NWOA Individual Grant Policy
Deatails of the NWOA tour grant policy are below.
| Purpose | |
| What are we trying to achieve by paying grants to people selected for representative honours? | To recognise and reward selection and representative honours To ensure the best get access to top competition and coaching, and feel some responsibility to feed that experience back into the region |
| Which Member Countries? | |
| Which countries do people have to represent in order to qualify for a grant? | Any IOF country (GBR but also others) Any of the UK Home Nations (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) |
| Where to? | |
| Where does the tour/event have to go to qualify for support? |
Support is as % of athlete's contribution, regardless of location of tour. |
| What Level? | |
| What level does the tour/event have to be at to qualify for a grant? | Full international level for GBR or Home Nation competitions. NOT events the athlete has personally chosen to attend rather than being selected (for example World Masters). |
| What Age Classes? | |
| Are there age restrictions on who can apply? | Any juniors (20-), or seniors competing in open / 21 classes. NOT veteran classes, for Veteran Home Internationals or 40+ classes at Interland. This is a change in policy decided at the 2026 AGM. The reasoning being that most want to promote the junior and senior demographic, those who are most in need (in particular including students), and those who have the most financial outlay (for example GBR senior competitions and JWOC are significantly more expensive than VHIs). However, veterans who are selected compete in non-age limited competitions (for example World Trail O Champs) are eligible. |
| Which Members? | |
| What membership criteria apply? | British Orienteering members through a NWOA club and active with the club. |
| Which Disciplines? | |
| What orienteering disciplines are eligible? | Foot O and Trail O. Not Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO) or Ski Orienteering, neither of which is a British Orienteering coordinated activity (as opposed to under other bodies such as BMBO). |
| Other Criteria? | |
| Are there any other criteria that apply? | Athletes in receipt of substantial Sports Council funding under one of the British Orienteering or Home Nation programmes are not eligible for funding |
| What for? | |
| Are grants just to competitors or to others too? | Only the athletes participating in a tour are eligible for funding, not tour managers, coaches, cooks, bus drivers or other support staff. |
| Rate of Grant | |
| Last reviewed in 2026 | For international or UK tours, a grant of 40% of the athlete's contribution will be paid. (As of the 2026 AGM. This was previously 20%) |
| Authority Levels | |
| What can the officers pay out without recourse to Club Delegates for authority? | Grants may be paid by the NWOA Executive in accordance with this policy without further reference to the Clubs. The Executive has authority to interpret the policy where necessary and to review if budget constraints dictate. Any significant deviations should be brought to Club Delegates, and any changes to the policy should be agreed at an AGM. |
| Administration | |
| Degree of formality and input from club | Application form including signature of club official confirming details on form and that person is an active member of the club. Supported by covering letter with additional details. |
| Multiple Grants | |
| Can an individual apply for multiple grants? | Yes. One application per tour/competition. |
Last reviewed September 2026
To apply see NWOA Individual Grant Form
For information, this article on the Orienteering Foundation website provides a summary of the support available in other regions and home nations, as well as other grant awarding bodies that could be approached. Most clubs in NWOA will also make a grant towards individuals.
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