Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program

1. PURPOSE
To provide financial assistance to eligible Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) to support the development of Indigenous athletes at the train-to-train stage of the Indigenous Long-Term Participant Development Pathway.

2. DESIRED OUTCOMES

CAPACITY/INTERACTION

• Build an overall more inclusive sporting environment that empowers Indigenous people and broadens access to athletic excellence and leadership opportunities.
• An effective overall program is planned in collaboration with an Indigenous Sport Coordinator which leads to successfully fielding a team for the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).
• The plan commits to an early and broad geographic talent identification process that fosters extensive participation.
• The program is administered in an accountable and transparent manner with sufficient resources.

SPORT DEVELOPMENT

Coach and Official Development

• The PSO has an increased pool of trained Indigenous coaches and officials in their sport.
• NAIG athletes are led by Indigenous coaches that have been trained to create positive experiences for athletes and non-Indigenous coaches who have been trained to support Indigenous athletes.
• NAIG events utilize Indigenous officials and those officials have the appropriate training to ensure fair and fun competition.
• Coaches identify and select eligible athletes for individual and team sports to train and compete in accordance with the selection criteria established by the PSO, ensuring a fair and transparent process for participation.

Athlete Development

• Athletes learn the proper skill development according to their age and stage of the Indigenous Long-Term Participant Development Pathway Model to participate effectively at NAIG.
• Talent identification processes lead to the recognition of a core pool of Indigenous talent and representation in mainstream sports, Indigenous competitions and multi-sport events.
• Skill development camps are communicated, well attended and properly resourced.

3. SOURCE OF FUNDING
The Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program grant is funded by Sask Sport through the support of the Sask Lotteries Trust Fund (Trust Fund).

4. ELIGIBILITY
PSOs who are on the Eligibility List of the Trust Fund whose sport was selected to the 2027 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) calendar are eligible to apply.

5. AVAILABLE FUNDING
Eligible funding levels will be communicated to PSOs in December 2024 to be adjudicated for the period of April 1, 2025 – August 31, 2027.

A spending review will occur in September 2026 to determine:

• Spending to date
• Anticipated further spending (over/under original allocation)
• Reallocation of additional funding to PSOs who can make the case for additional funding

The provision of additional funding will be dependent on available budgets, needs and proper fund management. Additional funding is not guaranteed for every PSO.

6. REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS
PSOs are encouraged to have a balanced approach to sport development and the budget should demonstrate an investment in a variety of sport development areas. For PSOs capable of demonstrating a balanced developmental investment, there will be no minimum spending guidelines for the use of Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program funding, enabling PSOs to determine their own unique plans and priorities for spending. However, the Indigenous Sport Leadership Council retains the right to impose spending guidelines, if warranted.

The PSO and Indigenous Sport Coordinator must work in collaboration to support the development Indigenous athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers that will lead to enhanced high-performance achievement.

The PSO and Indigenous Sport Coordinator will be required to complete an activity review with the Sport Development Consultant.

Coaches and officials are encouraged to access resources through the Indigenous Coaches and Officials Program.

Coach and official certification must be accessed through Indigenous Coaches and Officials Program (if applicable).

This grant is made possible by Sask Lotteries, the main fundraiser for more than 12,000 sport, culture and recreation groups in communities across Saskatchewan. Sask Lotteries must be promoted and recognized within all communications and promotions developed. The Sask Lotteries logo, brand guidelines, key messages and promotional materials are available at sasklotteries.ca/funding-recognition

Any major changes to the original application must be submitted to and approved by the Indigenous Sport Leadership Council.

Late or incomplete grant applications and follow-ups will result in grant payments being withheld.

Grants are approved with the understanding that funds are to be used for eligible purposes adhering to the Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program Grant Guidelines. Any unused funds, or funds that are used for purposes that do not adhere to the program guidelines will be required to be returned to Sask Sport.

7. APPLICATION PROCEDURES
The Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program application deadline is February 1, 2025.
The application must include the following:

• Signed and completed application form (which includes a balanced budget)

8. ASSESSMENT PROCESS
The Team Sask Steering Committee is responsible for the Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program grant review process and providing grant recommendations to the Indigenous Sport Leadership Council.

9. ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES

CAPACITY/INTERACTION

• Administration
• Planning and Meetings
• Honoraria
• Communications (newsletters, websites, etc.)
• Marketing and Promotions

SPORT DEVELOPMENT

Coach and Official Development

• Mentor Coach expenses (Ex. mileage, meals, accommodation)
• Coaching and Officiating Certification expenses not covered by Indigenous Coaches and Officials Program
• Professional development opportunities (Ex. education, symposiums, etc.)
• Coach and official identification and development

Athlete Development

• Try-outs (facility rental, facilitator, etc.)
• Mental Training, Sport Training, Nutrition Training, Strength Training, Drug Education

Talent Identification and Skill Development

• Talent identification and skill development expenses (facility rental, facilitator, etc.)
• Materials for the creation or enhancement of the athlete and team selection process
• PSO, Team Sask Coordinator and coach accommodations, mileage and meal expenses related to hosting of talent identification and skill development camps
• Costs for teams to attend competition(s) prior to NAIG

10.  INELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES

• Capital Expenditures – no support available for construction, renovations, upgrading, maintenance or operating costs of facilities.
• Expenditures that are covered by other grant funding. Two different grant sources cannot be used to pay the same dollar expense, whether those grants come from Sask Sport, the Trust Fund or any other grant provider.
• Cash prizes
• Food expenditures – the intent of funding from Sask Sport is not to support food-related expenditures. Out-of-pocket meal costs for Indigenous Sport Coordinators, volunteers, officials, coaches and/or PSO staff are justifiable. However, food expenses for banquets and dinners etc. are ineligible. Self-help revenue or user pay must be used to cover these types of food costs.
• Alcoholic beverages
• Out of country travel
• Team uniforms and personal equipment
• Registration fees for NAIG tryouts (this is to be paid by the athlete or sponsor)
• Salaries and benefits of PSO personnel
• Other expenses the Indigenous Sport Leadership Council or Sask Sport may deem inappropriate.

11. PAYMENT PROCEDURES
The Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program grant will be paid in three installments. The PSO will receive the first grant payment following the approval of the application. This payment will be based on 35 per cent of the minimum total eligible Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program grant amount. The second grant payment of 40 per cent will be paid upon completion of the activity review. The final grant payment of 25 per cent will be paid upon receipt and satisfactory review of the follow-up.

NOTE: Once activity and spending reviews are completed, PSO’s may be eligible to receive additional funding above their eligible Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program funding level. However, PSO’s are not guaranteed additional Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program grant funds and should budget accordingly.

12. FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES
The Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program grant follow-up deadline is November 30, 2027 (90 days following the grant period end date).

The follow-up must include the following:

• Signed and completed follow-up form.
• Signed general ledger listing from the PSOs accounting system.
• The PSOs audited financial statements when they became available. The Indigenous Sport Enhancement Program grant revenues (under External Self-Help revenue) and expenditures (under Categorical Grant expenses) must be clearly identified as a separate line item either in the body of the statement, in the schedules or notes to the statements.