TASS – APPLICATIONS OPEN AND CHANGES FROM SEPTEMBER 2022 ONWARDS

 BF opens applications for a 2022 TASS award, and confirms a number of changes to TASS awards including increased number of awards for fencing from 5 to 12, and removing being a university student from the eligibility criteria.

BF has received confirmation from TASS about a number of changes to their awards which will take effect from September 2022 onwards. The changes are summarised below, and will be followed by details of the application process for athletes who wish to apply for an award.

Changes to TASS awards from previous years –

• An increase from 5 awards to 12
• Removal of the requirement for athletes to be current University students
• Athletes in receipt of any UK Sport funding are ineligible for a TASS award
• Awards are no longer annual in nature, meaning athletes can be on TASS for multiple years
• ADP Weapon Leads will now manage the relationship between athletes and their TASS delivery site, not TASS itself

As a result of the above changes, the new eligibility criteria for a TASS award are as follows –

• Be a member of British Fencing’s Athlete Development Programme
• Represent England as their home nation. Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish athletes are not eligible. However, athletes from the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands can be nominated.
• Have a realistic prospect of meeting one or more of the following performance standards
  • Compete (defined as being selected) at the 2024 Olympic Games.
  • Compete (defined as meeting the qualifying standard) at the European Games and/or Senior World Championships in 2023.
  • Perform (defined as competing to a standard capable of achieving a result of Last 16 or better) at the World University Games 2023.
  • Perform (defined as competing to a standard capable of achieving a result of Last 16 or better) at the European U23 Championships in 2023.
• Hold a United Kingdom passport
• Able to and willing to travel to a TASS delivery site as often as necessary to meet the requirements of the award
• If an athlete is on the DiSE programme or receiving a Sports Aid Core award they are not eligible for a TASS award. However, if an athlete is receiving Backing the Best support, they can also be eligible for a TASS award.
• Our application form asks for details of any support an athlete might already be receiving (eg. University scholarship). The Athlete Development Team making selection will aim to prioritise TASS spots based on the impact of the support to eligible athletes, while this does not mean athletes currently receiving funding or support are ineligible for TASS, it does mean that priority may be given to athletes who are not currently receiving support, provided they meet all the criteria stated above. As such, it is important that athletes who are currently receiving support describe the exact type of support they receive.

Applying for a TASS award –

The application pack will be sent to athletes on British Fencing’s ADP via email. The deadline for submitting completed applications will be Thursday 22^nd September at 16.59.

Once applications have been received, they will be reviewed by the ADP Weapon Leads, and all applicants will be informed if they have been successful or unsuccessful in their application in the week beginning the 26^th September. Successful athletes will be contacted by the relevant ADP Weapon Lead, who will be the key point of contact throughout the time the athlete is in receipt of a TASS award.

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