To extend the effects of the Sports Voucher and encourage young people to actively take part in sports events or spectate to let sports become fond memories of youth, the Ministry of Education plans to annually issue NT$500 Youth Sports Vouchers to around 1.65 million citizens aged 16-22. Related execution planning was submitted to the meeting of the Executive Yuan on March 23.

The Ministry of Education said that the Sports Administration has been providing subsidies to schools to form groups to take part in or spectate sports events. To nurture the habit of young people of voluntarily taking part in sports and viewing sports and to release the stress of classwork and enhance inter-personal relations through participation in sports, also taking into account that the level of autonomy of high school and college students is fairly high and the habit of taking part in and spectating sports events has still to be nurtured. The vouchers will be issued to 1.65 million citizens aged 16-22 to form a positive sports consumption cycle and drive the development of the sports industry. Eligible people can pick up their voucher by inputting their personal details into the Sports Voucher starting from June, 1, 2023 from now. The issue time and use period for the upcoming after next year will be announced after this year’s Youth Sports Vouchers are issued.

The scope of use of Youth Sports Vouchers continues that of Sports Voucher 2.0, focusing on “doing sports” and “spectating competitions.” In terms of cooperating stores, sports businesses related to doing sports and spectating competitions can register on the Sports Voucher website from May 1 and will be able to accept the vouchers after being approved.

The Sports Administration will actively continue to invite sports operators to become cooperating stores and to provide additional schemes to increase the number of people participating in sports. To provide people with convenient and diverse redemption channels and taking into account operator's needs, an API connected online redemption function will be provided to allow people to use their vouchers online.

This Youth Sports Voucher measures will have sports key industries such as “doing sports” and “spectating competitions” as the locomotive. The aim is, through the lead of the government and additional measures by the civil sector, to nurture the habit of sports consumption of adolescents, to spark a sports consumption chain reaction and promote the growth of industry overall. March 23rd’s press conference also released an easy guide to Youth Sports Vouchers and related information. For more information, please go to the Sports Voucher website. (website: 500.gov.tw)