Athlete & Coach Funding Selection Policy

1. Policy Purpose

This policy establishes a transparent, consistent and documented process for selecting recipients of BGSF funding. It is intended to support Canadian amateur alpine skiing by reducing financial barriers and supporting appropriate athlete development, competition, coach education and advanced athlete development activities.

The policy applies to the five BGSF programs and is designed to provide a common framework while allowing program-specific criteria appropriate to the applicant's age, development stage and requested activity.

2. BGSF Policy Statement

BGSF will select recipients through a competitive and documented process using published eligibility requirements and program-specific selection criteria. The process will seek to balance access, financial barriers, athletic development, commitment, conduct, development potential and available annual funding.

Meeting minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee funding. Awards are limited by the annual BGSF budget and may be reduced where necessary to fund eligible applicants fairly and effectively.

3. Common Eligibility Requirements

• The applicant must be participating in amateur alpine skiing in Canada, or in an eligible coach-development activity that supports Canadian amateur alpine skiing.

• The applicant must be registered with an eligible ski club, sport organization, recognized program or applicable coach-education pathway, where registration is relevant to the program.

• The applicant must be in good standing with the applicable club, program or sport organization.

• The request must relate directly to an approved BGSF program and an eligible expense or activity.

• The application must be complete, accurate and truthful.

• Applicants must disclose other grants, bursaries, scholarships or sport funding that relate to the same activity or expense.

• BGSF may reduce an award where the same expense is already fully funded by another source.

• Applicants must meet any age, sport-level or program-specific requirements published for the applicable funding cycle.

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4. Program-Specific Selection Criteria

Youth Development Program

Eligible applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents residing in Canada who are between U-10 and U-14, inclusive, and who participate in an organized alpine skiing development program through a recognized Canadian ski club, school, or other recognized alpine skiing organization.**

Youth Development assessment criteria

Applications should be assessed against:

Criterion Consideration    

1.  Eligibility Meets U-10–U-14 and Canadian residency requirements

2.   Financial need/barrier Extent to which program costs create a barrier to participation

3.   Participation and commitment Regular participation and demonstrated commitment to alpine skiing

4.  Development objectives Clear explanation of what the athlete hopes to develop

5.  Participation opportunity Whether BGSF assistance will enable or maintain participation

6.  Athletic development  Current participation and development appropriate to age   

7.  Sportsmanship Respectful conduct, teamwork and positive participation

8.  Coach/club recommendation Confirmation of participation and development by a coach or club

9.  Appropriate use of funds  Proposed expenses are eligible under BGSF policy   

Athlete Development Program

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents residing in Canada, between U-12 and U-16, inclusive, and actively participating in an organized alpine skiing development or competition program through a recognized Canadian ski club or other recognized alpine skiing organization.

Selection criteria

The Athlete Development Program should place somewhat greater emphasis on development than the Youth Program.

Applicants will be assessed on:

1. Financial need/barriers to participation

2. Commitment and participation in alpine skiing

3. Current level of athletic development

4. Demonstrated development potential

5. Individual training and development objectives

6. Participation in organized training and/or competition

7. Sportsmanship and conduct

8. Coach/club recommendation

9. Proposed use of BGSF funds

10. Expected benefit of the bursary to the athlete's continued development

Competition Support Program

Eligible applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents residing in Canada, between U-14 and U-21, inclusive, and actively participating in recognized amateur alpine ski competitions or an organized competition-development program in Canada or internationally.

The athlete should also demonstrate that the proposed competition activity is appropriate to their development level.

Assessment criteria

1. Financial need/barriers to competition

2. Competitive participation and commitment

3. Current competitive level

4. Athletic development and potential

5. Competition and training plan

6. Quality and appropriateness of proposed competitions

7. Development objectives

8. Coach/club recommendation

9. Sportsmanship and conduct

10. Expected benefit of BGSF support

11. Appropriate and reasonable proposed expenses

Coach Development Program

I would make this one very clear.

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents residing in Canada, be at least 18 years of age, and be actively involved as an amateur alpine ski coach in Canada. Applicants must hold, or be actively pursuing, an appropriate Alpine Canada/Canadian Ski Coaches Federation coaching certification or other recognized coaching qualification applicable to their coaching responsibilities.**

Selection criteria

Applicants will be assessed on:

1. Eligibility and coaching status

2. Current coaching experience

3. Commitment to amateur alpine skiing

4. Current coaching certification and/or certification being pursued

5. Proposed education or certification program

6. Development objectives as a coach

7. Expected benefit to athletes and the Canadian alpine skiing community

8. Financial need/barriers to accessing coach education

9. Recommendation from the applicant's ski club/program or appropriate coaching authority

10. Sportsmanship, professionalism and conduct

Note Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed education, certification or professional development will improve their ability to coach and support Canadian amateur alpine athletes and/or increase the availability of appropriately trained alpine ski coaches.

National Athlete Development Fund

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents residing in Canada, be at least 18 years of age, and be active Canadian amateur alpine ski athletes demonstrating a sustained commitment to progressing toward increasingly advanced levels of alpine skiing.**

They should also submit:

* annual training plan;

* annual competition plan;

* proposed international training activities;

* proposed recognized international competitions;

* development objectives;

* anticipated costs;

* explanation of financial need;

* coach/program recommendation.

