Community Coaching Grant
To help coaches cover the rising costs for organized sports, CAO and Hydro One are excited to launch the return of the Community Coaching Grant for 2026!
Applications will be open from May 19 – June 5! Please see our grant guidelines for details about eligible purchases and applicants.
Applicants will be notified in August 2026 of their grant status.
Funding Available
- Up to $1,000 CDN in funding per recipient. For 2026, we will be awarding a minimum of 40 grants.
Eligibility
- Individual sport coaches in Ontario
- Open to coaches of all levels and contexts of sport in Ontario (i.e., community, competitive, high performance)
- Organizations in Ontario applying on behalf of a group of coaches within an organization directly benefitting from the funds
Examples of Eligible Expenses
- Safety training (i.e., NCCP training, other safety focused training either eLearning or in-person, consultant/speaker delivering a workshop)
- New equipment for your team to replace outdated and unsafe equipment (i.e., replacing mats/nets/racquets/balls/sport specific equipment needed for safety purposes such as gloves, pads, helmets, etc.)
- Any other expenses that you can demonstrate directly contribute to safe sport environment
Past expenses incurred PRIOR to acceptance, if applicable, are not eligible.
Expenses must be incurred during the grant period of August 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027 and proof of purchase is required.
Timelines
- Applications open May 19, 2026
- Applications close June 5, 2026 @ 11:59pm EST
- Recipients notified August, 2026
- Grant expenses incurred between August 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027
Full Program Guidelines
CLICK HERE to download and review the full program guidelines.
How Grants Are Scored
Each application is reviewed and scored by a committee of Ontario sport sector members. Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:
- What would you spend the funds from the Community Coaching Grant on?
- A high score clearly describes specific items, services, or programs the funds will be used for, including quantities.
- A low score is given for vague and/or general responses without explanation.
- How will your purchase(s) be used to help keep sport safe and accessible?
- A high score clearly explains exactly how the purchase(s) contribute to safety and accessibility and includes relevant data or examples to support the need.
- A low score is given for vague or generic connections to safety/accessibility with no explanation or data.
- Budget/Financial
- A high score provides a clear, detailed breakdown of costs that directly align with the items or services described in the application.
- A low score is given for a budget that is incomplete, unclear, or does not match the application description.