Deadline: 17-Feb-2025
Apply now for the Local Sports Infrastructure Fund Program.
The Local Sports Infrastructure Fund is a metropolitan competitive Victorian Government investment program. It provides funding towards developing high‑quality, accessible community sport and active recreation infrastructure.
The Fund promotes partnerships between the Victorian Government, Local Government Authorities (LGAs), sporting clubs and associations, schools, educational institutions, community organisations and disability service providers.
The Fund aims to increase and promote opportunities so Victorians can participate in ways that suit them and is targeted towards individuals and communities who participate less.
Streams
- Community Facilities: The Community Facilities Stream supports the development of a broad range of new, or redevelopment of existing, community sport and active recreation infrastructure ensuring all infrastructure is high‑quality, multi‑use and accessible to all.
- Community Sports Lighting Stream:This Community Sports Lighting stream supports the installation of LED sports lighting infrastructure that increases facility capacity and participation opportunities.
- Planning Stream: The Planning Stream provides support to undertake a range of specific facility and strategic planning projects that contribute to infrastructure readiness and/or the long‑term direction of facility and open space. These projects are independent, consultative and improve sport and active recreation coordination to meet demand.
Funding Information
- Community Facilities: Up to $300,000
- Community Sports Lighting: Up to $250,000
- Planning: Up to $40,000
Eligible Projects
- Priority will be given to projects that:
- provide the strongest participation outcomes for groups that participate less in community sport and active recreation. This includes women and girls, people with disability, Aboriginal Victorians, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, people from LGBTIQA+ communities, and economically disadvantaged communities
- support communities experiencing socio‑economic disadvantage. In particular, projects that support suburbs and towns within the 2 most disadvantaged deciles in Victoria
- support communities in areas of need that have experienced natural disasters (for example, flood, bushfires and drought) or communities experiencing strong population growth or significant change in circumstances (for example, economic challenges)
- demonstrate multi‑use, shared and integrated facilities including those on school land that can ensure long‑term community access
- provide a confirmed active recreation benefit through improved facility availability, scheduling, public access, and policy development (for projects with lighting elements)
- demonstrate economic uplift in the form of job creation during construction and operation, non‑government investment and local event attraction
Outcomes
- The Fund reflects the Victorian Government’s commitment to securing the many benefits of participating in sport and active recreation. This includes supporting Victorians, particularly those individuals and communities who participate less to achieve better health, wellbeing, social, and economic outcomes through the construction, programming and activation of community sport and active recreation infrastructure.
- The Fund will invest in proposals that can demonstrate commitment to the following outcomes:
- provides additional participation opportunities through the development of multi‑use community sport and active recreation infrastructure
- increased participation opportunities for individuals and groups who participate less, including socio‑economically disadvantaged communities
- provides equitable and inclusive participation opportunities for women and girls in community sport and active recreation
- improved sustainable design and planning to ensure infrastructure investment is building better and more liveable communities
- increased local economic activity through the planning, building, management, and activation of redeveloped or new infrastructure
Eligibility Criteria
- Only metropolitan LGAs are eligible to apply to the Fund.
- In line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap, LGAs must have an acceptable gender equitable access and use policy (or equivalent) in place to be considered eligible for funding from the Program.
- LGAs that do not currently have an acceptable gender equitable access and use policy (or equivalent) in place are not eligible for the Program, and need to consult with their SRV representative.
- Metropolitan LGAs must discuss potential project/s with their SRV representatives to receive feedback on eligible projects before submitting their application/s.
- Sport and recreation clubs, sporting associations and leagues, educational institutions, not‑for‑profit community organisations, businesses and individuals cannot directly apply to the Fund.
- Local clubs, committees of management and organisations are advised to contact their LGA if they wish to express interest, seek support or be involved as a partner in applications to the Fund.
For more information, visit Sport and Recreation Victoria.