viaSport Designation Program
The viaSport Designation Program strengthens amateur sport in BC and stewards the government’s investment in it. The Designation Program ensures provincial, disability and multi-sport organizations are upholding standards across the four foundational categories of an effective sport organization: participation, excellence, coaching and officiating, and governance.
Program Standards
Designated sports are reputable, trustworthy and committed to making sport better.
The viaSport Designation Program Policy outlines the minimum standards required for obtaining and maintaining a viaSport Designation. These standards align to non-profit industry standards and support the advancement of the Ministry’s framework for sport, Pathways to Sport. Not all sport organizations apply nor receive a Designation. The Program applies to Provincial Sport Organizations, Disability Sport Organizations and Multi-Sport Organizations. Local sport organizations and clubs are ineligible for these designations.
Designated provincial and disability sports are separate non-profit societies recognized as the provincial authority by their national sport governing body to steward and grow their respective sports in BC. Multi-Sport Organizations are also separate not-for-profit societies responsible for specialized or regional multi-sport program delivery, technical leadership, and recognition programming within BC.
All Designated sports are governed by their own Boards of Directors, uphold their own bylaws and policies, and have individuals, local sport clubs, or associations as members. They are committed to delivering high-quality sport, promoting inclusion, safety, and diversity, and contributing the growth and development of sport.
Standards include upholding the BC Societies Act as a non-profit entity, achieving specific targets for sport participation reach, ensuring Board and operational policies and practices are in place, and implementing programs for the development of coaches and officials, as well as high-performance athletes. The Program also considers the organization’s ability to demonstrate values of safety and inclusion.
How do Designations Work?
There are three viaSport Designation categories: Affiliated, Recognized and Accredited. Each category aligns to specific minimum standards that consider size and reach of the sport, as well as the maturity of the organization.
Designations are reviewed annually and viaSport ensures compliance through annual reporting and review, as well as through a more comprehensive Provincial and Disability Sport Organization Evaluation, and a Multi-Sport Organization Evalutation, conducted approximately every three years. The Designation Program Policy defines the program standards, statuses and conditions related to funding and compliance.
A sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee, and the Provincial or Disability Sport Organization specified as the authoritative body by their respective National Sport Organization, that is uniquely limited by region, infrastructure or sport-specific constraint to expand sport opportunities that another organization cannot fulfill.
A Provincial or Disability Sport Organization that is the authoritative body for a sport as specified by their respective National Sport Organization, operating in three or more BC Games Zones, responsible for the oversight, growth and development of the sport.
A Provincial or Disability Sport Organization that is the authoritative body for a sport as specified by their respective National Sport Organization, sports or group-of-sport disciplines in BC, operating in five or more BC Games Zones, responsible for the oversight, growth and development of the sport.
Designations for Sport Organizations
Annual Funding for Designated Sports
Accredited Provincial, Disability and Multi-Sport Organizations are eligible to receive annual funding from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, administered through the viaSport Designation Program.
Annual Funding is provided to Accredited sports to aid in the oversight and development of a particular sport in the province and is intended to support participation, athlete development and event hosting. It is allocated based on the level of participation, athlete development programming, coach and official development, and governance of the organization.
Enhanced Excellence Funding is provided to select Accredited Provincial and Disability Sport Organizations to support targeted high performance initiatives, like enhancing training and competition opportunities. This funding is allocated in alignment with the organizational evaluation cycle.
Designated sports are also eligible for Community Gaming Grants, Major Sport Event Hosting Program and viaSport application grants.
