Talented athletes can aspire to successful professional careers, but it’s an aspiration that needs corporate sponsorship.
One valuable opportunity for athletes to seek financial support is the Kingspan Kickstart Sports Fund. Now entering its fourth year, Kickstart is open to individuals and organisations across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The fund is designed to assist in removing financial barriers at the grassroots level, supporting aspiring athletes and sports organisations nationwide.
Providing targeted funding from €1,000 per athlete and €2,500 per organisation, the fund supports essential costs such as equipment, training, travel, and other critical resources. Applications are welcomed from all communities and across all sporting disciplines. The Kingspan Kickstart committee assesses applications across two intake rounds between January and June 2026, with the first deadline approaching at the end of March.
Richard Beswick, global partnerships and sports sponsorships manager at Kingspan, says: “The biggest barrier to sporting success often isn’t a lack of talent, it’s a lack of opportunity. The Kingspan Kickstart Sports Fund exists to bridge that gap. We are incredibly proud to continue our support of grassroots sport across Ireland, backing athletes and organisations who possess the grit and determination to succeed, regardless of their discipline or background.”
Since its launch, Kingspan’s Kickstart fund has awarded over €300,000 to successful candidates across Ireland. Recipients include Sligo surfer Gearóid McDaid, who won gold for Ireland at the European Surfing Championships in Santa Cruz, Portugal, last summer, and Megan Armitage, who represented Ireland in cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games before turning her focus to triathlon. Kingspan plans to continue supporting both athletes as they progress in their sporting careers.
Other Kickstart-funded athletes include legendary handballer Paul Brady and rising GT racing driver Alex Denning, as well as teams including the all-women TC Racing Junior Ladies Cycling Team, supporting their participation in competitions both at home and abroad.
In this Q&A interview, Mr Beswick explains what the 2026 Kingspan Kickstart Sports Fund aims to achieve by inviting athletes and sports organisations across Ireland to apply for financial support to help them progress in their sporting journeys.
Absolutely. I think early support can be the difference between someone progressing in their sport and someone having to drop out because of the costs involved. Talent is rarely the issue, it’s opportunity. A lot of smaller sports don’t attract the same level of funding or commercial sponsorship that the bigger sports do, but the athletes are obviously putting in huge amounts of effort to excel. That’s exactly the gap we’re trying to close with the fund.
It provides practical financial support to cover the essentials that make training and competing possible, things like equipment, coaching fees, travel costs, and other expenses that can really add up. For 2026, we are offering €1,000 sponsorship for individual athletes and €2,500 for sports organisations, and it is open right across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The selection process looks beyond just results too; we are looking at values, potential for growth and character as well.
We have supported athletes across a really wide range of sports, and at different stages of their journey. That includes people like Gearóid McDaid (surfing), Megan Armitage (cycling and now triathlon), Carly Hayes (BMX), Sophia Tkacheva-Tracey (figure skating), Paul Brady (handball) and Alex Denning (GT racing). The main thing is that it is not limited to one sport or one pathway, it is about backing commitment and helping Irish athletes keep moving towards their goals.
For anyone looking to apply, the entry portal is live on the Kingspan Group website right now. In terms of the application itself, I would suggest focusing on your story and the bigger picture. We really want to understand the journey you are on, so it is about articulating your ambition and showing us how this support could be the catalyst to help you reach your potential.
Kickstart uses a thoughtful selection process that considers not only sporting results but also values, growth potential, and character. This approach enables the fund to back a wide and inclusive range of athletes and organisations, from local GAA clubs to para-athletes and endurance competitors.
Beyond helping to cover practical costs, Kickstart offers recognition and encouragement at critical moments in an athlete’s development.
- Applications for the 2026 Kingspan Kickstart Sports Fund are now open. Full eligibility criteria and application details are available via the entry portal on www.kingspangroup.com.
