A couple of months ago, we took a look at how UK Sports Funding works for Individual Sport Investment, with over £230,000,000 in funding distributed in the 2025-29 Cycle.
But there are also Athlete Performance Awards (APA), solely funded by National Lottery income, that help athletes with living costs and expenses associated with training.
Here we break down who qualifies for APAs, how much they get and what they can spend it on.
What are Athlete Performance Awards?
UK Sport provides direct athlete funding in the form of Athlete Performanec Awards. According to UK Sport, these help athletes “appropriately engage in a sport’s high-performance programme”, as well as progress towards the Olympic and Paralympic podium.
The APA budget for Los Angeles is projected to reach £82 million, up from the £74 million in the leadup to Paris.
However, these awards aren’t given to “professional” athletes, such as those who earn income through contracts, prize money, or endorsements. APAs are means tested for any athlete whos total income exceeds £65,000 ($86,000) per year. Above this threshold, the award is reduced.
Athlete Performance Award Grades
The UK Sport website lists five Grades of APA which they award:
Podium – A&B Grade
This is the highest grade of APA, supporting athletes who are firmly in contention for medals at major international events, with athletes in in these Grades having a “strong prospect of winning/contributing to a Olympic/Paralympic medal”.
Although parameters vary from sport to sport, Grade A athletes are those who have achieved a medal performance at the Olympic Games or Senior World Championships, while Grade B athletes will have achieved a top 8 finish.
Athletes in these Grades will receive £26,500 (Grade A) or £21,500 (Grade B), although exact amounts will vary.
Podium Potential – C & D Grade
The second tier indicates athletes with the potential to medal at future Olympic/Paralympic Games, with funding aiming to bridge the gap and reward their commitment.
Grade C athletes are expected to be ranked in the Top 50 in their sports’s world rankings, or achieved a medal performance at the Senior European Championships. Those in Grade D will have achieved consistent performances at senior competition level, or be making a significant contribution to the progression of a team.
Funding at this level ranges from £17,000 (Grade C) to £11,000 (Grade D).
Entry Level – E Grade
The lowest tier is aimed at athletes in the first 1-2 years of their sport’s respective high-performance programmes. This funding allows for “exploration and confirmation” of the potential of any athlete.
An athlete in this Grade will receve £7,500.
Other Support
In addition to the APA amounts, athletes receive other support including private medical cover and an annual personal development award.
Additional funding that UK Sport provides to World Class Programmes, may then be passed onto athletes in the form of coaching, sports science and medicine, contributions towards travel, accomomdation and equipment costs.