Deadline: 20-Sep-2025
The Skeggs Foundation provides grants twice a year to young sportspeople to help them be the pride of Otago and New Zealand.
The Foundation has a stronger focus on making a difference to athletes who are performing at higher levels of their sport, with greater emphasis on involvement in national age group and senior representation. The Skeggs Trustees will put more emphasis on what progress athletes are making. The intention is to assist athletes to achieve their highest potential, rather than be a source of regular funding for ongoing regional representation. The Foundation will prioritise making grants to athletes that are in recognised national representation programmes and pathways.
The key objective for the Coaches and Officials Grant is to provide opportunities for Otago representative coaches and for those training to become representative coaches, to lead Otago teams and athletes to success. It also aims to provide opportunities for Otago-based regional or national level representative officials to support the growth of youth sport and to grow the capacity of Otago-based sports organisations.
The Skeggs Foundation grants are for sportspeople living in Otago, including Dunedin, Queenstown Lakes Districts, Central Otago, Waitaki, and Clutha. Applicants must be available for selection into Otago teams or squads, unless this conflicts with national selection. While applicants do not have to be a current New Zealand representative, they should be able to demonstrate that their sporting body considers them to have the potential to be one.
When you use a Skeggs Foundation brand fuel card, you contribute to the work of the Foundation at no cost to yourself. Benefits include competitive discounts on fuel purchases, options for urban and rural users, discounts at selected retailers, up to 14 days interest free credit, and options for individuals and businesses.
The Coaches and Officials Grant is supported by the Otago Community Trust, which seeks to improve the wellbeing of young people in Otago through sports participation. Grants can be used for a range of purposes including travel, accommodation, and fees to attend professional development courses both within and outside of New Zealand. They can also cover costs to attend a regional or national competition where development opportunities exist, as well as childcare costs resulting from coaching or officiating commitments. Costs of an exceptional nature may also be considered.
Priority for the Coaches and Officials Grant will be given to amateur Otago or New Zealand representative coaches and officials who are voluntary or predominantly voluntary. An applicant not currently coaching or officiating at an Otago or New Zealand representative level must show evidence of how receiving a grant will enable them to do so. The grants will not cover personal items such as gym memberships and clothing, the purchase of training equipment, payment for venue use, or video analysis tools.
To be eligible for the Coaches and Officials Grant, sports coaches must be coaching young athletes of Otago at a representative level and undertaking some form of self-improvement or education. Sports officials must be officiating youth sport at a representative level and undertaking some form of self-improvement or education. All funding rounds for the Coaches and Officials Grant close at 5:00 pm on 20 September each year.
For more information, visit Skeggs Foundation.
