The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) will send the application form and the self-assessment tool on May 18 to all Commonwealth Games Associates (CGA) to apply for the Birmingham 2022 Team Preparation Grant.
"I am delighted to advise we have brought forward the date we will accept and process applications. In developing this Grant programme, the Development Team has incorporated many of the views expressed by CGAs to simplify the application process, expanding the range of approved projects and providing guidance and support to CGAs throughout the process," the CGF president Dame Louise Martin said in a letter to CGA.
Since Rwanda, the work to establish the Commonwealth Sport Foundation (CSF) as a fully operational UK charitable entity has progressed significantly. The recruitment of the CSF Chair of Trustees is underway with the process being conducted by an external recruitment company with, hopefully, the appointment being made by July, Martin informed.
Five million pound funded by UK Government for Birmingham 2022, the CGF negotiated a 1.5 million pound allocation to fund the CGA Team Preparation Grants, which is a non-charitable programme. The remaining 3.5 million pound allocation must be used for charitable activities through the CSF. Existing CGF development programmes that are of a charitable nature have now been transferred to the CSF, including GAPS and eqUIP.
"Fundamental to the success of the CSF will be our ability to raise additional funds over and above the resources provided by UK Government and Birmingham 2022 to ensure the CSF's sustainability and long-term future. We are pleased to announce that we have already had some small successes in this area with UK Sport coming on board as a partner for the new GAPSAfrica project. Early discussions are also underway with other potential partners and we have started to create a fundraising campaign," the letter stated.
Birmingham is set to stage the 2022 Commonwealth Games from July 27 to August 7.
( With inputs from ANI )