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 2022/23 to support sporting organisations across NSW with $50,000 available in each electorate and grants of up to $10,000 available for individual projects.
Resources
Potential applicants are encouraged to review our frequently asked questions to ensure that their application addresses the relevant requirements.
Register Your Interest
Keep up-to-date and notified when the 2023/24 Local Sport Grant Program opens.
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 17 October 2022
- Applications close 1.00pm Monday 21 November 2022
- Outcomes advised February 2023 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 and access for women, girls and population groups under-represented in participation including, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, people with disability and First Nations peoples.
- address barriers to participation in sport
- assist sport clubs to provide quality service to their members and meet community needs.
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 $10,000.
A single organisation may make multiple applications, however the maximum amount of funding that can be awarded to any one organisation is $10,000.
Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants are:
- Incorporated, not-for-profit grassroots sport clubs 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 Licenced Sporting Clubs may be considered providing the project directly benefits the sport, not the administration processes of the licenced club or upgrades of the licenced 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
- 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
- Clubs whose activities are considered to be of a recreational nature e.g., remote/radio-controlled activities, fishing
- Sporting zones or sporting groups that are not based at a specific location within an electorate
- Individual sporting competitions
- 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.
Eligible projects
Previously the Local Sport Grant Program required applicants to submit their applications under one of four different project types (Sport Development, Sport Event, Sport Access and Sport Facility), each of which had a different financial cap and applicants were permitted to submit only one application per project type.
For the 2022/23 round, we are simplifying the process and no longer require applicants to select a defined project type as part of their application. Sports clubs and organisations are free to submit as many applications to the Program as they choose.
Eligible projects include but are not limited to:
Organisational and community development projects
Sport events
Barriers to participation
Create, upgrade or repair sports facilities
A list of ineligible projects can be found in the guidelines.
The Local Sport Grant Program will not fund the following projects or project components:
- Staff wages and administration costs
- Subsidised registrations for junior players who have access to the Active Kids voucher
- Accommodation, food/catering
- Appearance fees, prize money and trophies/medals
- Presentation/celebration functions
- Entertainment
- Medical equipment (e.g., defibrillators)
- Private or commercial ventures
- Events that are organised for the primary purpose of fundraising, including charity fundraising events
- Individual scholarships/sponsorships
- Insurance (public liability, general liability, etc.)
- Retrospective funding e.g., projects that have already commenced or been completed prior to application submission
- Purchase or rental of land or premises; vehicles; office equipment (e.g., office furniture, printers, photocopiers etc.)
- Projects not based in NSW
- Subsidy for school sporting activities and events. Funding requests for any of the above costs should not be included in the application. Should such costs be included within your application, they will be considered ineligible and be removed from your proposal prior to merit assessment”
Application process
Step 1: Check your eligibility
Before you apply, please read these guidelines to make sure you understand all relevant requirements, including whether you are eligible to apply.
- You can find the relevant information on the Office of Sport’s website:
- Projects must be submitted through the SmartyGrants website to be considered eligible.
Step 2: Prepare your application
- Applying for the Local Sport Grant Program is a simple process using the SmartyGrants website
- The Office of Sport recommends that applicants familiarise themselves with the online application form ahead of preparing the application and plan ahead of the closing date. You can download a copy of the application form prior to commencing your application.
Step 3: Submit your application
- Complete the application by filling in each of the sections including required documentation.
- Submit the application by 1.00pm on Monday 21 November 2022.
- 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.