Sport Funding

Provincial government funding for sport is generally targeted to province-wide sport and multi-sport organizations (such as Basketball BC, BC Wheelchair Sports and Canadian Sport Institute Pacific) which receive grants for participation and/or performance initiatives.

Individuals, teams or community clubs that are members of provincial sport organizations are supported through the services provided by those organizations – programs such as overseeing provincial championships, training camps and clinics for coaches and athletes, providing sanctioning and insurance, and newsletters.

The B.C. Government’s support for British Columbia’s sport system is routed through viaSport, which is responsible for allocating funding to province-wide sport and multi-sport organizations.

Please click on the following links for more information on funding or support to:

• Individuals
• Performance Athlete Support
• Teams and Clubs
• Sport Travel
• Community Sport Programs
• Hosting Events
• Indigenous sport programs
• Capital projects (sport facilities or infrastructure)

Individuals

The B.C. Government funds at the provincial level and does not provide funding directly to individual athletes/clubs and teams. Individuals should contact their provincial sport organization to get information on the programs and services they offer.

The B.C. Government also provides funding to KidSport BC™ a program which offers assistance ($150 to $400 in grants) to families of children in need to help kids participate in local activities they otherwise could not afford to participate in. For information about how to apply, visit KidSport BC™. If your community does not have a local chapter, applications would go to the KidSport BC office (can be contacted through the website link noted).

Performance Athlete Support

The B.C. Government provides Performance Athlete Support grants to qualifying provincial sport organizations and post-secondary institutions which select the athletes who receive these grants directly and/or use the funding to support individual or team expenses (such as travel, coaching, sport science). For more information on this support, contact your provincial sport organization or post-secondary institution’s athletic department.

Teams and Clubs

Community sport groups seeking funding may be eligible for gaming revenues (for example, by running licensed events and/or through the Community Gaming Grant program). For more information or to apply go to the gaming website. Sport groups can apply during the annual sport group intake period March 1 - May 31. 

Sport Travel 

Some types of travel are eligible uses of Community Gaming Program grants –such as travel essential to the direct delivery of the program being funded by gaming grants and out-of-province travel (must be pre-approved by the Community Gaming Grants Branch) where a club or team member(s) are representing the province as a result of merit achieved through organized competition. For more information or to apply go to the gaming website. 

The BC Ferries Sport Experience, a partnership between viaSport and BC Ferries provides coastal ferry travel support for not-for-profit, amateur sport organizations and their eligible athletes. Through BC Ferries Sport Experience, athletes, provincial and local sport organizations are eligible to apply to viaSport for travel support for competitions leading to a provincial championship event, and provincial and national championships. Due to high demand for assistance, viaSport recommends applicants apply well in advance of the scheduled event. For more information or an application form, please visit: BC Ferries Sport Experience  

The B.C. Government also supports sport travel through the Sport on the Move school travel program which assists roughly 180 schools (more than 80% outside the Vancouver area). This program is not application based – schools that reach provincial championships automatically qualify for a provincial grant administered by viaSport and funds are allocated to secondary schools through pre-determined grant criteria. As well, Performance Athlete Support grants – which may be used for sport travel – are provided to qualifying provincial sport organizations and post-secondary institutions which select the athletes who receive these grants directly and/or use the funding to support individual or team expenses (such as travel, coaching, sport science).

Community Program Support

viaSport has a number of programs that support community sport participation such as the Sport Participation Program, Community Sport Development Fund, and Indigenous sport grants. For more information visit www.viasport.ca 

Community sport groups seeking funding may be eligible for gaming revenues (for example, by running licensed events and/or through the Community Gaming Grant program). For more information or to apply go to the gaming website Sport groups can apply during the annual sport group intake period March 1 - May 31. 

Hosting BC

Hosting BC provides funding for international, national, provincial or regional level sport events. Organizers can apply for funding for event operational expenses. Events must be sanctioned by the relevant national or provincial sport organization and support the development of athletes. For more information visit Hosting BC.

Indigenous Programs

The B.C. Government provides funding to the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I•SPARC) which uses this support to:

• offset equipment costs to increase Aboriginal youth participation in sport, recreation and physical activity programs
• develop and deliver programs identified within each of the six Regional Action Plans, as produced by the I•SPARC Regional Committees

For more information, visit Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council.

Funding for Capital Projects

Sport and recreation facilities are generally funded locally, primarily through user fees and local government taxes.

Gaming grants (available through the Community Gaming Program may be used up in a capital project that has a total cost of $20,000 or less and is essential to the delivery of an approved program. For more information or to apply go to the gaming website. 

From time to time, sport and recreation facilities are eligible under a number of infrastructure programs. Please visit infrastructure grants. As well, there is funding for cycling-related infrastructure through programs such as Bike BC.

Some sport infrastructure is eligible for funding through Infrastructure Canada’s gas tax. This program is administered in B.C. by the Union of BC Municipalities. More information can be found by visiting UBCM’s gas tax agreement webpage.

As availability of provincial and/or federal infrastructure funding grants are typically communicated to local governments (e.g. municipalities and regional districts), it is a good idea to contact your local government to see if these, or other funding programs are available.