Federal government doubles funding to $10 million for Next Gen athletes program

The federal government is doubling its annual investment in the Next Gen athlete program to $10 million, money that will be matched dollar-for-dollar by private-sector donors.

The announcement, made Thursday by the federal government, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, brings total annual public-private investment in the program to more than $20 million. The funding is retroactive to April 1 and will cover the entire fiscal year.

“This is a great step forward for a program that has yielded really fantastic results for Canadian athletes over the last almost decade now,” Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State for Sport, said in a phone interview. “Over the last 10 years, it’s supported over 5,000 young athletes on their journey from being a very talented teenager to becoming a world-class competitor.

“One of my favourite examples is somebody who was part of the Next Gen program in freestyle skiing in around 2019 until about 2022. And then in 2026, Megan Oldham won gold and bronze medals at the Milano Cortina Olympics.”

Launched in 2017, Next Gen supports emerging high-performance athletes on the path to future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Van Koeverden said the funding is delivered through national sport organizations and can help athletes cover expenses such as travel to competitions, coaching and specialized equipment.

“The reality is if you’ve got a really talented young athlete who’s clearly on the right path but is not necessarily the top athlete on the national team just yet, we want to support those athletes on that stage of their journey,” he said.

The Canadian Olympic Committee says 401 of the athletes who came through the Next Gen program have gone on to the Olympic Games and 134 to the Paralympic Games.

At the Milan Cortina Games, 62 per cent of Canada’s Olympians received Next Gen support, including 15 of the country’s 21 medallists. Among Paralympians, it was 65 per cent, accounting for 16 of 30 medallists.

“I am so incredibly grateful for a government and private donors who are choosing to support Canadian athletes. This funding will help break barriers and move Canadian sport to a new level,” Olympic sprint canoeist Sophia Jensen said in a statement. “With this extra support, athletes such as myself can now be fully invested in sport by breaking records, being on podiums, and making Canadians proud.”

Heidi Peters, a Paralympian in sitting volleyball, said Next Gen funding is “undeniably” one of the reasons Canada won bronze at the 2024 Paris Games.

“Our team trains apart for a lot of the year; these funds support us being able to practice in our hometowns between competitions and training camps,” Peters said in a statement. “For athletes working towards the Paralympic Games, this funding helps elevate their training so they’re ready for the next step.”

Thursday’s announcement comes as the federal government continues to ramp up its investment in a national sport system that has been described as chronically underfunded.

In April’s spring economic update, Ottawa injected $755 million over five years, with another $118 million each year after, to help host international sporting events, support athletes and boost participation in sport.

The government also announced last week that more than 60 national sports organizations will share $60 million in additional federal funding.

Ottawa, through the Build Communities Strong Fund, also committed $26 million toward Calgary’s Olympic Oval in July and $76 million to build a new national basketball centre in Toronto in September.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2026.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press