Athlete Support Awards (ASA)
BWL is fortunate to receive support from the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme and Sports Aid. These organisations award BWL with a number of places on Athlete awards, which BWL is responsible for nominating athletes for annually. 3 awards are available:
TASS Scholarships
Provide athletes with invaluable medical insurance and access to sports science and medical services via third-party accredited university hubs nationwide.
Sports Aid
Provide a small financial award of up to £2,500 to support sport-specific costs, and access to educational workshops provided by Sports Aid.
Backing the Best
Provide a large financial award of up to £5,000 per annum (subject to means testing) to support sport-specific costs.
BWL can nominate athletes for Sports Aid or a TASS but NOT both simultaneously. BWL can nominate athletes for a Backing the best award in addition to other awards.
Please see selection policy below:
Team England Futures
Commonwealth gold medals are won long before the first lift on the competition platform. This opportunity, created by Sport England, offers a bespoke, immersive programme designed to give two up-and-coming English weightlifters a first-hand look at the unique energy, and the complex challenges of a major Games.
Running alongside Glasgow 2026, this initiative bridges the gap between potential and podium, equipping the next generation of Team England stars with the experience they need to thrive at the highest level.
If you are a junior athlete, please see the policy below to understand how to put yourself forward for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
BWL supports athletes with high potential on their journey to qualify and compete at key milestone competitions each year.
Please see selection policies:
GB Women's Training Squad
This programme is designed for athletes who demonstrate the potential to win future international medals and deliver a top 8 performance at the European Senior Championships in the next 12-18 months.
The European Championships is considered to be the main milestone event for GB Senior Lifters each year.
– Become a team and build familiarity with the BWL coaching team coaching team who take them away to international events.
– Explore the gaps in their performance which could add kilos to the bar and improve their ranking at the British Championships, or European Senior Championships at the end of each year.
– Improve their awareness of what is required to win medals at senior international level and develop a long-term athlete development plan in collaboration with the BWL performance team to ensure that there is clear understanding about the athlete's goals, priorities and schedule conflicts
– Youth Squad, between 13-17 years old on 31 December 2026
– Junior & Under 23 Squad, between 18-23 years old on 31 December 2026
– Senior Squad, be 18 or older on 31 December 2026
– Be a leading athlete in their weight category
– Be one of the 12 leading athletes in their age-group
– Compete regularly at National level events to demonstrate progress and challenge themselves against other leading athletes in their age-group (e.g.British Senior or Age-group Championships).
Week commencing 14 September: GB Women's Training Squad Selected
Women’s Youth & Junior Training Squad Provisional Camp Dates:
– Camp 1 – 7-9 November 2026, University of Nottingham
– Camp 2 – 13-17 February 2027, University of Nottingham
– Camp 3 – 2-5 April 2027, University of Nottingham
GB Men's Training Squad
This programme is designed for athletes who demonstrate the potential to win future international medals and deliver a top 8 performance at European Seniors or Age-group Championships in the next 12-18 months.
The European Seniors or Age-Group Championships is considered to be the main milestone event for BWL Men's Training Squad Lifters each year.
– Become a team and build familiarity with the BWL coaching team who take them away to international events.
– Explore the gaps in their performance which could add kilos to the bar and improve their ranking at the British Championships, European Youth or Junior & Under 23 Championships at the end of each year.
– Improve their awareness of what is required to win medals at senior international level and develop a long-term athlete development plan in collaboration with the BWL performance team to ensure that there is clear understanding about the athlete's goals, priorities and schedule conflicts
– Be 18 or older on 31 December 2025
– Be a leading athlete in their weight category
– Be one of the leading GB Men in the country
– Compete regularly at National level events to demonstrate progress and challenge themselves against other leading GB Men
– Demonstrate a clear commitment to weightlifting. BWL strongly encourages multi-sport development at younger age groups but, as with most sports, at some point athletes must make decisions to choose one sport over another and effectively apply themselves to their training, support their teammates, and compete regularly.
Week commencing 14 September: GB Women's Training Squad Selected
Men’s Junior & Senior Training Squad Provisional Camp Dates:
– Camp 1 – 25-27 September 2026, University of Nottingham
– Camp 2 – 27-29 November 2026, University of Nottingham
– Camp 3 – 5-7 February 2027, University of Nottingham
Celebrating strong in all it's forms
Competitions are a great way to challenge yourself, connect with the lifting community and track your progress. Explore our upcoming events and get involved.
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