About Us: UK Sport Funding

In December 2020, British Fencing was successful in securing a 1 year investment from UK Sport of £418K (to run from 1st April 2021-31st March 2022) with an indicative £1.6m to March 2025, based on achieving agreed objectives.

This funding consisted of “Progression” funding, and for a period of time up to April 2023, one named Podium Athlete.

From UK Sport’s website: “Progression is designed to accelerate the development of sports by stimulating change in their performance development system and culture. The intent is to build a more sustainable performance system and thriving high performance culture through 2028 and 2032 cycles”

The funding enables BF to focus on improving the system and structure to develop athletes and coaches for long term Olympic success. A significant area of this work is around supporting the development of a cohort of fencing coaches who, by 2028, will be able to train and support an expanding squad of Olympic level fencers in the UK. In addition, the programme aims to support identified development needs of athletes with the motivation, intention and trajectory to deliver medals in 2032.

In the year 2022-23 we expect Progression funding from UK sport of about £375K and Podium funding of about £80K.

As part of the funding application process, BF and UK Sport agreed the overall allocation of budget to different activities in line with the structure and purpose of Progression and the limits and restrictions in use set out by UK Sport.

• Around £280K is allocated to directly building the performance system for 2032 Olympic medal success which includes coach and athletes development activities.
• Around £20K of the Progression award is allocated to support National Teams when they compete at major milestone events (eg Senior European and World Championships).
• Around £70K is the UK Sport contribution to the additional core (overhead) administrative costs incurred by BF (eg staff time – HR, Finance, Governance).

Podium funding is 100% allocated to building and running a programme to support the named athlete and this includes dedicated staff cost. Where the programme can support other athletes with those programme activities at no additional cost it will endeavour to do so (e.g. provision of SS&M/Coaches at Major Events).

Podium athletes also receive direct athlete funding from UK Sport in the shape of an Athlete Performance Award (APA). This award, which is solely funded by National Lottery income, is paid directly to the athletes and contributes to their living and sporting costs. APAs are administered centrally by UK Sport and are aimed at enabling athletes to pursue medal success in the Olympic or Paralympic Games and in other major championship events. Eligibility criteria for Podium funding and associated levels of APAs are set by UK Sport, and are based on performances at milestones events (Senior World Championships).

In addition, BF also receives International Relations funding. This supports the BF’s International Relations Strategy and the work of the BF representatives in EFC and FIE Commissions and Councils.

For more information about the funding we receive from Sport England please click here.

For more information about how we use the income we received from members please click here.

For an overview of what we do as an organisation, what types of income we get and what they are used for please click here

Return to ‘About Us Zone‘ to find out more information about the work that we do.