Athlete Travel Award Scheme
If you're a performance athlete from Orkney, this scheme can help with your travel and accommodation costs for training and competition. Funded by sportscotland, Stagecoach and Orkney Islands Council, we support athletes working towards national selection, Commonwealth Games representation, GB World Class programmes, or competing professionally.
Applications are currently closed.
The next application window opens in February 2026. We'll update this page with exact dates, or you can contact the Sports Development team to be notified when applications open.
Who can apply?
You can apply if you:
- Live in Orkney
- Compete in a sportscotland recognised sport
- Are working towards:
- National age group or open representation
- Commonwealth Games selection
- GB World Class programme selection (Olympic/Paralympic sports)
- Medal success at the International Island Games
- Competing on a professional sporting pathway
Your coach should be involved in your application and will need to support your goals.
Received funding before? You can apply again - we support athlete development across multiple years.
Success stories
Hear from Orkney athletes who've benefited from the scheme:
What we can help with
Awards up to £1,500 are available depending on your schedule and needs. You'll need to show us your training and competition schedule, estimated costs, and evidence of your current performance level and goals. Each application is looked at individually based on your sport, competition level, and development pathway.
We cover:
- Travel costs to training camps, competitions and trials
- Accommodation for overnight stays
- Ferry and flight costs to and from Orkney
- Costs for coaches or support staff travelling with you (where necessary)
We can't cover:
- Sports equipment or kit
- Club membership fees
- Coaching fees
- Competition entry fees
- Medical or physio costs
- Vehicle costs or fuel for personal cars
How to apply
- Talk to your coach - Discuss your goals and get their support
- Plan your schedule - Map out your competitions and training for the year
- Work out your costs - Estimate travel and accommodation expenses
- Complete the application - Include your goals and supporting evidence
- Submit before the deadline
What to include:
- Your sporting goals for the year ahead
- Your competition and training schedule
- Cost breakdown for travel and accommodation
- Supporting statement from your coach
- Evidence of current performance level (recent results, selection letters, rankings)
Need help with your application?
Get in touch at leisure.culture@orkney.gov.uk before you submit. We can help you work out what to include and make sure your application is as strong as possible.
What happens next?
If you're successful:
Your application will be reviewed by a panel and you'll hear back about the decision. If successful, we'll arrange a meeting to discuss your schedule and goals, and we'll have a review meeting with you at around the 6-month mark to see how things are progressing.
If your application isn't successful:
Not every application can be funded. If yours isn't successful this time, you're welcome to get in touch to discuss your application. A previous unsuccessful application doesn't rule you out, so contact us to discuss how to strengthen a future application.
Get in touch
Sports Development Team
Orkney Islands Council
School Place, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY
Phone: 01856 873535
Email: leisure.culture@orkney.gov.uk
