The GetPRO Professional Grassroots Sports Nutrition Grant is hosted and operated by The Nutrition Society and funded by Danone, to support the provision of nutrition support to grassroots athletes or clubs by early career sports nutritionists.
For more details on the range of projects supported previously and to access the GetPRO Professional resource hub offering free, evidence-based tools for sports nutritionists, visit https://www.getpro.co.uk/getproprofessional.html
Before applying it is recommended that you read:
The GetPRO Professional Grassroots Sports Nutrition Grant is open to early career sports nutritionists in the UK whose last graduation (bachelor’s or master’s degree) in sports nutrition, exercise science, dietetics, or a related field was completed within the past 10 years, who are supporting or wish to support grassroots sports clubs and teams with evidence-based expert support and advice.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Applications will be anonymised by the Nutrition Society before being shared with an expert selection panel, who will shortlist all entries and recommend winners against the following criteria:
a. You – your qualifications, personal profile and qualities
b. Impact in grassroots sports – how much impact your project proposal will have in supporting nutrition in community/grassroots sports settings
c. Outcomes – how you identify, define and propose to measure outcomes/impact
d. Plan– how you set out the rationale and evidence for your approach
e. Objectives – the robustness of your plan
- The names of those in the selection panel will remain anonymous to ensure protection of all parties against undue influence. The decision of who is awarded the grant is that of the organisers alone
- The organisers reserve the right to reject an application if in their opinion it fails to comply with the entry terms and conditions.
- Grant winners will be announced no later than 5:00pm UK time on 30th October 2026.
- If any emails to the successful grant recipient are returned as undeliverable or the grant recipient refuses the grant, the organisers reserve the right to select an alternative applicant.
WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS WILL BE FUNDED?
The GetPRO Professional Grassroots Sports Nutrition Grant funds the provision of nutrition support to grassroots athletes or clubs by sports nutritionists. Examples of how this nutrition support could be delivered to athletes include undertaking dietary analysis for an amateur rugby team, providing nutrition education sessions for a local running club or even providing more extensive nutrition advice and support to a hockey team over the course of a season. The club or team will need to be affiliated by a governing body as a minimum standard. The funding cannot be used to work with professional athletes.
PROJECT DETAILS
Please provide a summary of your entry (maximum 700 words) as part of your PDF submission.
This project summary must be structured using the following six headings in sequence:
- Background and unmet need: The name and location of the sports club(s)/team(s) you are supporting or wish to support. Type and number of amateur athletes / sports enthusiasts involved. What nutritional need you will look to support and why.
- Objectives and rationale: What are you trying to achieve through your support? For example: improved dietary intakes, greater awareness of healthy diets, specific performance related outcomes, improved health and wellbeing, improved sports nutrition knowledge?
- Methodology/approach: How do you propose making this change? What specifically will you do to achieve this? Why are you recommending this approach (what is the evidence behind it)? What education will you provide for the club members, what resources will you give them, how will you motivate them?
- Planned measurement of outcomes: How will you measure the effectiveness/success of your support? How will you assess the baseline?
- Why you should be granted this award: Benefit to the community / community sport?
- A breakdown of costs for the grant you are applying for
| Details | Cost (£) | |
| Estimated no of hours you will spend on the project | ------- hours | |
| Your fee per hour* | *£/hour | |
| Total fees for the project | £ | |
| Travel costs | £ | |
| Equipment/resource costs (please outline what these are for) | (e.g. dietary analysis software, scales, tape measures) | £ |
| TOTAL Funding requested | £ |
*We will consider your usual rate, but would advise as a guidance between £20-30 per hour as norm, depending on your level of experience.
The successful applicant will be expected to:
- Provide written confirmation from the proposed club they intend to work with, prior to any funds being released.
- Provide some basic evidence (e.g. photos/documents/videos) that the grant has funded delivery of sport nutrition support in local grassroots sports.
- Write up a short (300-500 word) evidence-based case study of the nutrition support provided, which will be used in both GetPRO Professional communication and The Nutrition Society’s media to highlight the impact of sports nutrition support in community sport. Please note: 50% of the award will be withheld until after this final case study is received by The Nutrition Society.
THE 2025 GRANTEES ARE:
- William Armour, a performance nutritionist with a SENR graduate accreditation, will work with amateur rugby players of the Bristol All Golds 1st team to improve nutritional knowledge and practices through educational workshops and match-day support.
