Aspiring Paralympians - recognised by the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and their national governing body - who are actively competing in national and international competitions will be able to apply for one-off bursaries to help them with an aspect of their career development.

This could include funding equipment or kit, travel expenses, additional coaching, and training support services.

The maximum bursary award will be £3,000 ($3,900/€3,400) per athlete.

Requests for non-financial support will also be considered under the bursary scheme, such as training on personal brand, relationship building, networking and public speaking.

Rio 2016 gold medallist Sophie Hahn benefited from a bespoke programme of training and mentoring over a five-month period prior to the Games.

The programme included training on social and traditional media, and support and training from Hogan Lovells award-winning personal development programmes.

"I’m so fortunate to have received this support," Hahn said.

"I know how amazing Hogan Lovells are at training people and I have learnt so much."

The bursary launch follows the announcement in November 2016 that Hogan Lovells will remain in the role of official legal services provider to the BPA through to Tokyo 2020.

A long-standing relationship between the two organisations has existed since before Beijing 2008.

Throughout this period, Hogan Lovells provided the BPA with legal advice, secondments and volunteers across a number of areas, supporting ParalympicsGB at London 2012, Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016.

In addition to supporting Hahn and Paralympic gold medal-winning swimmer Ollie Hynd, Hogan Lovells also provides pro bono legal advice to clients including British ParaSnowSport, Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby, the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, the UK Boccia Federation and the International Boccia Federation.

"It was hugely rewarding seeing Ollie and Sophie in action in Rio and knowing that we had helped contribute to their success," Hogan Lovells chair Nicholas Cheffings said.

"We realised we wanted to and could do more; a catalyst for the Hogan Lovells GB Para-athlete bursary."

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the BPA, added: "The BPA’s relationship with Hogan Lovells is long standing and very important to our continued success and I am delighted that we can expect the same support through until Tokyo 2020.

"That they are now extending this support to include their Para-athlete bursary is typical of their support - they are very much part of the Paralympic family here in the UK."

Athletes can apply for bursaries here. 

The deadline for applications this year - covering the period from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018 - is August 25.