GREAT BAY--The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport has allocated a total structural subsidy of Cg. 425,223.40 to the St. Maarten Sports Federation for 2026, under an agreement that also authorizes the Federation to administer funding among eligible sports associations and organizations.
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs announced last week that the Ministry had finalized the structural subsidy agreement with the St. Maarten Sports Federation, SMSF. Following questions submitted to the Minister’s cabinet by 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴' 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘦, the Ministry provided additional details on the value of the subsidy, the allocation process, accountability requirements and the safeguards governing the use of public funds.
Under the agreement, 90 percent of the approved subsidy will be disbursed to the Federation in monthly installments. The remaining 10 percent will be released only after the Federation’s 2026 annual report has been satisfactorily reviewed and approved and the organization has demonstrated that it fulfilled all reporting obligations.
The agreement authorizes SMSF to administer and allocate the approved program funding among eligible sports associations and organizations. However, the Ministry stressed that this authority is not unrestricted. The Federation must administer the funding in accordance with the conditions contained in the Ministerial Decision, which serves as the formal agreement between the Minister and SMSF.
When determining how the funding will be distributed, the Federation must take into account its approved SMSF Strategic Plan and Budget 2026, the Ministry’s Action Plan 2016-2026, the Sport Subsidy Policy and its requirements, the St. Maarten Sport Policy Framework and the Department of Sport’s annual priorities and work plan.
The Federation is therefore expected to allocate public funding in a manner that supports government’s sports development objectives and the priorities established in the applicable policies, plans and budget. Sports associations and organizations seeking financial support will be required to participate in a transparent application and assessment process established by the Federation.
The process must be based on the principles and requirements of the Sport Subsidy Policy. Applications will be assessed against the approved funding priorities and must demonstrate how the proposed activity, program or project will contribute to the development of sport in St. Maarten. SMSF may also apply its own internal policies and procedures when considering applications, provided those policies remain consistent with the objectives and conditions of the subsidy agreement. In short, funding requests from sports organizations will now go through the SMSF.
The Ministry also addressed concerns about possible conflicts of interest, given that SMSF is both a recipient of public funding and the representative body for member federations that may apply for support.
According to the Ministry, the Ministerial Decision clearly identifies the purposes for which the subsidy may be used, with most of the allocated funding specifically earmarked for programs and activities that will benefit the Federation’s member organizations. Several safeguards have been included to promote accountability and reduce the possibility of conflicts of interest.
SMSF must use the subsidy in accordance with its approved Strategic Plan and Budget 2026 and comply with all conditions established in the Ministerial Decision. The Federation must also submit its 2026 annual report before the final 10 percent of the subsidy can be released. That report must undergo a satisfactory review and approval process and show that all reporting obligations have been fulfilled.
The Ministry said these accountability requirements are also embedded in the Subsidy Ordinance. Article 18 of the Subsidy Ordinance gives the Minister the authority to establish the subsidy at a lower amount or withdraw it when the applicable conditions, obligations or objectives have not been met. Together, the Ministry said, these measures provide oversight of how the public funds are allocated and used. They are intended to ensure that the subsidy is managed transparently, in accordance with the approved objectives and for the benefit of the sports sector as a whole.
Additionally, the approved subsidy does not include funding for stipends for members of the SMSF board. However, a portion of the operational funding has been earmarked for the engagement of a part-time Director who will support the Federation’s administration and delivery of its programs. Any expenditure related to that position or other operational activities must remain within the approved budget and is subject to the reporting and accountability requirements established under the subsidy agreement and the Subsidy Ordinance.
SMSF must comply with all reporting requirements contained in the Subsidy Ordinance and the conditions of the agreement. These requirements include the submission of an annual activity and social impact report outlining the results achieved through the subsidy, as well as an audited financial report detailing how the public funds were used.
The Federation must also comply with any additional monitoring, reporting or verification requirements requested by the Ministry. The release of the final subsidy installment remains dependent on the satisfactory fulfillment of these obligations.
The Ministry said the funding priorities were established through the Department of Sport’s Sport Subsidy Policy, which was developed in consultation with the sports sector, including the St. Maarten Sports Federation. The policy identifies eligible funding areas and supports priorities such as increasing sports participation and accessibility for all, strengthening the institutional capacity of sports organizations, supporting athlete and federation development and promoting sports tourism and national representation.
The Ministry also explained that the term “demonstrated sector needs” refers to the recurring needs identified through subsidy applications, stakeholder consultations and funding requests received over several years. Those recurring requests have included support for athlete development, participation in competitions, organizational strengthening, equipment, facilities and program delivery.
Sports organizations applying for support will therefore be expected to provide documentation showing why funding is needed. This may include program plans, detailed budgets, participation data, competition schedules, development objectives and other information relevant to the proposed activity, program or project.
According to the Ministry, these submissions will help ensure that the available resources are directed toward initiatives addressing the most pressing needs within St. Maarten’s sports sector.
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