- Michelle Holmes, an NHS dietician with over 15 years of experience and a world and European age group triathlon champion, aims to help improve event performance and recovery through application of practical nutrition strategies for the Belper 10:20 Triathlon club in the Derbyshire Dales.
- James Lester, a trained nutritionist with a golfing background, strives to increase awareness of the importance of nutrition and provide game day nutrition support to the Norfolk U18 squad members and their families.
- Chris McDonald, a PhD candidate with a background in sport and exercise science and nutrition, intends to improve the dietary intake, awareness of healthy eating and nutrition knowledge of Gaelic football, hurling and camogie players at the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Northern Ireland.
- Katriona Ross, a former European medalist and current PhD candidate in Exercise Physiology & Nutrition, aims to improve the nutritional habits of Momentum Taekwondo’s athletes in Glasgow.
Who can apply ?
The GetPRO Professional Grassroots Sports Nutrition Grant is open to early career sports nutritionists in the UK whose last graduation (bachelor’s or master’s degree) in sports nutrition, exercise science, dietetics, or a related field was completed within the past 10 years, who are supporting or wish to support grassroots sports clubs and teams with evidence-based expert support and advice.
How will application forms be judged?
- Applications will be anonymised by the Nutrition Society before being shared with an expert selection panel, who will shortlist all entries and recommend winners against the following criteria:
a. You – your qualifications, personal profile and qualities
b. Impact in grassroots sports – how much impact your project proposal will have in supporting nutrition in community/grassroots sports settings
c. Outcomes – how you identify, define and propose to measure outcomes/impact
d. Plan– how you set out the rationale and evidence for your approach
e. Objectives – the robustness of your plan
- The names of those in the selection panel will remain anonymous to ensure protection of all parties against undue influence. The decision of who is awarded the grant is that of the organisers alone
- The organisers reserve the right to reject an application if in their opinion it fails to comply with the entry terms and conditions.
- Grant winners will be announced no later than 5:00pm UK time on 30th October 2026.
- If any emails to the successful grant recipient are returned as undeliverable or the grant recipient refuses the grant, the organisers reserve the right to select an alternative applicant.
Do I have to be a member of The Nutrition Society to apply?
No.
What kind of projects will be funded?
The GetPRO Professional Grassroots Sports Nutrition Grant funds the provision of nutrition support to grassroots athletes or clubs by sports nutritionists. Examples of how this nutrition support could be delivered to athletes include undertaking dietary analysis for an amateur rugby team, providing nutrition education sessions for a local running club or even providing more extensive nutrition advice and support to a hockey team over the course of a season. The club or team will need to be affiliated by a governing body as a minimum standard. The funding cannot be used to work with professional athletes.
When is the closing date?
Applications will open at 9am UK time on the 1st July 2026 and close at 5pm UK time on the 30th September 2026. Entries received after this date and time will not be considered. Grant winners will be announced no later than 5:00pm UK time on 30th October 2026.
How much funding will I receive?
- The grant may be for total costs or contribution towards costs upon receipt of a full breakdown submitted at the time of the application but will not exceed £2,000 per award. The organisers will not be responsible for any monies spent by the recipient in excess of the grant awarded.
- Winners will receive funding direct from The Nutrition Society. The fund will cover the sports nutritionist’s working hours, travel costs, equipment and any necessary expenses to facilitate delivery of sports nutrition support with local grassroots clubs and athletes.
- Following the announcement of the successful grant recipients, the grant will be paid in two stages: 50% upon commencement of the project; 50% on completion of the project following the Nutrition Society’s receipt of a report on the project. This should be approximately 300-500 words and include details of the aim of the project, how the project was conducted and the results and/or impact of the project on the team/club.
- All successful grant recipients will be expected to provide written confirmation from the proposed club they intend to work with, prior to any funds being released
- The organisers will consider a variety of projects, included but not limited to the provision of nutrition education to sports teams, dietary or hydration analysis, or 1.1 nutrition support to athletes.
- Projects will be considered eligible where the clubs or team in receipt of support are primarily adult clubs or teams (those also including older teens – minimum age of 16 years – within their membership are accepted) operating at a non-professional level. The club or team will need to be affiliated by a governing body as a minimum standard. The funding cannot be used to work with professional athletes.