The Outstanding Partner Award serves to recognise the extraordinary support provided to Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) and Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada (CGFC) by a valued, external organisation.

Without that support, it is claimed that CGC and CGFC could not meet their goals.

Since the inception of CGC’s partnership with Brock University in 2015, it is stated that more than 30 sport management students have "made a difference" in six local sports and sport for development programmes in five developing Commonwealth countries.

Currently, four Brock University students are engaged in SportWORKS programmes in Botswana, infusing Canada’s Long-term Athlete Development into national team programmes.

Programmes are also being held in Swaziland, empowering women and girls with leadership skills through sport, and in the Turks and Caicos Islands, developing grassroots-level rugby in schools and camps.

"Brock University is an important partner of CGC, and specifically, of our SportWORKS programme," CGC chief executive Brian MacPherson said.

"SportWORKS uses sport to deliver social and economic improvements in developing Commonwealth countries and a key component of this programme are the outstanding Brock University students who work on the ground in these Commonwealth countries."

Since 1993, CGC has integrated sport for development and sport development programming, aimed at promoting community and social development, and building national sport capacity throughout the Commonwealth.

Through the SportWORKS programme, introduced in 2001, more than two million youths in Commonwealth nations and territories have been supported by Canadian SportWORKS officers.

The Canadian Commonwealth Sport Awards were launched in 2016 as an expansion from CGC's original Award of Merit and Significant Contribution Awards.

The objectives of the awards are to celebrate and honour individuals and organisations who have made a significant contribution to the Commonwealth sport movement in Canada and/or abroad, increased the Canadian public’s awareness of the Commonwealth sport movement and CGC, as well as provided a vehicle for fundraising.