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Office of Sport

General questions

Applications must be lodged by the date stated in the programs guidelines that can be found on the Office of Sport website. The application must be lodged via the Office of Sport’s SmartyGrants platform.

 

It is good practice to complete the application in SmartyGrants well prior to the closing time. You are responsible for ensuring you have adequate technical capability, including sufficient bandwidth, to complete the application in SmartyGrants.

Late applications can only be made where an applicant has started an application in SmartyGrants prior to the closing date/time. If for some unforeseen reason you are not able to lodge your application on time, you must contact the Office of Sport at the earliest possible time and within one hour after the closing date/time.

Full details of the Office of Sport’s policy on late applications and late supporting documentation can be found in the Grant Program Guidelines.

If any document is not available prior to the closing date/time and you would like to submit this for consideration you must contact via email within one hour of the closing date/time. Late supporting documentation will only be accepted for applications already submitted in SmartyGrants and it will only be considered where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process.

Full details of the Office of Sport’s policy on late applications and late supporting documentation can be found in the Grant Program Guidelines.

Applying for the grant is a simple process using the SmartyGrants platform. The application can be found on the Office of Sport SmartyGrants Page.

Before you apply, please read the guidelines and related materials to make sure you understand all the relevant requirements.

Scan any hard copy letters or quotes and save them as a PDF. These can then be uploaded in the relevant sections of your application.  

The Office of Sport staff are available to provide advice to applicants on interpreting the Grant Program Guidelines. However, staff are not able to provide advice that may be perceived as providing an unfair advantage to one applicant over another.

No. The Office Sport personnel cannot review or provide feedback on any grant applications. Frequent asked questions and answers are available on the grant program webpage and updated as required.

If you have been successful in receiving a grant from the Office of Sport and need to change the contact details, please send your updated details to Infrastructure Grants infrastructuregrants@sport.nsw.gov.au and identify the grant program and your grant number.

Yes. Shooting organisations applying must be approved by the NSW Firearms Registry.

No. Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified at the same time. Outcomes of applications under the Program are expected to be advised from June 2023.

Financial and Co-Contribution Questions

The NSW Government is allocating up to $800,000 to the Safe Shooting Program.

The grant amount requested by an applicant must be a minimum of $10,000 and cannot exceed $50,000.

No. However, in order to receive grant payments successful applicants will require an ABN or provide a Statement of Supplier form.  If your application is successful, further information will be provided to you.

  • Organisations registered for GST: exclude GST from the amount of funding requested in your project budget. GST will be paid to your organisation if successful.
  • Organisations not registered for GST: include GST in the costs for your project budget. Please ensure that quotes you receive are inclusive of GST that will be charged by trades or suppliers.

You can determine if your organisation is registered for GST by looking at your ABN details.  If you do not have an ABN, you are not registered for GST.

Your club/association treasurer should have a certificate of incorporation, or you can search for your incorporated status with:

NSW Incorporated Associations Register

ASIC Register

Indigenous Corporations

No. A financial co-contribution is not required. However, organisations may contribute financially or in-kind to the project and this will be considered as part of the merit assessment process. The greater the financial and/or in-kind contribution the more favourably the project will be looked upon. 

Yes. However, the grant must be for a different component of the project.

Discounts are not permitted as in-kind support or considered a co-contribution.

No. All funding received must be related to the direct cost of the project. Administration costs for the projects must be covered by the applicant. A list of what will not be funded can be found in the Grant Program Guidelines.

A co-contribution is not required; however, organisations may contribute financially or in-kind to the project and this will be considered as part of the merit assessment process.

Regardless of your grant request, the greater the financial and/or in-kind contribution the more favourably the project will be looked upon. Regardless of your grant request, the greater the financial and/or in-kind contribution the more favourably the project will be looked upon.

Applicants may choose to include a breakdown of ‘Voluntary Labour’ as part of their co-contribution and should be substantiated with written quotes, donated materials and/or equipment or resources.  

*Voluntary labour: Breakdown of ‘Voluntary Labour’ details should be uploaded in the quote upload section of the application. Hourly rates should be determined as follows:  

  • Un-skilled labour – no more than $25 per hour.  
  • Skilled Labour – trade hourly rate as determined by the award List of Awards

Assessment Criteria and Announcement Questions

Eligible applications will be assessed against the Program’s objectives, focus, and aim and the following assessment criteria:

  • Strategic justification
  • Project scope and inclusive design
  • Project affordability
  • Project deliverability and applicant capability.

Assessment criteria is detailed in the Program Guidelines

No. It is not mandatory to have a current approved Development Application however applicants who can demonstrate the project is ready to be delivered by providing evidence of an approved Development Application or that development consent is not required will be prioritised.

Any capital upgrades will require evidence of land-owner consent. This will require a signed letter of consent from any landowners for the project on the land on which the facility is to be developed. A template Landowner Consent Form is available on the Office of Sport Grants website.  For projects that only concern non-fixed equipment (electronic targetry, movable baffles and movable bullet traps), a land-owner consent form is not required.  

To demonstrate project need, you may upload letters of support from the local MP, council, and/or community groups.  Photos of existing condition to show level of dilapidation or inadequacy are also very useful.

