A government scheme designed to cover a £50m shortfall in funding for British Olympic athletes in the run-up to London 2012 has been met with concern from the British Athletes Commission (BAC).

BAC said that the 'Medal Hopes' initiative announced by culture secretary Andy Burnham was not clear enough. Burnham stated it was the "only official way to sponsor athletes on the UK Sport's world class performance programme." The initiative was launched after the government admitted that £100m of private-sector funding earmarked in 2006 as part of a £600m package for Olympic and Paralympic sport failed to materialise, prompting the DCMS to invest a further £50m of public money.

A statement from BAC, the organisation that represents elite British athletes, said: "The BAC supports the initiative to raise money from the commercial sector to fill the funding shortfall. "But it is clear that if a company wishes to sponsor an athlete for appearances, image rights, endorsements and any level of exclusivity that Medal Hopes is not the way to do this."

Karen Pickering, BAC chair, said: "We must ensure that the lack of clarity around this scheme does not deter organisations who want to invest in sport from doing so through other channels. "It is time that the parties involved in designing Medal Hopes provide detail around the scheme now."