The Council of Ministers approves the call for scholarships and grants for social protection and for international competitions
For a value of 19 million euros
Of the total of EUR 19 million, channelled through the federations, up to EUR 3 million will be used to cover the social security contributions of high-level sportsmen and women.
The other 16 million will go towards scholarships and grants for results for sportspeople who represent Spain in international competitions.
This call reinforces the government’s commitment to sport. In the last week, another 17 million euros were approved for the sports programs Team Spain and the revitalization of the ADO Program was confirmed, after the signing of the agreement between the CSD, COE and RTVE.
Madrid, June 27, 2023. The Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Minister of Culture and Sport, Miquel Iceta, has agreed on Tuesday to authorize the Higher Sports Council (CSD) to call in 2023 the aid for the social protection of high-level athletes and the support for athletes participating in international competitions representing Spain, for an amount of 19 million euros.
Of the total amount, EUR 3 million will be used to cover the Social Security contributions paid in 2023 by high-level athletes (DAN) recognized by the CSD.
12 million euros are for scholarships to athletes and their coaches, according to the ‘CSD Team Spain Scholarship’ program, with which the CSD assumes the previously known as ADO scholarships. In addition, the CSD distributes 4 million euros in aid for the sports results obtained in the year 2022 in international competitions.
In both cases, the Spanish sports federations will be the ones that channel this investment, coming from the commercialization of the rights of exploitation of audiovisual contents of the men’s professional football competitions.
As the President of the CSD and Secretary of State for Sport, Víctor Francos, points out, this new economic injection is “a further reflection of the unquestionable and firm support of the Government of Spain to sport and, above all, to Spanish sportspeople”. “We are very clear about the objective, which is to turn the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games into a turning point for Spanish sport. And we are very clear about who is going to achieve it: the sportsmen and sportswomen. Every effort is little when it comes to boosting our athletes,” says Francos.
Applications for this aid must be submitted within 20 working days of the day following the publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE) of the extract from the decision to call for the CSD.
They must be submitted electronically through the CSD Electronic Office (https://sede.csd.gob.es).
Historic impetus for Olympic and Paralympic preparations
The approval of these new grants is in addition to last week’s, when the Council of Ministers gave the green light to the call for grants for the Federations for the Team Spain, amounting to EUR 17 million, for the year 2023. These are programmes aimed at intensifying the Olympic and Paralympic sports preparation for Paris 2024, as well as other strategic sports modalities and specialties in the projection of the image of Spain. In total, the CSD will allocate 48 million euros during the Olympic and Paralympic cycle for the Team Spain sports programs.
In addition, last week the collaboration agreement was also signed between the CSD, the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) and RTVE to develop the ADO Program and revitalize this support plan for Olympic preparation based on public-private collaboration. In 2023, the CSD will assume the previously known as ADO scholarships through the ‘CSD Team Spain Scholarships’, worth 12 million euros.
To all this are added important initiatives promoted by the Government during this legislature, such as the approval of a multiannual budget for the Federations worth 187 million euros for 2022, 2023 and 2024, in order to guarantee their economic stability and the continuity of sports programs throughout the Olympic and Paralympic cycle. And the modernization of sports facilities through the funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which includes the renovation of the CSD High Performance Centers.
