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Financial Support for Pathway Athletes and Coaches in England

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Introduction:

British Rowing aims to ensure that money isn’t a barrier for talented athletes or coaches wanting to access our pathway. We are piloting this scheme to offer financial assistance to athletes and coaches in England who are seeking selection for the GB or England teams but might struggle with the costs of camps, training, or competitions.

While some of our programmes are already partly funded, participants are usually expected to contribute to the costs. This support system is designed to make things fairer for everyone.

The most important thing is that you do not need to wait until you are officially selected to apply. We want to identify financial hurdles early. By applying now, we can agree on a support plan in advance so that when an invitation arrives, you can say “yes” without worrying about the finances.

We use a confidential assessment to decide which group you fall into. The amount of support you receive depends on your specific financial situation:

Group Subsidy Level
Highest Need Indicative range of 60% up to a maximum of 90% (depending on circumstances)
Moderate Need Indicative range of 20% up to a maximum of 50% (depending on circumstances)
Minimal Need Unlikely to receive financial support.

In some cases, we may also provide a one-off grant (a single payment) instead of, or in addition to, these discounts.

How to Apply for Financial Support:

If you are an athlete, a parent of a junior athlete, or a coach looking for help with costs for the 2025-26 season, please follow these steps:

1. Fill out the Form

Complete the Financial Support Form (link below). You can do this as soon as registration opens. You do not need to wait for an official invitation to apply, but you must already be registered for the GB or England Rowing Team trials.

If you wait until you receive an invitation to a GB or England Rowing Team activity before applying, you must submit your financial support form within 48 hours of receiving that invitation for the discount to count.

2. Wait for Review

Once you submit the form, our panel will review your information. We will aim to contact you within two weeks to let you know your “conditional discount” (the percentage of costs we can cover). If you are facing very high financial barriers, you may be eligible for extra support in addition to this.

3. Accept the Offer

You must accept the offer within one week, or before the final payment deadline is made, whichever comes first.

4. Automatic Support

Once agreed, your discount is locked in for the rest of the season. It will automatically apply to every GB or England Rowing Team event you are invited to attend until the season ends.

The form will request the following information from both coaches and athletes:

  • Name of Athlete/Coach.
  • Date of Birth.
  • British Rowing Membership Number.
  • Contact Information.
  • Home address (including postcode).
  • Evidence of means-tested benefits (E.g. Free School Meals, Universal Credit, etc).
  • A detailed description of any financial circumstances that might impact your ability to participate in this event. (e.g. Household income, caring responsibilities, additional travel costs due to proximity to departure location, etc.)
  • A detailed description of the applicants’ rowing-related costs this season in relation to the GB and/or England Rowing Team Trials process. (e.g. travel, accommodation etc.)
  • Information regarding other (if any) financial support you will receive to support your participation in this event. (E.g. from your Club, School, College, Regional Rowing Council, Active Partnership, etc). Please note that those listed will be contacted to confirm whether any financial support has already been provided.
  • What is the maximum amount you could realistically contribute towards these costs?
  • A supporting letter from the Club. This should be from one of the following positions, depending on your club type:
    • Open Club: Chair or Captain
    • School: Director of Sport or Director of Rowing
    • University: Chair, Captain or Head Coach.

In addition, Athletes will need to:

In addition, Coaches will need to:

Worked Examples:

To help you apply, we have created a step-by-step example for both and athlete and a coach.

Worked Example 1: Athlete

Jess is a 17-year-old junior athlete registered with British Rowing and trialling for the GB Rowing Team.

Situation:
Jess’s household income is £45,000 per year and lives a long distance from the trial venue, meaning travel and overnight accommodation costs are significant. She wants to make sure money does not prevent her from accepting an invitation if she is selected.

  1. Registration and eligibility
    Jess registers for the trial as normal and meets all the requirements of the trial process. She does not need to wait for an invitation to apply for financial support.
  2. Submitting the Financial Support Form
    • When registration opens, Jess and a parent completes the Financial Support Form. This includes:
    • A clear explanation of her family’s financial circumstances and travel costs
    • An estimate of her rowing-related costs for the season (travel, accommodation)
    • Details of a small contribution her club has offered
    • The maximum amount she and her family could realistically contribute
    • A short supporting letter from her club captain
  3. Panel review and conditional offer
    Within two weeks of applying, Jess and her parent is told that her application has been reviewed and she has been offered a conditional 60% discount on eligible costs. This means that if she is invited to a residential trial or selected to a team, the maximum contribution she would need to make is 40%. Jess and her family accepts and the discount is logged in the system.
  4. What happens next
    For the rest of the season, the agreed percentage discount automatically applies to any further GB or England Rowing Team events Jess is invited to attend, until her final international event of the season has taken place.

Outcome:
Jess can focus on preparing to race, confident that financial barriers have been recognised and support is in place for the season.

Worked Example 2: Coach

Mark is a part-time volunteer coach supporting athletes trialling for the England Rowing Team.

Situation:
Mark is required to attend selection events with his athletes. Travel and accommodation costs are challenging alongside his income, but his presence is important for athlete support and welfare.

Step-by-step what happens:

  1. Eligibility check
    Before applying, Mark ensures he meets the British Rowing’s Requirements for a Responsible Coach.
  2. Submitting the Financial Support Form
    • Mark completes the same Financial Support Form, including:
    • A clear description of household income
    • An explanation of how travel and accommodation costs affect his ability to attend events
    • An outline of coaching-related costs across the season
    • Details of any support already provided by his club
    • The maximum contribution he can realistically make himself
    • A supporting letter from the appropriate club officer
  3. Panel review and conditional offer
    Within two weeks, Mark is informed that his application has been reviewed and a grant of £100 has been agreed in order to support his attendance at the Team England trial. Mark accepts and grant payment process is initiated.

Outcome:
Mark is able to attend key events, support athletes effectively, and meet his coaching responsibilities without financial pressure becoming a barrier.

Athletes already funded through the Diploma in Sport Excellence (DiSE), Sports Aid or Backing the Best:

Athletes already in receipt of funding through the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE), Sports Aid or Backing the Best can still apply for this funding, but the current level of support will be considered in the decision-making process.

Additional Funding Opportunities:

We encourage athletes facing financial hardship to explore additional funding opportunities. Below are some suggestions for those seeking additional funding:

    1. Rowing Community: Previous athletes and coaches have been successful in applying for financial help from their club, school, university, or their regional rowing council.
    2. Active Partnerships: Some Active Partnerships allocate small grants for talented sportspeople, and we are happy to write supporting letters to successful team members who apply for funding. Find your local Active Partnership here (external link).
    3. GoFundMe / Crowdfunding: Consider setting up a crowdfunding page to raise funds from friends, family, and community members.
    4. Local Businesses: Approach local businesses for sponsorship or support. Many businesses are willing to support talented young athletes in their community.

Privacy and Data Protection:

All applications will be kept confidential and reviewed by the reviewing panel, which will include the British Rowing Director of Pathways, British Rowing England Pathway Manager and a suitable age group or discipline lead employed by British Rowing. All data submitted will be held in line with British Rowing’s Privacy Notice for Performance and Talent Pathway Programmes.

Additional Information:

This policy will be reviewed by British Rowing annually by September at the start of the season. For any feedback concerning this policy, please contact [email protected].

If you are based in Scotland or Wales please follow the links below for funding opportunities for Athletes and Coaches based in those countries.