Routine or cyclical maintenance projects are not eligible projects. New and/or upgraded project elements that demonstrate sustainable solutions are eligible, including:  

  • energy efficiencies (e.g., LED lighting upgrade);  
  • environmental sustainability (solar/battery installation, water harvesting); and  
  • building facilities/surfaces for increased longevity and use are part of an eligible project scope.  

No. The application process is competitive. It is anticipated there will be multiple applications competing for the funding available. Successful applications will be those that best meet the objectives, focus, and aim of the program and the assessment criteria

There are no appeals for unsuccessful applications under these programs. Feedback on your application will be provided with the grant outcome notification letter.  You may apply again in the next round of the program.

Funding and Project Scope Questions

The Program will not fund the following projects or project components:

  • Purchase of firearms or ammunition
  • Purchase of protective clothing
  • That do not meet relevant Australian standards
  • Projects on private land unless there is clear public benefit to the community’s interest in sport and active recreation and have documented consent from the landowner
  • Costs associated with preparing and submitting the application for funding under this program
  • Costs associated with feasibility, design, or development stages including feasibility studies, business cases and masterplans
  • Facilities where little or no public access is available
  • For the purchase or lease of land/facility
  • Related to administrative or operational expenditure which are normally the responsibility of businesses, state agencies or local councils
  • Retrospective funding, where projects have commenced construction or are completed prior to the execution of a funding agreement, or which could proceed without any NSW Government financial assistance
  • Projects that have already been funded by the NSW Government unless significant new and additional project scope is identified
  • General maintenance or replacement costs through normal wear and tear (e.g. painting, running costs and minor repairs to existing facilities)
  • For the building or upgrade of licensed areas and gaming areas
  • Repair of facilities where the damage can be covered by insurance
  • Ancillary infrastructure e.g. car parks or accommodation
  • Project administration costs and costs for the ongoing operation of the facility

Inclusive and accessible facilities consider Universal Design in their approach. 
 
“Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.” Refer to the Universal Design for more information. 

Inclusive design keeps the diversity and uniqueness of each individual in mind and allows maximum use, by the widest range of people, without the need to adapt or add accessories. It includes the incorporation of universal design principles and providing safe, dignified and equitable access through functional space. Designs should be beyond Building Code of Australia or Access standards to ensure facilities are accessible to more people.

For further information:

Design for Dignity Guidelines

NSW Government Architects

NSW Government Architects - Urban Design for Regional NSW

Incorporation of universal design principles and providing safe, dignified and equitable access through functional space. Designs should be beyond Building Code of Australia or Access standards to ensure facilities are accessible to more people. Refer to https://www.and.org.au/data/Design_ for Dignity/Design_for_Dignity_Guidelines_ Aug_2016.pdf

No. Facility planning including preparation of feasibility studies, design or development stages for a project are considered ineligible project costs.  

Staged components of a larger facility development are eligible, providing the stage being applied for meets the program criteria.

Acknowledging that many venues in NSW are used for multiple sports, facility development projects supported through the Fund must demonstrate the primary benefit is to football participants and stakeholders.

Project Timeline and Management Questions

Successful applicants must commence construction by 30 September 2023.

Successful projects must be completed by 30 September 2024.

The NSW Government reserves the right to be involved in media opportunities and speaking engagements relating to the funded project. 

Funding recipients must ensure that any media opportunities, speaking engagements and signage relating to the Program or project are discussed with, and approved in advance by, Office of Sport. 

Successful applicants must acknowledge the NSW Government’s support through the provision of funding as per the NSW Government Funding Acknowledgement Guidelines and supporting evidence.

Funding recipients will typically require a statement of funding acknowledgment in the applicant’s annual reports and media releases; and a statement and the NSW Government logo included on building signage, related websites and invitations and other funding related materials. Funding recipients will receive full guidelines, logo and signage template files.

Further details about acknowledgment of NSW Government funding for infrastructure projects can be found here.

Physical onsite works that are part of the construction the commencement of project construction. These works include, but are not limited to, early works construction packages, site clearing and demolition, earthworks or building works. You should not commence works until a Funding Agreement has been executed (signed by both parties).  Any costs incurred prior to execution of the Funding Agreement are undertaken at the applicant's own risk.

If you are provided a grant, it is your responsibility to put in place adequate controls to prevent fraud and corruption and avoid negligence. This requirement is stipulated in the funding agreement terms and conditions.

Fraud is defined by the Independent Commission Against Corruption as “dishonestly obtaining a benefit, or causing a loss, by deception or other means”, and corruption as “deliberate or intentional wrongdoing, not negligence or a mistake”. Grant recipients may experience fraud, corruption or negligence when dealing with contractors in the project, or within their own organisation or its governance. In general, negligence can be defined as the failure to take proper care over or for something.

Appropriate management of procurement processes, the management of contracts and contractors, the establishment of appropriate project management practices (including governance and oversight), and the declaration and management of conflicts of interest are common controls used to prevent or control such incidents. The Office of Sport does not cover the loss of project funding due to fraud, corruption or negligence on behalf of the grant recipient which may also result in the termination of a funding agreement for a grant.

If you experience fraud, corruption or negligence, you should notify the Office of Sport. The Office of Sport can help your organisation work any variations required, except additional funding, to manage the impact on the project.

Fraud and corruption should always be reported to the police. More information about reporting fraud and corruption can be found at:

https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/frauds_and_scams

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/report-fraud

https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/buying-products-and-services/scams

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