The Canadian Paralympic Committee has called for organisations and clubs to apply for the funding scheme ©CPC

Grants to help cover the cost of sports programmes and equipment for people with a disability are available for organisations and clubs across the nation, the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) have announced.

Applications for next year's granting round of the System Development Fund opened today, with amounts of between CAD$2,500 (£1,300/$2,000/€1,800) and CAD$10,000 (£5,200/$8,000/€7,200) to be available.

Funds may be used towards enhancing programme options, such as facility rental space, coaching, volunteer training and more, it was explained, with sports that are part of the CPC's long-term strategy around podium potential sports and current targeted sports for the Paralympic and Parapan Am Games to be prioritised.

Funding will help create new Paralympic heroes for Canada, it is hoped, to eventually emulate the success of the likes of their wheelchair basketball teams ©Getty Images
Funding will help create new Paralympic heroes for Canada, it is hoped, to eventually emulate the success of the likes of their wheelchair basketball teams ©Getty Images

This comes less than a month before the opening of this year's Parapan Games here on August 7, with it hoped that the funding will have a major long-term impact in helping to produce medal winners of the future.

To be eligible to apply, initiatives must "clearly show a potential positive impact on the athletes and programming" in the specific LTAD (Canadian Long Term Athlete Development) framework stage targeted by the application.

This broader framework aims to develop athletes from "playground to podium".

Like with prior projects such as the Recruitment Programme Fund and Para-Equipment Fund of years past, the System Development Fund can be used either to support recruitment initiatives or equipment purchase.

More information and details on how to submit applications can be found here, with the window for applying set to close on July 31.



Related stories
July 2015: Canadian Paralympic Committee launch multi-platform campaign to showcase Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games athletes
June 2015: Judo Canada name small squad for 2015 Parapan American Games
June 2015: Table Tennis Canada announce eight-strong team for Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games
June 2015: Canada announce wheelchair basketball squads for Parapan American Games
May 2015: Canadian boccia team announced for home 2015 Parapan American Games