Both individuals and organizations are eligible to apply for and receive funding, depending on specific grant eligibility criteria.

Eligible individuals could include:

• Athletes
• Coaches
• Officials

Eligible organizations could include:

• National Sport Organizations (NSOs)
• BC Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs)
• BC Disability Sport Organizations (DSOs)
• BC Multi-Sport Organizations (MSOs)
• BC Local Sport Organizations (LSOs)
• Community Associations (Municipalities, Districts, Indigenous Bands, Community Centres)
• PACWEST and BC USPORT Post-Secondary Institutions
• Certain other not-for-profit societies

On average, viaSport offers 10 to 12 grant programs a year. With the aim to reduce barriers and create opportunities to increase sport participation, we run the following grants:

See all viaSport grants

viaSport offers two types of travel grants. The first is through the BC Ferries Sport Experience Program, which provides ferry vouchers to individuals and teams travelling to eligible competitions. The second is the Sport on the Move travel grant, which supports eligible secondary schools participating in BC High School Provincial Championships. Currently, no other travel grants are available.

Grant eligibility varies depending on the specific grant. The table below provides a general overview of the grants you, as an individual participant, or your organization may be eligible for, but it does not guarantee eligibility. Please note that eligibility requirements may change, and the table is for reference only.

viaSport does not provide monetary sponsorship for individuals, teams, or events outside of the funding available through our grant and funding programs. All financial support is distributed through these programs, and we do not offer additional sponsorships.

You can find detailed information for each grant, including dates, eligibility, application questions, and payment details, in the Grant Guidelines or Program Guidelines provided on the dedicated grant page. Be sure to review these guidelines thoroughly to ensure you have all the necessary information. See all viaSport grants.

Each grant has its own specific eligibility criteria. You can find detailed information in the Grant Guidelines or Program Guidelines available on each grant’s dedicated page. These guidelines outline the review and selection process, the overarching and grant-specific assessments, and all the application questions you need to answer. Please review the guidelines carefully for all grant details. See all viaSport grants.

Designated Sport Organizations are those that meet the standards outlined in viaSport’s Designation Program, qualifying them for an Accredited, Recognized, or Affiliated status. See the current list here.

As the lead provincial agency for amateur sport, viaSport manages the Province’s investment in amateur sport by setting standards, providing resources, and ensuring compliance through the viaSport Designation Program. Designated Sport Organizations are those that meet the standards outlined in viaSport’s Designation Program, making them eligible to be awarded Accredited, Recognized, or Affiliated status. This program ensures the high-quality delivery of sport and applies only to Provincial Sport Organizations, Disability Sport Organizations, and Multi-Sport Organizations. Local sport organizations and clubs themselves are not eligible for these designations but are part of the designated sport system if they are members of a provincial-level viaSport Designated Sport Organization.

To apply for a viaSport Grant, you must submit your application online through viaSport’s online grants platform. First, find your desired grant on our website and complete the application form. See all viaSport grants.

If you have previously applied for grants through our online portal, sign-in to use your existing account to apply for additional grants. If this is your first application, you will need to create a new account, which you will be prompted to create after you click “Apply” on a specific grant web page.

During the application process, the platform allows you to save your application to return to later if necessary. After submitting your application, check your email for a notification confirming your submission, and be sure to save the confirmation email as it contains the Grant ID connected to your application. Please note that viaSport is not responsible for reviewing any applications that are not fully or successfully submitted.

We strive to notify grant applicants about the status of their application within four to six weeks after the grant application submission deadline. The submission deadline for each application period is indicated on each grant web page.

All applications that are fully and successfully submitted will be reviewed by viaSport. To ensure your application is properly submitted, make sure to click on the “Submit” button on the left side of the screen after completing the application form. Once submitted, you should receive a notification email to confirm your submission. Be sure to save the confirmation email as it contains the Grant ID connected to your application.

Please note that viaSport is not responsible for reviewing any applications that are not fully or successfully submitted.

Congratulations on being awarded a grant! The timing for receiving your funds depends several factors. To initiate the payment process, you will receive an email communication from our online grants platform indicating you have been awarded grant funding, and how much. It also contains information to help you sign a required grant letter and submit required banking information through the grants platform. Once you have submitted this information, our finance department will review the information and begin processing an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payment to you or your organization.

Please note that our Finance Department processes payments every other week. As a result, it may take two or three weeks from the time you submit your banking information until you receive the funds.

Yes. You need to submit and confirm your banking information for each grant process, even if you have been awarded a grant in the past. This is a necessary step to ensure accuracy and security of the payment, as payment information can change over time or there may be multiple accounts associated with the grant recipient. Confirming your payment details helps maintain control and prevents any potential issues with fund transfers.

The exact number of organizations that will be awarded a grant varies by grant, its frequency and the total funds available for each grant. You can find past awardees and success rates on each grant’s dedicated page on our website.

Grant funding is allocated through a competitive application-based process. First, the viaSport Grants Team screens submitted applications to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. Eligible applications are then evaluated by an independent review panel consisting of at least three sport sector experts.

The panel determines funding recommendations based on several factors, including the eligibility and assessment criteria outlined in the guidelines, the merit of the application, the scope of the request, the availability of funding, and considerations for equitable geographic or demographic distribution. The panel may receive clarification or guidance from viaSport during the evaluation process.

Yes. You can appeal a grant decision, but not all decisions are eligible for appeal. An appeal will only be considered if there are sufficient grounds to support it. For more details on the appeals process and the criteria for eligibility, please carefully review viaSport’s Appeals Policy on our Policies page.

Yes, although not an exhaustive list, the following organizations may provide sport related grants to fit or support your current situation:
• Athletics 4 Kids
• Recreation Foundation of BC
• Canadian Tire Jumpstart
• KidSport BC
• ISPARC
• Dreamcatcher Foundation
• Municipalities and Local Government
• BC Government’s Community Gaming Grants
• Provincial Sport Organizations
• Humanity Financial Management’s GrantScan Tool

Yes. You can speak with a member of our Grants Team if you have more specific questions about a particular grant. Before contacting viaSport, we encourage you to carefully review this FAQ section and the webpage of the grant in question. If you still need assistance or have additional questions, please email us at grants@viasport.ca. The viaSport Grants Team monitors this email address on Wednesdays and Fridays. We appreciate your patience as we respond to questions in the order they are received.