Recognition of governing bodies
The list below details the Recognised governing bodies for each of the Home Countries. In some cases there is no Recognised governing body for the sport in any of the Home Countries or there is a UK or Great Britain body which has jurisdiction for some or all of the Home Countries.
List of UK Recognised NGBs and Sport List (Last updated October 2025)
Recognition process
The Sport and National Governing Body (NGB) Recognition Process is currently closed to new applications whilst the UK Sports Councils (Sport England, Sport Northern Ireland, sportscotland, Sport Wales and UK Sport) undertake a review of the Recognition policy and process.
Update 14 November 2025
The draft of the revised policy can be viewed here. Sport NI is seeking to consult on the policy and welcomes your views on it. Comments on the policy can be submitted to recognition@sportni.net. We will also be facilitating some direct engagement on the policy and details of these sessions and how to join them will be posted here shortly.
We expect to re-open the process by Spring 2026. Our original intention was to re-open the process in Summer 2025. We appreciate that this delay may be frustrating to NGBs that are eager to apply for Recognition. The previous Recognition Policy (2017) and the associated Applicant Guidance Document will provide an understanding of the criteria we previously required NGBs to meet in order to become Recognised. There is also some helpful information on the Sports Governance Academy website that offers guidance on good practice.
Our Good Governance page provides further guidance on codes and good practice.
If you have any queries about Recognition, email recognition@sportni.net
