Eligible athletes will receive $50,000 per annum as an Elite Training Grant, an increase of $17,500, while the Potential Training Grant will increase by $14,000 to $25,000 per annum. This equates to approximately $2 million additional direct financial support for athletes.
The increases will come into effect for the 2025 – 2028 cycle for eligible athletes from individual sports who compete in events which are confirmed as part of the next Winter and Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games cycle.
HPSNZ Director of High Performance, Steve Tew, says recent athlete surveys revealed financial pressures as the leading source of stress for athletes.
“We have listened to our partner NSOs and their athletes and these increases will help athletes to better balance training, competition, study and work commitments, while reducing financial pressures,” says Steve.
“The increases are the result of careful collaboration and consultation with National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) and athlete representative groups. This continues to put athletes, and their wellbeing, at the centre of high performance investment decision making for the 2025-28 cycle.”
The excellence grants which athletes receive for succeeding at Olympic and Paralympic Games are unchanged. In addition to training and excellence grants, eligible athletes receive further financial support in the form of access to Prime Minister’s Scholarships and fully funded medical insurance.
Eligible high performance athletes from individual sports also receive tailored support from HPSNZ specialists in Performance Science (Performance & Technique Analysis, Strength & Conditioning, Physiology and Nutrition), Performance Health (Medical, Psychology, Physiotherapy and Massage) and Performance Life.
Tailored Athlete Pathway Support (TAPS) Programme Guidance has been published along with HPSNZ Investment Guidelines for the 2025-2028 period on the HPSNZ website https://hpsnz.org.nz/funding-and-investment, with NSO submissions due by 18th October 2024.
There are specific NSO HP Planning and Investment Guidelines for Podium, Team, and Aspirational sports, which include an overview of associated investment criteria. The TAPS Guidance is included on the website as a separate document.
