England Canoe Slalom has opened nominations for the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) for the 2025/2026 season, providing top English paddlers with valuable support to balance elite sport with education and personal development.
The TASS programme, run in partnership with Sport England, helps athletes aged 16 and above manage their sporting ambitions alongside study, training, or work. Each year, over 500 athletes across 38 sports receive tailored sport science and lifestyle support through a network of 38 TASS Delivery Sites nationwide.
For 2025/26, the England Talent Programme has been awarded a fixed number of TASS places to be distributed across Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, and Paracanoe. Nominations will be made for athletes who have demonstrated strong potential to progress towards the England National Talent Squad (ENTS) and ultimately the World Class Programme.
To be eligible, athletes must:
- Must remain eligible to compete as an U23 in 2026 (the last year an U23 can compete is the year of their 23rd birthday) and not have been selected to be part of the World Class Programme from 1st January 2026;
AND
- Have their main or sole residence in England or;
- Have been born in England or;
- Have a parent who was born in England.
Applications will also consider factors such as an athlete’s proximity to TASS Delivery Sites, engagement with training opportunities, and any previous involvement with TASS.
Athletes wishing to be considered must register their interest by 9am on 11 November 2025, with nominations confirmed by 1 December 2025.
You can find full details on the nomination process and eligibility here.