European Shooting Confederation awards grants exceeding 1.1 million euros in first six months

2026-07-17 20:34:00, Aktualitet CNA

European Shooting Confederation awards grants exceeding 1.1 million euros in

More than two-thirds of the member federations of the European Shooting Confederation have joined a funding plan launched in December 2025, with applications already exceeding 7.6 million euros ($8.7 million).

The ESC has distributed more than 1.1 million euros ($1.26 million) to its member federations during the first six months of operation of the 'ESC Grants Programme', a key initiative introduced as part of President Alexander Ratner's Election Programme to strengthen the development of shooting sports across Europe.

The program has attracted considerable interest from member federations. Of the Confederation's 58 members, 43 have already joined the effort, while five have reserved their allocated budgets for future projects. In total, 38 applications for funding have been submitted.

The support has been directed towards several priority areas. Equipment purchases amounted to €450,000 ($515,000) across eight federations, while athlete preparation programs in 11 countries received €445,000 ($509,000). A further €240,000 ($275,000) was used for the reconstruction of shooting ranges and infrastructure projects across four federations.

The initiative has also provided support for participation in competitions. Following the Championships in Burgas, Yerevan and Osijek, 25 countries received more than 111,000 euros ($127,000) to help offset costs associated with ESC Challenge events.

One of the federations benefiting from the program is the Albanian Shooting Federation, which will use the funds to improve its training facilities and purchase new competition-standard equipment.

The Secretary General of the Shooting Federation, Enkelejda Caushi, said that the program will help grow the sport in Albania, by improving the current experience of athletes and developing pathways for younger athletes and newcomers to the sport of shooting.

"The Albanian Shooting Federation is applying for the ESC Grant to support the renovation of our shooting range in Tirana and the purchase of new SIUS electronic shooting equipment. These investments will modernize training facilities, improve safety and training conditions, and ensure that athletes have access to equipment that meets international competition standards."

“The renovation of the shooting range and the installation of modern SIUS equipment will help attract more young athletes to the sport, while providing better training conditions for existing shooters. In the long term, the project will improve the performance of elite athletes, strengthen the development path from grassroots to high performance, and increase the capacity of the Albanian Shooting Federation to organize national and international competitions, contributing to the sustainable growth of shooting sports in Albania.”

In addition to direct funding, the program offers access to commercial partnerships with companies including SCATT, Laporte, Walther Arms, Mattarelli, Capapie, SIUS and Sport Quantum, offering member federations discounted prices for equipment and technical resources.

Laporte, a manufacturer specializing in shooting targets, welcomed the initiative and its focus on developing federations.

"The launch of the ESC Grants Programme comes at exactly the right time, enabling national federations to develop the sport with greater autonomy and meet growing demand. Supporting federations regardless of their resources helps to preserve the fairness of sport. By standing by them, it becomes easier to promote inclusion, technical support and knowledge sharing," she stated.

"The ESC is also working to make shooting sports even more attractive to young competitors. The new age group divisions create greater fairness in results and increase the chances for less developed federations to be represented on the international stage."

The initiative combines direct grants, technical assistance and commercial partnerships aimed at supporting national federations and comes at a time when international federations face increasing pressure to demonstrate sustainable growth and strong participation pathways across Olympic sport. In a rapidly evolving international sporting landscape, strong national federations remain the foundation for maintaining competitive excellence, increasing participation and ensuring the continued growth of shooting sports across Europe.

Yahor Aleinik, Secretary General of the European Shooting Confederation, added: “We are delighted with the number of member federations that have joined our new Grant Scheme and have released more than €1 million in funding in just six months to help accelerate the growth of shooting sports in Europe.”

"We are entering a pivotal period for shooting sports globally and we are proud to support European federations as they aim to increase participation, invest in world-leading equipment and improve athlete performance and pathways."

Applications submitted so far exceed 7.6 million euros ($8.7 million), suggesting continued demand from member federations as the program enters its next phase.

Five federations have already chosen to reserve funds for future projects, indicating that demand is expected to continue beyond the first year of the program. As participation continues to expand, the initiative is expected to play a central role in supporting member federations and advancing the future of European shooting sports./ CNA