The gap between elite and unknown isn't talent. It's infrastructure.

The big agencies call after the medal. We call before.

Most serious UK performance athletes will never hear from a major agency. Vested Merit exists for the GB vest holder, the Commonwealth Games competitor, the national champion — across every sport, elite in every sense, invisible commercially. We change that.

Founded by Roger Skedd. GB decathlete, Brunel University scholar, British Masters gold medallist, UK No.1 long jump M40, still competing. He juggled five jobs to fund his career. He built what he wished had existed.

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THE REALITY

World champions are teaching swimming lessons to fund their careers.

21 years

Greg Anderson has competed at elite level for 21 years. He is the current Scottish, British and Commonwealth karate champion. He has never had a sponsor.

48.59s

Josh Faulds ran one of the fastest 400m hurdles times in British history. He is European Indoor bronze medallist and world ranked. He funds his training around a part-time job.

The percentage of serious GB performance athletes outside Olympic sport who receive meaningful commercial support. The agencies are not coming. We are.

This is not a niche problem. It is a systematic gap between elite athletic performance and commercial infrastructure. Vested Merit exists to close it.

Why Vested Merit

Sponsorship earned on merit

The global agencies are built for the 0.1%. The passive marketplaces are built for influencers. Vested Merit is built for everyone in between — the serious, verified, commercially overlooked performance athlete who deserves better.

The authenticity brands can't buy

Performance athletes attract performance audiences — runners, cyclists, triathletes, swimmers, rowers, climbers, equestrians, martial artists, coaches, club members. People who buy what you make because they live it. Not passive scrollers. Buyers.

Ahead of the curve, not behind it

The brands that build relationships with tomorrow's stars before they break through are the ones that look authentic. The brands that arrive after the medal pay a premium — or find the door closed.

Reach is the wrong metric

A 4,000-follower GB-level athlete reaching serious runners is worth more to a performance brand than a 400,000-follower lifestyle account reaching a general audience. Vested Merit is built on relevance, not reach.

Commercial efficiency

A £5,000 deal today with an athlete who breaks through in 18 months becomes a £50,000 deal — or unavailable entirely. Vested Merit is where you get ahead of that curve, at a fraction of the cost of elite representation.

Human, not algorithmic

Built for UK performance sport in its entirety — track and field, road, trail, triathlon, cycling, swimming, rowing, climbing, equestrian, combat sports, racket sports and more. If you compete seriously and represent Britain, you belong here.

Commission only. Always.

We only earn when a deal goes ahead. 15% of the agreed deal value, deducted at source. No retainers, no subscriptions, no upfront costs. For brands and athletes alike — fully aligned incentives from day one.

"The most efficient sponsorship in sport — the credibility of elite performance, at the cost of the overlooked."

The brands already in conversation with tomorrow's stars are your competitors. The window between serious competitor and household name is short. Get ahead of it →

How it works

Four steps from brief to deal

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Submit your brief

Tell us your sport, budget, campaign goal, and the kind of athlete you're looking for — any sport, any discipline. Takes 2 minutes.

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Receive your shortlist

You receive 3–5 personally matched athletes with full profiles, PBs, social stats, and our recommendation on fit.

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We make the intro

Select your preferred athlete and we handle the introduction, deliverables brief, and deal negotiation on your behalf.

Partnership agreed

Deal agreed in writing. You pay Vested Merit the full deal value. We deduct our 15% commission and pay the athlete directly. No deal, no fee.

For brands

Find your athlete personally matched

The global agencies are out of reach. The passive marketplaces send you 3,000 profiles and leave you to it. Vested Merit does the work — we take your brief, match you with 3–5 verified performance athletes, handle the introduction and close the deal. You pay nothing until a partnership is agreed.

Any budget, any sport

We work with brands from £1,000 product deals to £25,000+ ambassador contracts. Track and field, road, trail, triathlon, cycling, swimming, rowing, equestrian, combat sports, racket sports — if your audience is performance-focused, we have athletes for you.

No subscription, no retainer

You only pay when a deal completes. 15% of the agreed deal value, handled entirely through Vested Merit. Submit as many briefs as you like.

Deals in writing, always

Every partnership is confirmed in writing with agreed deliverables, timeline, and payment terms before anything goes live.

Submit a brief

We'll personally match you with 3–5 verified athletes. No obligation.

Brand name

Your name

Sport / discipline

Budget range

Campaign goal

Tell us more (optional)

No obligation · No upfront fees

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Brief received

We've received your brief and will be in touch. Thank you for your interest in Vested Merit.

For athletes — every sport

The big agencies
will call after.
We're calling now.

Most elite UK athletes will retire having never earned a penny from their performance. Not because they weren't good enough. Because the commercial infrastructure that exists is built for the top 0.1% — and everyone else is left to navigate it alone.

Your commercial window is shorter than your competitive one. Every season at peak performance without a sponsor is value that cannot be recovered. Vested Merit captures that value while you're competing — not after you've stopped.

Track and field. Road. Trail. Triathlon. Cycling. Swimming. Rowing. Equestrian. Combat sports. Racket sports. If you compete seriously at GB level or above — we want to hear from you. No upfront cost. We only earn when you do.

THE TEAM

Built by an athlete who lived the problem. And is still competing.

Roger Skedd is a GB international decathlete, Brunel University sports scholar, and current British Masters Gold Medallist in the M40 age group. He juggled five part-time jobs alongside his athletics career, secured private sponsorship himself, and competed at five European Cups and Commonwealth Games level. He knows exactly what it takes to keep going when the system gives you nothing.

What he watched during that time troubled him just as much as his own situation. Training partner after training partner, GB athletes he knew were good enough, walking away after university. Not because they lacked ability. Because parents, friends and the weight of expectation told them to join the rat race. To conform. To stop. The system offered no alternative and too many talented people took the exit.

He founded Vested Merit to be that alternative. Not an agency. Not a platform. A brokerage run by someone who has stood on the start line doing the maths on whether he can afford next month's competition, and who is still competing today.

GB International Decathlete British Masters Gold M40 5x European Cup Brunel University Sports Scholar England Athletics Coach Enterprise GTM Leader

I watched talented athletes quit after university because their parents told them to get a real job, because their friends were moving on, because the system gave them no other option. They were good enough. The infrastructure was not there. Vested Merit is what I wished had existed for them.

Roger Skedd, Founder, British Masters Gold Medallist