CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

Any current or prospective USA Cycling-affiliated club or team may apply for the Centers of Excellence grant if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Operate a USA Cycling club, team, or program with a primary focus on Junior or U23 athlete development and a proven operational history of at least two years
• Support the complete athlete development pathway, offering junior-level programming that progresses toward elite-level competition
• Serve licensed Junior and/or U23 athletes with a racing age of 11–22
• Have plans to send Junior or U23 athletes to National Championship or Junior Development Series
• Employ at least one USA Cycling registered coach on staff or listed on the team roster
• Fully adhere to USA Cycling’s Safe Sport policies
• Have had at least one athlete podium at a 2024 USA Cycling National Championship event
• Be a licensed club or team in good standing with USA Cycling
• Be a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
• All eligibility requirements will be verified during the review process.

Application Process Opens: April 2026

Application Process Closes: May 2026

Review Window: May 2026

Recipient Notifications: May 2026

Each panel member will review and grade applications independently. The median score (from all panel members) will serve as the final score and Tier rank. *Tie breakers will be determined by the score of select questions.

A total of $45,000 in grants will be distributed:

• Tier 1: 6 recipients awarded $5,000 each
• Tier 2: 6 recipients awarded $2,500 each

USA Cycling Clubs/Teams that have met the program qualifications will be designated as a “Center of Excellence.” Clubs/Teams that achieve enough points to rank in either Tier 1 or Tier 2 will be recognized as a “Tier 1 or Tier 2 Center of Excellence.” If you have questions please submit a request with “Center of Excellence” in the subject line.
 

2025 Centers of Excellence Winners