Australia: Multi-Sport Community Facility Fund

• The primary objectives of the Fund are to: 
  • Increase the number and type of multi-sport facilities across NSW 
  • Improve the standard of existing multi-sport facilities across NSW 
  • Increase the use of sports facilities  
  • Support the equitable provision of, and access to multi-sport facilities to grow sport participation for women and girls 
  • Provide inclusive and accessible multi-sport facilities that support sport participation for people with disability, First Nations peoples and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.  
• Secondary objectives of the Fund are to:
  • Establish a diversified funding model 
  • Improve operational sustainability  
  • Promote and incorporate environmental sustainability and climate resilience into design, construction and operation. 

Funding Information

The grant amount requested by an applicant must be a minimum of $1 million and cannot exceed $5 million.

Eligible Projects

Examples of eligible project types and project components include:  

• Construction of new or upgraded multi-sport unisex and universally designed change rooms to be inclusive and female-friendly, including parent and child change spaces and officials' areas (this includes prefabricated modular facilities)  
• Indoor sport complexes which cater to more than one sport 
• Aquatic and leisure centers 
• Amenity buildings such as kiosks, club rooms, change rooms and grandstands that are universally designed and enhance community connectivity and multi-purpose use 
• New and significant multi-sport upgrades to playing surfaces (fields and courts), specifically multi-sport upgrades and resurfacing that supports increased use and/or improves safety 
• New and upgraded provision of disability access and universally designed amenities that are beyond compliant and provide dignified inclusion in sport participation 
• Provision of administration facilities for a sporting organization that is attached to a new or existing sport facility that supports multiple sports 
• Environmentally and operationally sustainable initiatives that support water and energy savings including water harvesting, new or upgraded irrigation infrastructure, more efficient lighting including technology-controlled and LED lighting and installation of solar panels and smart metering technology 
• New and upgraded all weather facilities including synthetics, shelter for outdoor activities, and irrigation projects 
• Digital technology uplift projects, including installation of WIFI, increased automation and other innovative smart technologies 
• Projects that improve the storage, security and safety capability of facilities 
• Construction of new or significantly improved walking, running, fixed outdoor exercise equipment, or off-road cycling trails that are an integral component of the sport facility development. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Local government authorities in New South Wales  
• Regional Joint Organizations of councils, the Lord Howe Island Board and the Unincorporated Far West groups 
• NSW Office of Sport recognized NSW State Sporting Organizations (including National Sporting Organizations where the state body is part of a unitary governance model) 
• Incorporated, community-based, not-for-profit sporting organizations (clubs and associations whose primary purpose is to organize sporting activities/deliver sport programs)  
• Organizations providing sport and recreation programs that benefit the community, such as PCYCs, YMCAs and YWCAs 
• NSW based professional sporting organizations competing in a national or state competition 
• NSW Department of Education operated specialist sports high schools  
• Private enterprises (companies established under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), incorporated associations established under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW) or incorporated limited partnerships established under the Partnership Act 1892 (NSW)). 

Applications involving partnerships between groups are encouraged and will be considered favourably, for example with a council or a Department of Education specialist sport high school. A council may apply on behalf of a sporting club or association; however the council will be the grant recipient and responsible for project delivery. 

For more information, visit NSW Government.