Local Communities Fund: Talented Athletes

The Talented Athletes Fund is now open for submissions and closes on Friday 5 December 2025. You can find the application form here: Apply for the Talented Athletes Fund

The Talented Athletes Fund

The Nottinghamshire County Council Talented Athletes Fund is a fund designed to support Nottinghamshire athletes who are competing or aspiring to compete at the highest levels in their sport. 

As part of the Local Communities Fund it aims to encourage up-and-coming athletes and reduce financial barriers particularly for athletes in disability or parasports who often face higher costs for equipment, travel, and training. 

Eligible athletes can be awarded grants of up to £1,000 over 12 months to help support the costs of participating in their sport, which can include:

  • travel to competitions and training costs
  • coaching and training fees
  • equipment and clothing
  • facility access
  • medical or rehabilitation expenses related to sport participation
  • accommodation or travel costs for competitions
  • competition entry costs.

Important information

Please note that in previous years, the fund has been oversubscribed. This means:

  • not all applicants will be successful
  • if successful, you may receive a grant lower than the amount requested.

If you can answer ‘yes’ to the following questions, then you are eligible to apply:

Residence

Do you live within Nottinghamshire county? 

We are only able to support athletes who live within Nottinghamshire County.

Age 

Applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Be under the age of 18 – applications from athletes under the age of 18 must completed by a legally responsible adult, for example a parent or guardian.

or

  • Be over 18, but under 25 and actively competing in a sport that is formally recognised by a National Disability Sports Organisation (NDSO) and meet the other criteria for funding.

or

  • Be competing within their sport’s elite talent pathway. Please note: Participation in Veteran, Masters, or adult age group categories will not be considered as meeting the eligibility requirements for this fund.

Sport recognition 

Your sport or discipline must be recognised by Sport England and governed by a National Governing Body (NGB) that is also recognised by Sport England, or the National Disability Sports Organisation (NDSO).  Sports England have produced a list of recognised sports and governing bodies which you can check. 

Performance level

 You must be competing at county or regional level as a minimum.

Endorsement requirement

A representative from your National Governing Body (NGB) or National Disability Sports Organisation (NDSO) must be able to endorse your application. 

Please be aware that the application form requires you to upload an Endorsement from your NGB or NDSO and it is the applicants responsibility to obtain the Endorsement. Any applicants that do not have an endorsement, will be unsuccessful and will not receive funding.  

The Talented Athletes Fund will open on Monday 17 November 2025 and closes on Friday 5 December 2025. Once the fund is open you will find the application form here. 

To improve our application process, we have introduced an eligibility check that you will need to complete before accessing the application form, this check is on the first page of the application form.

Before starting your application, we strongly recommend reviewing all guidance provided on this webpage, including the Frequently Asked Questions [Word].

We are keen to talk to prospective applicants, so if you have any questions or require support with your application please email LCF@nottscc.gov.uk and a member of the team will contact you.

Terms and conditions

If your application is successful, you must be willing and able to comply with the terms and conditions of the Talented Athletes Fund, which include the following:

  • Use of funds - The grant awarded is a contribution towards the specific sporting activities and expenses outlined in your application.
  • Change of circumstances - It is the athlete’s responsibility to notify Nottinghamshire County Council of any changes in circumstances that may affect the application or use of the grant.
  • Sports ambassador role - Athletes receiving funding are expected to act as Sports Ambassadors for Nottinghamshire. This may include; acknowledging the council’s support in relevant communications or media and participating in promotional activities, including photography for publicity purposes. 
  • Monitoring and evaluation - Athletes will be required to complete a short monitoring questionnaire at the end of the 12-month funding period.
  • Repayment of funds - The council reserves the right to request repayment of the grant if the funds are not used within the agreed timeframe and/or the grant is spent on items or activities not permitted under the funding agreement

Reporting achievements 

Towards the end of the funding period, funded athletes will be asked to complete a survey detailing their progress and achievements over the past year. This feedback helps the Council assess the impact of the fund and ensure its objectives are being met.

All applications to the Talented Athletes Fund must be accompanied by a formal endorsement from the athlete’s respective National Governing Body (NGB). This endorsement must be provided on official headed paper.

To ensure a comprehensive assessment, the endorsement should include detailed information about the athlete, such as:

  • recent achievements and performance history
  • if application, the athletes current national or international ranking
  • whether you support the athletes application for funding
  • any other relevant information, e.g. the athlete is on an elite talent pathway

For guidance on the expected format and content, please refer to the Example Endorsement document [Word].

Please contact the Talented Athletes team at LCF@nottscc.gov.uk if you have any questions or concerns about the Endorsement.

Privacy Statement

All applicants need to confirm that they have read and agree with the Council's Privacy Statement.

Decision-making

All applications will be reviewed by the county council against the funding criteria. The County Council will carry out relevant checks on the information provided as appropriate.

Elected members make the decisions regarding funding awards. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application as soon as possible after completion of the decision-making process. This could be approximately 12 weeks after the closing date.

Fraud response

The council takes a zero tolerance stance towards fraud and corruption and will investigate and take the necessary action in cases of suspected fraud in line with the council's Fraud Response Plan.

Information about National Governing Bodies and National Disability Sports Organisations is also available from Active Notts. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please email Sports Nottinghamshire who should be able to assist with identifying the relevant NGB for your sport: info@activenotts.org.uk

The Free Access to National Sports People (FANS) Scheme provides athletes competing at a national level with free access to activities such as fitness sessions, swimming, and aerobics at local sports facilities.

This initiative helps elite athletes reach their full potential by reducing the financial burden of training costs. Please check with your local District or Borough Council to confirm whether they offer support under the FANS Scheme.

If you are seeking funding for a sport or physical activity project, whether as an individual, school, or coach in Nottinghamshire or Nottingham, Active Notts may be able to help you find suitable grants: Funding - Making Our Move.

Sports England a publicly funded organisation supported by the UK Government and the National Lottery, is dedicated to increasing participation in sport and physical activity across the country.

To make funding more accessible, Sport England has introduced the Movement Fund, designed to simplify the application process for individuals and organisations.