Objectives of Olympic Solidarity

National Federation Applications ARE NOW CLOSED

Background

The New Zealand Olympic Committee’s vision is to inspire pride and excellence in all New Zealanders.  Part of its mission is to maximise the positive impact for New Zealand, New Zealand sports and athletes. Olympic Solidarity is one of the tools available to the New Zealand Olympic Committee to enable us to undertake this mission. In 2022, New Zealand Olympic Committee allocated in excess of NZ$578,942 directly to its National Member Federations and athletes through this important international programme.

Olympic Solidarity is a division of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that assists National Olympic Committees, such as the New Zealand Olympic Committee, for athlete development programmes, in particular those with the greatest need for it.  This assistance is achieved through multi-faceted programmes prioritising athlete development but also training of coaches and sports administrators and promoting the Olympic Values.

Funding for the Olympic Solidarity Programmes is derived from the IOC's share of the television rights for the broadcast of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. This is Olympic Solidarity’s only income.

For information on the history and purpose of Olympic Solidarity refer to:

https://www.olympic.org/olympic-solidarity

Olympic Solidarity Programmes are established on a quadrennial basis and administered by the Olympic Solidarity Commission.

Olympic Solidarity Programmes

During the 2021-2024 quadrennial, all National Federations on the Olympic Programme have access to Olympic Solidarity financial and technical assistance through their National Olympic Committees.

In line with the IOC’s own strategy for 2021-2024, the key priorities of the Olympic Solidarity 2021-2024 are as follows:

  • Empower National Olympic Committees to keep athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement
  • Ensure good governance, financial control and compliance
  • Strengthen the Olympic Movement’s solidarity funding model
  • Align with the IOC’s strategy for the post-coronavirus world
  • Enable National Olympic Committees to contribute to the promotion of the Olympic Values
  • Provide individualised services to NOCs
  • Measure the real impact of the Olympic Solidarity programmes and funding on the worldwide development of sport


There are two streams of programmes available through Olympic Solidarity, namely:

 1.  Continental Programmes

The Continental Programmes offer National Olympic Committees extensive support at all stages in their planning, organisation, coordination, follow up and supervision of the Programmes undertaken in their respective zones. The most popular of these are the National Activities Programme that provide our National Federations the ability to carry out athlete and coaching programmes throughout New Zealand.

 2.  World Programmes

For the 2021-2024 quadrennial plan, Olympic Solidarity is offering a number of world programmes.  Their main aim is to increase global assistance to the athletes, to optimise the management of National Olympic Committees and to simplify administrative procedures, in order to adapt to the National Olympic Committees’ requirements and needs. They are split into five separate sections considered essential for the National Olympic Committees to accomplish the mission entrusted to them by the Olympic Charter:

 Athletes

  • Olympic Scholarships for Athletes
  • Team Support Grants
  • Youth Olympic Games Athlete Support
  • Athlete Career transition
  • Refugee Athlete Support

 
Entourage

  • Technical Courses for Coaches
  • Olympic Scholarships for Coaches
  • Development of National Sports Structure

 

OLYMPIC SOLIDARITY NATIONAL FEDERATION APPLICATIONS FOR 2024 are now CLOSED

2024 Olympic Solidarity grants designed to support New Zealand sporting organisations, their athletes and coaches are now closed.

 The Olympic Solidarity funding currently available is primarily designed to support athlete development and coach education.  Please note all funding is contestable and National Federations should be able to clearly demonstrate the legacy such funding will provide to its coaches and/or its athletes.

 

 1.   National Activities Programmes

This funding is intended to be utilised for national activities by National Federations, such as:

 Athlete Preparation:

  • National training camps for elite athletes;
  • Preparation camps for elite athletes; and
  • Development and talent identification camps for youth athletes.


Courses for Coaches

  • National courses for coaches using New Zealand based experts;
  • Development of online course for coaches.


Please note it does not include:

  • Purchase of sports equipment
  • International Federation affiliation fees
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Gifts to course experts
  • T-shirts, trophies, prizes for course participants/experts
  • Team uniforms, including competition outfits
  • Operational Expenditure i.e. salaries, office rental, purchase of IT or office equipment
  • Capital Expenditure i.e. purchase of vehicles and equipment or software
  • Coaching courses where a technical expert is being brought in from overseas. These are now covered under Technical Courses for Coaches (see paragraph 3 below).


The funding available to National Federations for National Activities Programmes will be approximately US$125,000 in total for 2024 activities.

Please click here to open a copy of the National Activities Programme application form


2.   Equipment Grant

One National Federation per year has the opportunity to use up to US$20,000 to fund sports equipment (not what is normally considered standard office equipment).

