Apply now for Agitos Foundation’s 2014 Grant Support Programme

“We experienced great success across all regions during the first year of the Grant Support Programme. The Agitos Foundation is proud to contribute to the developing goals of the different IPC member organisations, and we are convinced that successful programmes funded by the GSP will create a more inclusive society through sport.”

The Agitos Foundation has opened a call for proposals for the 2014 Grant Support Programme (GSP) following the great success of the projects it helped carry out in 2013.

The GSP aims to provide IPC member organisations with financial resources to implement development projects that support the IPC strategic priorities on athlete development and that align with their own organisational strategies.

In 2013, more than 60 applications were received in the first year of the GSP, and more than half of them received a total of EUR 630,000 in funding from the Agitos Foundation.

Encouraged by the professional level of implementation and a number of new local partnerships established, the Agitos Foundation is confident the standard of projects will continue to rise throughout the next year.

Georg Schlachtenberger, Agitos Foundation Director, said: “We experienced great success across all regions during the first year of the Grant Support Programme. The Agitos Foundation is proud to contribute to the developing goals of the different IPC member organisations, and we are convinced that successful programmes funded by the GSP will create a more inclusive society through sport.”

Some of the highlighted projects that were funded in 2013 included: Iran’s National Paralympic Week; the creation of a multi-sports camp in Serbia for young athletes; a wheelchair tennis awareness campaign targeting women and quadriplegics in Central and South America; and a talent-spotting and pathway development programme in New Zealand for swimmers with high-support needs; and anti-doping education for powerlifting athletes.

The focus areas of the GSP for 2014 will be based around an athlete-centred approach that encourages organisations to draw attention to the support, training and competition needs required at every stage of a para-athlete’s career.

Consistent with 2013, the Foundation will invest EUR 650,000 overall across all projects. The application process is now open and will close on 15 May 2014.

Selection criteria and reporting procedures have been enhanced but remain very similar to those of 2013.

The Agitos Foundation expects the calibre and volume of applications to increase significantly and therefore encourage all members to thoroughly read and complete their applications according to the guidelines, which can be found here.