The Council of Ministers approves 16 million for CSD’s Team Spain programmes

• The Government authorizes the Superior Sports Council to grant aid for the Team Spain Elite and Team Spain Strategic Interest programmes of the year 2022, which are intended to promote the preparation of Olympic, Paralympic and strategic specialties for the projection of Spanish sport in the world.
• The 16 million item – out of a total of 48 million during the entire Olympic cycle – is fed from the funds of the Viana Pacts and will be distributed among the Sports Federations and sportsmen according to technical criteria established by a CSD valuation committee

Madrid, 4th of October 2022. The Council of Ministers, at the request of the Minister of Culture and Sport, Miquel Iceta, has approved at its meeting today the agreement authorizing the Higher Sports Council (CSD) the call corresponding to the year 2022 for aid to the Spanish Sports Federations (FFDDEE) to carry out the Team Spain programs, for an amount of 16 million euros.

This is a historic commitment of the Government of Spain to the promotion of all sports, which has as its main objective to intensify the preparation and performance of Spanish sportsmen and women in order to overcome the results achieved at the Barcelona 92 Olympic Games – which remain the glass ceiling of Spanish Olympism – and to remain a world power of the first order in the Paralympic Games.

An economic injection of 16 million for this year – out of a total of 48 million for the remainder of the Olympic cycle until Paris 2024 – which is nourished by the funds of the Viana Pacts – income obtained from the commercialization of audiovisual rights of professional football – and whose distribution among sportsmen and women will be channelled through the FFDDEE. A Council appraisal committee will decide on the final list of beneficiaries, always on the proposal of the above-mentioned Federations.

“Team Spain is one of the programs that we have designed with more enthusiasm and effort in the Council throughout this year. Our goal is to revolutionize the Olympic and paralympic preparation of our athletes who, after all, carry the good name of Spain around the world, with the most ambitious public budget plan for them”, says the Secretary of State for Sport and president of the CSD, José Manuel Franco. “We are going to support with Elite athletics, badminton, basketball, cycling, ice and winter sports, fencing or gymnastics, and so on up to forty disciplines,” he adds.

Team Spain Elite and Team Spain Strategic Interest

Specifically, the new sports preparation programs implemented by the CSD are divided into two blocks. On the one hand, Team Spain Elite includes Spanish athletes and teams with the possibility of obtaining a place among the top eight in the next JJOO and a podium in the Paralympic Games.

And, on the other hand, Team Spain Strategic Interest is aimed at athletes who guarantee continuity in Spanish successes in non-Olympic specialties, but of great importance in the projection of the image of Spain in the world, such as motorcycling or motorsport, among others. This chapter will also support professional sports such as tennis and golf – apart from the regular Elite grants – which may receive grants for the development of the elite base based on specific projects presented by their Federations.

Thus, in addition to regular funding, the CSD grants through Team Spain an additional allocation of resources to the FFDDEE, which also serves to jointly agree objectives of the highest level of sports for each of them, thus attending to a specific and finalist funding. The degree of individual need of each athlete and team will be evaluated, taking into account aspects such as the need for permanent or punctual concentrations in Spain or other countries; preparation in their usual places of residence; preparation for international qualifying competitions for Olympic and paralympic appointments; or technological requirements or sports equipment, among many others.