Local Sport Grant Program
The Local Sport Grant Program aims to support grassroots sporting clubs to increase participation, host events, improve access and enhance sport and recreation facilities. Up to $4.65 million is available in 2023/24 to support sporting clubs and associations across NSW with $50,000 available in each electorate and grants of up to $20,000 available for individual projects.
About the program
The Local Sport Grant Program aims to increase regular and on-going participation opportunities in sport in NSW. Through this Program the Office of Sport is working towards our goals to achieve:
Participation: Everyone in NSW participating in sport and active recreation throughout their life.
Places and Spaces: Everyone in NSW having access to places and spaces for sport and active recreation.
Sustainability: The sector continues to grow sport and active recreation across NSW.
Important dates
The following dates are indicative and apply only to this round.
- Applications open Monday 23 October 2023
- Applications closed 1.00pm Monday 27 November 2023
- Outcomes advised April 2024 onwards
Key objectives
The key objectives of the Program align to the Office of Sport Strategic Plan with the specific objectives to:
- Increase regular and on-going participation in sport.
- Increase participation opportunities for unrepresented groups including women and girls, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people with disability, First Nations peoples and LGBTQIA+ people.
- Reduce barriers and improve access to participation in sport.
- Assist sport clubs to provide quality experiences to their members and meet community needs. Increase financial sustainability and improve facilities of community level sporting clubs.
Applications must clearly demonstrate an identified need for the project and articulate how the project outcomes will be achieved. Specifically, applications should demonstrate how the project will address at least one of the above objectives.
Funding availability
Funding of $50,000 per electorate will be allocated to all 93 electorates throughout NSW. Applicants must identify their ‘home ground’ address to ensure the application is assessed in the correct electorate e.g., your training ground.
The grant amount requested must be a minimum of $2,000 and a maximum of $20,000.
A single organisation may make multiple applications, however the maximum amount of funding that can be awarded to any one organisation is $20,000.
Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants are:
- Incorporated, not-for-profit grassroots sport clubs and associations whose primary focus is to organise sporting activities; deliver ongoing sporting programs; and/or develop member’s skills (see Appendix A for full list of eligible sports).
Applications from Licensed Sporting Clubs may be considered providing the project directly benefits the sport, not the administration processes of the licensed club or upgrades of the licensed premises.
Applications may be considered from sports organisations or clubs associated with a school, church or university providing they are a not-for-profit club incorporated in their own right.
Ineligible applicants
Ineligible applicants are any organisation types not listed in the ‘Eligible Applicants’ section, and include (but are not limited to):
- Individuals, groups of individuals and unincorporated organisations
- Incorporated not-for-profit organisations that are not associated with a sport listed at Appendix A
- Clubs whose activities are considered to be of a recreational nature e.g., e-sports/online, remote/radio-controlled activities, fishing
- Sporting zones or sporting groups that are not based at a specific location within an electorate
- State Sporting Organisations
- National Sporting Organisations
- Regional Academies of Sport
- For profit, commercial organisations
- Organisations limited by shares
- Government departments and agencies
- Educational institutions including schools and their Parents and Citizens (P&C’s), Universities, TAFE, Colleges and childcare centres
- Local Government Authorities operating under the Local Government Act, 1993
- Local Government Committees
- PCYCs/YMCA/Scouts/Girl Guides/Surf Life Saving Clubs or Branches.
An eligible organisation will be deemed not eligible for funding under this Program if they are an organisation named: (i) by the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse on its list of institutions that have not joined or signified their intent not to join the Scheme; or (ii) in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that has not yet joined the National Redress Scheme
Eligible projects
To be considered eligible, the project must be submitted through the Office of Sport SmartyGrants website. Any projects which are not submitted through this website may be set aside from further consideration at the absolute discretion of the Office of Sport.
Eligible projects include but are not limited to: Eligible projects include but are not limited to:
- Projects that contribute to quality sporting experiences
- Improve access to sporting events by reducing barriers to participation
- Create, upgrade or repair sports facilities
A list of project examples can be found in the guidelines.
