Funding Programs Overview

As part of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Sport Canada works to advance sport within the context of Government of Canada priorities. Moreover, the Department is striving to establish Canada as a leading sport nation at home and abroad, where all Canadians and their communities enjoy, value and celebrate the benefits of active participation and excellence in sport.

Sport Canada funding programs are important elements of this work. These programs enhance our high performance sport system, advance the Canadian Sport Policy, and help Canadian Sport organizations or organizing committees to host international sport events and the Canada Games.

To achieve these goals, Sport Canada provides financial support through the following three programs:

• The Athlete Assistance Program (AAP) contributes to the pursuit of excellence through its contribution to improved Canadian athlete performances at major international sporting events, enabling athletes to combine their sport and academic or working careers while training intensively in pursuit of world-class performances.

• The Sport Support Program (SSP) funding is aimed at developing athletes and coaches at the highest international levels; providing sound technically-based sport programming for all athletes; increasing the number of Canadians from all segments of society involved in sport, and advancing Canadian interests and values in Canada and abroad.

• The Hosting Program is a key instrument in the Government of Canada’s overall approach to sport development in Canada and aims to enhance the development of sport excellence and the international profile of sport organizations by assisting sport organizations to host the Canada Games and international sport events in Canada.

For more information, see the list of Sport Canada Contributions and Recipients and Recipients and the Hosting Program's list of financial contributions to international sport events.

Sport Canada also has a number of special initiatives that are funded through the Sport Support Program to advance the goals of the Canadian Sport Policy.