Following feedback from athletes and others in the system, HPSNZ has increased the level of Base Training Grants for eligible athletes and adjusted Excellence Grant levels for some athletes.
From 1 January this year the way HPSNZ provides financial support to athletes changed when we moved from the Carded Athlete and Performance Enhancement Grants (PEGs) system to a new system of Tailored Athlete Pathway Support (TAPS). HPSNZ General Manager Performance Partnerships Eddie Kohlhase says TAPS is designed to support athlete wellbeing by providing athletes with support that is appropriate to their age and stage within the high performance pathway.
This includes greater financial security through a Base Training Grant. Athletes are also eligible for a financial top up from a performance-based Excellence Grant.
“We have received quite a bit of feedback from within the high performance system on specific aspects of TAPS. We’ve listened to this feedback and had the opportunity to reflect on it and discuss it with the HSPNZ Board,” Eddie says.
As a result, the Base Training Grant for eligible athletes has increased from $25,000 to $30,000 per annum for the remainder of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic cycle. This increase has been back dated to 1 January this year.
The value of performance-based Excellence Grants for those athletes finishing in 4th to 6th place at pinnacle events will increase from $15,000 to $20,000 per annum for the remainder of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic cycle. This will bring TAPS for those athletes into line with what they received under the previous Performance enhancement Grants (PEGs) system. The change to these Excellence Grants was also be backdated to 1 January this year.
Eddie says feedback from athletes and sports has been positive.
“Financial support for athletes is only one aspect of supporting their wellbeing and we are actively working with our partner NSOs to identify and support further sport-specific initiatives to further enhance wellbeing.”
To be eligible for TAPS an athlete must be from a sport that has been designated by HPSNZ as eligible for TAPS. TAPS may be made available to athletes in Podium Sports, and in specific cases HPSNZ may provide TAPS opportunities to the Aspirational Sports we support.
Further information on TAPS is available here.