Ineligible projects
The Local Sport Grant Program will not fund the following projects or project components:
- Operational costs e.g., staff wages and administration costs that relate to the running of the club/organisation.
- Subsidised registrations for players, for regular and on-going (weekly, monthly competitions).
- Accommodation, food/catering and travel (except where specified as eligible above).
- Appearance fees, prize money and trophies/medals, trophy cabinets.
- Presentation days / AGM / celebration functions etc.
- Entertainment.
- Medical equipment (e.g., defibrillators, first aid).
- Private or commercial ventures.
- Events that are organised for the primary purpose of fundraising, including charity fundraising events.
- Individual scholarships/sponsorships.
- Insurance of any type (player, public liability, general liability, etc.).
- Retrospective funding e.g., projects that have already commenced and/or purchases completed prior to application submission.
- Purchase or rental of land or premises; vehicles; office equipment (e.g., office furniture, television, computers, iPads, printers, photocopiers etc.).
- Projects not based in NSW.
- Subsidy for school sporting activities and events.
Organisations may only receive NSW Government funding once for the same project or same component of a project from this Program or any other State Government funded grant program. Where the project or components of the project have been funded from any other State Government funded grant program, the Office of Sport reserves the right to not award funding to the project.
Please Note: Project budgets should not include any ineligible costs and these will be removed by assessors if included, at the absolute discretion of the Office of Sport.
Application process
- See Eligible Applicants section of the Guidelines to see which organisations can apply for funding.
- If you are not eligible, you can partner with an eligible organisation, although they will need to be the applicant organisation and submit the application.
- Before you apply, please read these guidelines and related materials including the application checklist to make sure you understand all relevant requirements, including whether you are eligible to apply.
- Gather your evidence including letters of support, funding commitments, development approvals/exemptions, landowners consent, images/plans, quotes, participation data etc.
- To submit a complying application all mandatory fields must be completed, and mandatory support documents must be uploaded and submitted.
- SmartyGrants offers a tool SmartyFile that allows organisations to collaborate with team members, pre-fill information into forms and manage, view, search and sort submissions across multiple funders in one spot. Applicants with an ABN can use this function.
- For questions relating to the grants program or for specific assistance with the SmartyGrants system, email the Office of Sport Grants Unit at grantsunit@sport.nsw.gov.au or call 13 13 02 during standard office hours
- Applying for the Local Sport Grant Program is a simple process using the SmartyGrants platform.
- The Office of Sport recommends that applicants familiarise themselves with the online application form ahead of preparing the application and plan to submit well ahead of the closing date to reduce the risk of missing the deadline.
- Complete your application by filling in each of the sections.
- Upload all required supporting documentation.
- Submit your application before the closing date and time.
- Projects must be submitted through the SmartyGrants website to be considered eligible.
- Successful submissions will be issued with a SmartyGrants system generated acknowledgement email containing a PDF copy of the application which will confirm the time the application was submitted.
- Applying for the Local Sport Grant Program is a simple process using the SmartyGrants platform.
- The Office of Sport recommends that applicants familiarise themselves with the online application form ahead of preparing the application and plan to submit well ahead of the closing date to reduce the risk of missing the deadline.
- Complete your application by filling in each of the sections.
- Upload all required supporting documentation.
- Submit your application before the closing date and time.
- Projects must be submitted through the SmartyGrants website to be considered eligible.
- Successful submissions will be issued with a SmartyGrants system generated acknowledgement email containing a PDF copy of the application which will confirm the time the application was submitted.
- If any document is not available prior to the closing date/time and you would like to submit this for consideration you must contact grantsunit@sport.nsw.gov.au to request late document submission.
- Late supporting documentation will only be accepted for applications already submitted in SmartyGrants before the closing date and time and will only be considered where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process. The final determination on whether a late supporting documentation will be accepted will be made by the Office of Sport supported by a probity advisor.
Contact us
Get in touch for more information about eligibility criteria, timeframes, and costs; or if you have any questions about the application process.