What does UK Sport do?
UK Sport is the nation’s high performance sports agency investing in Olympic and Paralympic sport. Its mission is to work in partnership to lead sport in the UK to world class success.
Primarily this means working with our partner sporting organisations to deliver medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. UK Sport’s record investment and strategic support helped Great Britain win 65 Olympic and 120 Paralympic medals at London 2012. UK Sport also has responsibility for activities best delivered at a UK level, such as: bidding for and staging major sporting events through its Gold Event Series; increasing sporting activity and influence overseas; and promoting sporting conduct, ethics and diversity. UK Sport is funded by a mix of Government Exchequer and National Lottery income.
Who does UK Sport report to?
UK Sport is accountable to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. UK Sport has a very clear remit at the ‘top end’ of Britain’s sporting pathway, with no direct involvement in community or school sport. Among the key organisations responsible for grassroots sport are the Home Country Sports Councils (Sport England, Sport Wales, sportscotland and Sport Northern Ireland).
Who does UK Sport work with?
UK Sport works in partnership with each of the National Governing Bodies of sport in which it invests. It also actively works with its science, medicine and technology arm, the English Institute of Sport and other Home Country Sports Institutes, the British Olympic Association (BOA) and British Paralympic Association (BPA), and with other bodies such as the British Athletes’ Commission(BAC).
Who qualifies for UK Sport funding?
UK Sport funds every GB athlete considered to have a credible chance of winning a medal over the next two Olympic and Paralympic games. This process has focused on identifying and assessing the athletes with talent and future medal potential in all Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic sports’ programmes. UK Sport’s mission remains about getting the right support, to the right athletes for the right reasons.
Who do I speak to about grass roots or community sport?
For any information on grass roots and community sport, please contact the relevant Home Country Sports Council:
- Sport England
- Sport Wales
- Sport Scotland
- Sport Northern Ireland
Other potential sources of funding include:
- Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme
- Sports Aid
- Student Finance Service
- Local Councils
- Awards for All
How do I find out about past, present or future Talent ID campaigns?
By visiting the Talent ID area of our website you can find out which Talent ID campaigns are currently running or discover which athletes have come through previous campaigns.
The Performance Pathway Team typically work with athletes aged over 17 but each campaign has its own specific criteria. If you want to find out more about opportunities for younger athletes, please visit the Youth Sport Trust website or contact the National Governing Body for the relevant sport.
How many people work at UK Sport?
UK Sport employs around 150 staff and is overseen by a Board comprising home country representatives and independent members which meets six times per year.
How can I work at UK Sport?
All UK Sport jobs are advertised on our jobs board here and may also be advertised in national or sport specific press. UK Sport does not offer a formal internship or work experience scheme.
Read more about the UK Sport Recruitment Policy here.
How do I/my child access funding for athletes?
UK Sport cannot offer funding directly to athletes outside of those nominated by their Olympic or Paralympic National Governing Body, therefore your first point of contact should be your sport.
What is UK Sport’s relationship with the English Institute of Sport?
The English Institute of Sport is a wholly owned subsidiary of UK Sport. A registered company limited by guarantee it has its own independent board chaired by John Steele. They provide expert support services including Sport Medicine, Physiotherapy, Strength & Conditioning, Physiology, Performance Nutrition, Sports Psychology, Biomechanics, Performance Analysis, Performance Lifestyle, Soft Tissue Therapy and Talent Identification, in order to deliver world class performances.
Visit the English Institute of Sport website >
How much money does UK Sport invest in events?
Through the Gold Event Series, UK Sport will invest over £27m of National Lottery funding to help support the bidding and staging of major international sporting events in the UK up to 2019.
Who can I speak to about research and innovation?
The English Institute of Sport, UK Sport’s science, medicine and technology arm, are responsibly for research and innovation. Please visit the EIS website for guidance.
How do I complain about a National Governing Body?
If you're not happy with a National Governing Body you should make a complaint directly to that NGB in the first instance. In terms of procedure, you will need to refer to any relevant complaints guidance issued by the NGB you have an issue with. This should be available on their website.
We suggest that you write to the NGB and/or relevant Home Country Sports Council and request that the issue is dealt with in accordance with their complaints policies.
If you are unsure as to where to send your complaint, UK Sport may be able to direct you to the right person. Please send all details and questions to our dedicated Complaints inbox.
Please note that UK Sport is not a regulatory body. We are a funding body tasked with distributing Government and National Lottery funding to Olympic and Paralympic National Governing Bodies at the GB level and not a regulator of sport in the UK. We are therefore only able to deal with complaints which may impact on our decisions to fund NGBs.
How do I make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request?
Please direct all Freedom of Information requests to our dedicated FOI email address. We will endeavour to answer your request as promptly as possible, but please allow up to 20 working days to receive a reply - the normal guideline period regulated by law.
How do I submit or edit a job on the UK Sport website?
Jobs can be uploaded via our website. Please visit our Jobs in Sport portal to set up an account for your company. Upon approval of your company account, you can create, edit and delete jobs on demand. For all job enquiries, please email our dedicated jobs inbox.