UK Sport

UK Sport, established by Royal Charter in 1997 as the United Kingdom's high-performance sport agency, drives elite Olympic and Paralympic success to position Britain as a world-leading sporting nation. Born from the 1996 Olympics' poor results, it invests over £100 million annually—primarily from National Lottery and Exchequer funds—into medal-winning athletes, national governing bodies (NGBs), and major events. Accountable to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, its values of excellence, integrity, and collaboration underpin a "no compromise" strategy focused on the greatest decade of sporting moments, athlete welfare, talent ID, diversity, clean sport, and hosting global events.

It exclusively funds Olympic and Paralympic sports (summer and winter), supporting elite athlete development, performance pathways, coaching, sports science, medicine, facilities, and welfare via strategic grants to NGBs like British Cycling and UK Athletics, direct Athlete Performance Awards, and athlete-led projects. Beneficiaries are established British athletes with medal potential, World Class Programme members, and NGB high-performance initiatives; it does not support people or communities directly.

Eligibility is limited to UK-registered charities and not-for-profits in the Olympic/Paralympic ecosystem, UK-wide (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), preferring medium-to-large NGBs; unsolicited applications are not accepted except for the ChangeMakers Fund (elite athletes/post-career transitions only). Applications via email 'Try It' or 'Scale It' forms; next deadline 31 October 2024 (annual review). Core grants range £2–25+ million per Olympic cycle; Athlete Awards £25,000–£28,000 annually; ChangeMakers in low thousands. Exclusions: grassroots, community, school sport, non-Olympic disciplines, or unrestricted costs. Distinctively, its performance-based, outcomes-driven model—solely for elite success via NGB partnerships—sets it apart as the UK's premier Olympic/Paralympic funder.