The process of applying for funding to aid in development projects for the year 2025 has been initiated by World Aquatics through its extensive Support Programme. National Federations are eligible to participate in this application process.
The process for applying to the Support Programme requires National Federations to create detailed proposals for the projects they plan to implement. These proposals should include information on the beneficiaries, specific activities, how they align with the National Federation’s overall strategy, and expected outcomes. This is to ensure that the programme upholds the highest standards of good governance and transparency from the very beginning, and effectively supports programmes that will bring about positive change and are integrated into the National Federations’ long-term strategies.
This year, for the first time, World Aquatics has conducted online project management courses before the launch of the application process. These sessions have been offered in Spanish, English, and French, and have proven to be highly beneficial for National Federations in helping them with their applications, optimizing their resources for successful project management, and providing valuable insights on project evaluation. National Federations have also found the online courses to be a useful platform for networking with their counterparts from other countries and sharing knowledge.
To be eligible for funding through the 2025 World Aquatics Support Programme, National Federations must meet the following requirements: they must have participated in either the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 or the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) – Budapest 2024, completed projects and reports from previous editions of the programme by 31 December 2024, and completed the Governance Survey 2025. It is expected that over 200 National Federations will be eligible to receive funding from the programme for 2025. Eligible National Federations can receive up to $25,000 in funding, with an additional $5,000 available for those who have improved their governance score from 2024 to 2025. To ensure that athletes remain at the core of World Aquatics and its members’ activities, at least 75% of the funding must be used for athlete-centered programmes.
National Federations can use this funding for up to six different projects, and are encouraged to focus on initiatives that promote the development of all six aquatic sports. World Aquatics is committed to promoting good governance across its membership, and at least one of the funded projects must focus on governance and deliver tangible improvements in this area. In 2024, the World Aquatics Support Programme provided nearly $4.5 million to National Federations, resulting in the successful implementation of 621 projects in 169 countries, which benefited over 395,000 athletes. This programme is the largest development programme of World Aquatics and has proven to bring about significant changes in National Federations, athletes, coaches, and the wider aquatic community around the world.
Eligible National Federations have until 15 February 2025 to apply for funding. To maintain the highest standards of good governance and transparency throughout the programme, 70% of the funding will be released to National Federations after their application is approved, and the remaining 30% will be released after the completion of the project and submission of a final report.
About World Aquatics
World Aquatics is the international governing body for aquatic sports, driven by the vision of a world united by water for health, life, and sport. Established in 1908, it is an independent organisation made up of 211 National Federations and five Continental Organisations. World Aquatics is responsible for overseeing six aquatic sports, namely swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and high diving, and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the leading global authority for these sports.
