grant. The athletes who benefit from lottery scheme and do not receive any “cash-in-hand” grant from the programme will be subject to case-by-case consideration.

2.5 Those who benefit from a TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme) Awards are not eligible for a SportsAid grant. But TASS athletes under the age of 18 o 1st October 2009 may be considered for an extra “cash-in-hand” grant, funds permitting.

2.6 Those who are admitted on the 2012 scholarship programme are not eligible for a SportsAid grant.

2.7 Applicants must be in need of financial support and earning no more than £10,000 per annum in personal income.

3. Criteria for Applicants - Disability Sport

3.1 Applicants must be British competitors with high potential, who are part of the GB/national team or squad members or who are judged to have the potential to compete successfully in recognised national competitions with a view to international representation in due course.

3.2 The criteria for age are as follows:• Applicants should be over 12 and any exception can only be considered if accompanied by a special justification.• Applications for those over 35 will only be considered if they meet the performance criteria 3.1 and have been competing in their sport for less than 3 years.

3.3 Those who benefit from individual National lottery funding are not eligible for a SportsAid grant.

3.4 Those who benefit from a TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme) Awards are not eligible for a SportsAid grant. But TASS athletes under the age of 18 o 1st October 2009 may be considered for an extra “cash-in-hand” grant, funds permitting.

3.5 Those who are admitted on the 2012 scholarship programme are not eligible for a SportsAid grant.

3.6 Applicants must be in need of financial support.

3.7 An appropriate officers involved with disability sports must endorse the application forms.

4. National Governing Bodies

4.1 Governing bodies are asked to observe the requirement set out in 1.3 above the application criteria set out in the paragraphs 2 and 3 above.

4.2 We do need the applications to be clearly prioritised. We recognise that some multi-disciplined and team sports numbers 1 to “X” may not be practical but we then require an A, B, C evaluation.

4.3 Our grants committees, insists on the importance of the completion of there sections of the form that:• Indicate results, rankings and achievements.• Provides for comments from the NGB on the overall potential of the applicant.An incomplete or uncompleted form will be immediately sent back to the National Governing Body for further completion.

4.4 Cases of hardship will be given priority and it must be clearly indicated on the form.

4.5 N.G.B.’s will be invited to submit a specific number of applications for their sport by a specified date. Exceptionally further applications may be considered but a special justification will be required.

5. The National Grants Committee

5.1 The grants committee will consist of:

 

• Ex Officio- The C.E.O of SportsAid, The awards Manager (who will act as secretary)
• A member appointed by the National Trustees
• 3 representatives of the SportsAid Regions

 

5.2 The Regional representation will be agreed at a Regional meeting during the year.

5.3 The Chairperson will be elected by the committee from among the committee members.

5.4 There will be a minimum of three meetings per year:

 

• September/October to review the first tranche of applications
• March/April to review second tranche of applications
• Circa June to review the SportsAid policy prior to N.G.B discussions
• Further meetings may be called on an ad hoc basis as necessary to resolve grants issues or policy that may arise between meetings. To be at the discretion of the Chairperson.

 

5.5 The minutes of the meeting will be circulated to:

 

• Members of the grants committee (CEO to circulate H.O team)
• National management committee and Trustees
• Regional Administrators (for circulation as appropriate for their region)

 

5.6 The grants committee will review and recommend policy in the following Areas.

 

• Sports to be supported by SportsAid at a national level
• The number of applicants from each of these sports
• The standard grant level (currently agreed at £500.00 as a minimum)
• Policy decisions on TASS grants and in other cases where there is any interaction or over-lap with the SportsAid grant giving process
• Review at least once per annum the “ring-fenced” funds administrated by Head Office, that are sometimes sport or region specific.

 

5.7 The awards manager will monitor performance of our grant giving bodies, National and Regional and will report the results to the committee.

6. Regional Perspective

6.1 It is in the interest of the development of SportsAid as a National Charity, to have a coherent policy, as far as possible, across the country.

6.2 With the expectations that will inevitably occur, and are recognised in 1.2 above, the Regions are asked to undertake as far as possible(and as far as funding follows) to make grants as follows:

 

• Awarding grants as a priority to those applicants that are put forward agreed annual quota
• Awarding the “top-up” grants to under 18 TASS athletes who are put forward by National Governing Bodies for participation in this National scheme
• Follow the agreed levels for grants as proposed by the Grants Committee and endorsed by the Regions and Management Committee (currently £500.00)

 

6.3 The Regions are asked to provide feedback to the National Awards Manger, as follows:

 

• Quarterly summary of awards made, it is essential that this include the awards made against the applications received from the National Governing Bodies where SportsAid have an obligation to advise them of any applications that they have been unable to meet
• To advise the National Awards Manager where N.G.B’s are considered to have supported sub-standard applicants compared to other potential candidates who have not been included. This is essential for our on-going dialogue with the N.G.B’s to ensure a credible process.

 

6.4 The Regions through their Quarterly forum, will have the opportunity to;

 

• Elect three members fro the Regions to the National Grants committee
• To have a two way dialogue on grants policy by: (a) putting forward proposals for the Grants Committee to consider. (b) Reviewing policy proposals put forward by the Grants Committee.                                       

 

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