About
Cap 39 of the Laws of Barbados
The Arts and Sport Promotion Fund
Established under Chapter 39 of the Laws of Barbados (the Arts and Sport Promotion Fund Act, 2004-5), the Fund supports the development and practice of arts and sport in Barbados.
Independent Committee
An expert Committee advises the Minister under Cap 39 § 5A. Members are appointed for their standing in the arts and sport sectors.
Accountant-General administered
All disbursements flow through the Accountant-General (§ 5(1)), with bonds and sureties captured before any payment is released.
Audited end-to-end
Every state change is recorded in a tamper-evident hash chain, available to the Auditor-General under PFMA s. 80.
The full picture
The Fund is administered by the Accountant-General (Cap 39 § 5(1)). The Minister responsible for arts and sport allocates monies from the Fund (§ 4A), advised by an independent Committee (§ 5A).
Who can apply
Cap 39 supports four categories of applicant:
- Arts organisations registered or affiliated in Barbados (e.g. NCF affiliates)
- Sporting organisations (e.g. NSC-affiliated bodies, national federations)
- Statutory corporations whose mandate touches arts or sport
- Individuals practising or developing the arts or sport in Barbados
What we look for
The Committee assesses each application against Cap 39 § 4(1) — its contribution to the development of arts or sport in Barbados — together with the merit of the programme, the financial need, the sustainability beyond the grant, and the benefit to Barbadians.
After approval
Approved grants are disbursed by the Accountant-General once a bond with two sureties (Reg 2A(1)(b)(iii)) is on file. Grantees submit statements of expenditure for the audit cycle (PFMA s. 77).
Transparency
Summaries of approved grants are published on the ASPF Showcase. Every state change is recorded in a tamper-evident audit trail available to the Auditor-General under PFMA s. 80.