This is a highly contested grant and again, the application should demonstrate the high impact the purchase of such equipment will make to the development of sport for the National Federation.

Please click here to open a copy of the Equipment Grant application form.

3.   Technical Courses for Coaches

Technical Courses represent an opportunity for National Federations to grow their coaches throughout New Zealand by bringing in an international expert to conduct each technical course. If not possible for the international expert to be here physically, they may be able to deliver online.

A maximum of two National Federations will have the opportunity to obtain a grant of between US$8,000 – US$10,000 each year.  Please note any international transportation and visa costs as well as any per diem, whilst still included in the budget, will be paid by the International Federation. 

Please note, applications must be made at least 3 months prior to the coaching course being commenced. Usually courses should, where possible, provide an opportunity for the coaches in the Oceania region to attend the course. 

Approval will be required from the International Federation prior to submitting an application to Olympic Solidarity.

Please click here to open a copy of the Technical Course for Coaches Application form.


4.   Olympic Scholarships for Coaches

One National Federation each year has the opportunity to obtain a scholarship for one to two coaches in one of three areas:

  1. Training in sports sciences at IOC approved high level sports centres or universities, the main centres being:
  2.  - CAR - Barcelona, Spain
  3.  - ICECP - University of Delaware, USA
  4.  - PAISAC - Montreal, Canada
  5.  - Sports Academy Lausanne - Lausanne, Switzerland
  6.  - University of Physical Education - Budapest, Hungary;
  7. Sports-specific training determined at an International Federation approved centre; or
  8. Tailor made training (which may include e-learning) approved by the International Federation and Olympic Solidarity.


The basic idea is to allow for a standardisation of training given to coaches around the world, providing a quality and performance benchmark for National Federations.

The maximum level of funding is up to US$12,000 and the course must take place in the year the grant is provided.

Applications must be made at least 2 months prior to the coaching course being commenced.  Costs covered by the grant are transport (airline costs), training costs, board and accommodation, travel/medical insurance and a weekly indemnity of US$100.

Please click here for a copy of the Olympic Scholarship for Coaches application form.


5.   Development of a National Sports Structure

One National Federation per year may apply for a grant for the development of the National Federation’s sports structure.  The aim of the programme is to assist a National Federation develop and strengthen their basic coaching structures and related sport systems by putting in place a medium or long term action plan.

While improving the coach education system should be the main objective of the proposed projects, it should also provide the National Federation with the opportunity to:

  • Look at development pathways;
  • Look at good governance policies;
  • Build administrative capability to support coach and athlete activities; and
  • Optimise existing aspects of their overall management.

Depending on the needs and the budget available, it is possible for the appointed expert to divide her/his mission into short-term visits of two or three weeks, rather than one long-term period. Such an agenda might look like this: launch of the project (1st visit), intermediate evaluation (2nd visit) and final evaluation (3rd visit).

The maximum level of funding is up to US$30,000.

The budget may only contain the following costs:

  • Organisational costs (not capex or opex);
  • Expert’s international airline ticket(s) (standard economy class, the most direct route possible);
  • All the costs linked to the presence of the expert in the country (accommodation, food, domestic transport, etc.);
  • Expert’s fees (service fee, no per diem payments allowed);
  • Travel/medical insuranc, visas, etc., if necessary


Applications must be made at least 3 months prior to the activity commencing.

 Please click here for a copy of the Development of a National Sports Structure application form.

 

  1. Youth Athlete Identification

This programme offers National Federations the opportunity to identify and train athletes for youth competitions in view of participation in the Youth Olympic Games (Summer and Winter).

 The profile of the athletes to be included in this programme is as follows:

 - Young athletes who have the potential to participate in national, continental or international youth competitions and the Youth Olympic Games;

  •  - Athletes who practise a sport that is included in the Summer or Winter Youth Olympic Games programme; and
  •  - Athletes identified by the National Federation following promising sporting results during international or continental youth competitions.


Up to two National Federations per year may apply for a Youth Athlete Identification Grant of up to a combined total of US$25,000.  The grant offers technical and financial assistance to National Federations for the organisation of specific activities related to identify and train young talented athletes, such as:

- Create a national talent identification structure;

- Continue to develop existing programmes in collaboration with the International Federations and National Federations;

  • - Organise short-term national or international talent identification projects and training development camps or initiatives.

 

Please click here for a copy of the Youth Athlete Support application form.

All Applications

All Applications should be aligned to both mission of the New Zealand Olympic Committee and those of Olympic Solidarity for 2021 - 2024. Of particular note is the need to create a legacy for a Member National Federation, and in particular around athlete development.

Applications for 2024 are now closed.