STA is thrilled to announce a five-year extension of its licensing partnership with Paramount and Nickelodeon, building on the success of its innovative swimming awards programme featuring globally recognised characters from PAW Patrol® and SpongeBob SquarePants, which first launched in 2023.

This exciting renewal will see the continued rollout of these hugely popular awards – and we can exclusively reveal that another iconic character will soon be joining the line-up as part of the renewed partnership – everyone’s favourite bilingual explorer, Dora. This announcement coincides with the recent premiere of the brand-new Paramount+ live-action film, Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado.

Zoe Cooper, STA’s Commercial Director, said:

“From PAW Patrol to SpongeBob SquarePants, we’ve seen how these character-based swim awards motivate and engage swimmers of all ages and abilities. Extending this partnership means we can keep creating fresh, inclusive and exciting rewards that help learners feel proud of their progress in the pool.”

The PAW Patrol swim awards series, launched in 2023 to coincide with the UK premiere of PAW Patrol: Aqua Pups, features six of the iconic pups from the series produced by Spin Master, plus a limited-edition Aqua Pups award. Each collectible certificate and shield-shaped badge reflects a pup’s unique personality, encouraging young children to be smart like Chase, brave like Marshall, or determined like Skye – all while progressing at their own pace.

Soon after, STA launched the SpongeBob SquarePants “Dare to be Square” swim awards, a bold and flexible range designed to appeal to everyone – from early learners to adult swimmers. With six much-loved characters and bright square-shaped badges, the awards are used across learn-to-swim programmes, swim clubs, school swimming, and even open water coaching.

Dave Candler, STA’s CEO, added:

“These official swim awards have brought so much colour and motivation to swimming lessons across the UK. By celebrating small achievements, they help build water confidence, which is the foundation for lifelong swimming skills. We’re proud to keep developing this partnership and excited to soon introduce Dora the Explorer to the range.”

Charlotte Hyson, Director, Franchise Management & Consumer Products Marketing at Paramount, said:

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with STA. These swimming awards are a brilliant example of how entertainment brands can support children’s development in real, impactful ways. Seeing characters like SpongeBob and the PAW Patrol pups encouraging young swimmers has been incredibly rewarding, and we’re looking forward to seeing Dora join the team.”

With more collaborative projects already in development, STA and Paramount remain committed to supporting swim schools with official, high-quality resources that make learning to swim a rewarding and memorable adventure.

While these motivational awards have been thoughtfully designed with swimming lessons in mind, their flexible, non-prescriptive format means they can also be used to celebrate progress and achievement in a wide range of settings – from other sports and physical activities to broader educational or wellbeing programmes.

SEE PAW PATROL ON THE SWIM SHOP