Assessment criteria

Applications should be assessed on:

1. Financial need and barriers to high-level participation

2. Demonstrated commitment to alpine skiing

3. Current competitive level

4. Athletic development and demonstrated potential

5. Training and competition history

6. Quality and appropriateness of the proposed annual development plan

7. Appropriateness of international training and competition activities

8. Specific development objectives

9. Coach/program recommendation

10. Sportsmanship and conduct

11. Expected benefit of the funding to the athlete's continued development

12. Reasonableness and eligibility of proposed expenditures

This should be the most advanced athlete program and have stronger documentation requirements.

Note Applications will be assessed using objective criteria, including financial need or barriers to participation, the athlete's commitment to alpine skiing, competitive and athletic development, demonstrated potential, training and competition history, proposed annual development plan, development objectives, appropriateness of proposed domestic and international activities, sportsmanship, and an appropriate coach or program recommendation.

5. Application Requirements

• Completed BGSF application form.

• Applicant information and parent/guardian information where applicable.

• Age, athlete category or coaching status and applicable registration information.

• Club, program and coach information.

• Requested BGSF program and explanation of the development or participation benefit.

• Detailed eligible-expense budget and requested amount.

• Description of financial need or access barrier.

• Disclosure of other grants, bursaries, scholarships and relevant sport funding.

• Coach/club/sport-organization recommendation where required or requested.

• Competition results, rankings, qualifications or development information where relevant to the program.

• Applicant declaration confirming accuracy of the information provided.

6. Assessment of Financial Need

BGSF will assess financial need consistently and confidentially. The purpose is to determine whether cost is a meaningful barrier to participation, development or competition—not to create an unnecessarily intrusive financial assessment.

• Total anticipated program, training and competition costs.

• Applicant/family contribution or other available resources.

• Other assistance already received or expected.

• Unfunded amount remaining after other assistance.

• Specific cost barriers that would otherwise limit participation.

• Reasonable supporting documentation may be requested when needed to verify an application.

Financial information should be accessible only to persons who need it for the selection process and should be handled in accordance with BGSF privacy and record-retention practices.

7. Eligible and Generally Ineligible Expenses

Generally eligible, subject to the applicable program and annual budget:

• Club and approved program fees.

• Training and coaching costs.

• Competition entry fees.

• Approved travel and accommodation related to eligible training or competition.

• Training camps and clinics.

• Appropriate equipment where permitted by the program.

• Sports medicine and related athlete-development services.

• Coach education, certification and eligible course/clinic costs.

• Other expenses specifically approved under the applicable BGSF funding policy.

Generally ineligible:

• Unrestricted personal cash assistance.

• Unrelated personal, household or entertainment expenses.

• Expenses already fully funded by another source.

• Fines, penalties or disciplinary costs.

• Expenses outside the approved BGSF program.

• Activities inconsistent with BGSF's amateur alpine skiing mandate.

8. Selection Process

1. BGSF publishes the annual funding cycle, eligibility requirements, criteria and available program budget.

2. Applications are screened for completeness and minimum eligibility.

3. Eligible applications are assessed using the applicable program criteria and scoring framework.

4. The volunteer Athlete & Program Selection Committee reviews applications and prepares recommendations.

5. Committee members and directors disclose actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where appropriate.

6. The BGSF Board of Directors reviews and approves final awards.

7. Applicants receive written notice of the decision and any conditions attached to the award.

8. BGSF may pay an approved expense directly to an athlete, parent/guardian, club, coach, school, service provider or other appropriate recipient where this provides appropriate financial control.

9. BGSF may require registration confirmation, invoices, receipts or other documentation before or after payment.

10. Unclaimed, unused or ineligible funds may be reduced, deferred, cancelled or reallocated in accordance with the applicable BGSF policy.

9. Tie-Breaking and Allocation of Limited Funds

• Greater unmet financial or access barrier.

• More direct connection between the requested funding and the applicable BGSF program objective.

• Clearer and more achievable development or competition plan.

• Stronger demonstrated commitment and participation.

• Where appropriate, partial awards may be used to assist a greater number of eligible applicants.

• The Board may consider the overall distribution of awards across the program and available annual funds while maintaining consistent published criteria.

10. National Scope, Fairness and Inclusion

BGSF funding is intended to be available nationally across Canada, subject to program eligibility and available funding. BGSF will seek to avoid unnecessary geographic concentration and will apply criteria consistently. Applicants will be assessed without discrimination on prohibited grounds. Access barriers relevant to participation in amateur alpine skiing may be considered within the published selection criteria.

11. Conduct and Safe Sport

Recipients and applicants are expected to comply with applicable club, provincial/territorial, Alpine Canada, competition, Safe Sport and conduct requirements. BGSF may withhold, reduce or discontinue funding where a material eligibility or conduct issue makes continued funding inappropriate, subject to applicable policies and procedural fairness.

12. Public-Facing Answer — Criteria for Selection of Recipients

BGSF recipients are selected through a competitive, transparent process based on the criteria applicable to each program. In general, BGSF considers financial need and barriers to participation, athletic development and potential, commitment and participation, the applicant's development plan and objectives, sportsmanship and leadership, and a recommendation from a coach or recognized club or sport representative. Program-specific criteria are applied according to the applicant's age, development stage and purpose of funding. Applications are reviewed by a volunteer selection committee, conflicts are managed through disclosure and recusal, and final awards are approved by the BGSF Board of Directors. Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding because awards are limited by available annual funds.

13. Administration, Records and Review

• BGSF will maintain records sufficient to document eligibility, scoring, recommendations, approvals, payments and supporting documentation.

• Selection records should demonstrate that awards were made using the approved criteria.

• Committee and Board minutes should record approvals and conflict recusals where applicable.

• The policy should be reviewed at least annually before the next application cycle.

• Changes should be approved by the BGSF Board and reflected in the public application materials.