To be eligible to apply for the Para Athlete Barriers Fund you must, at the time of application:

• be an athlete categorised by a recognised National Sporting Organisation (NSO) or National Sporting Organisation for people with Disability (NSOD) in a para sport
• be categorised into one of the following disciplines as per the Athlete Categorisation Framework:
  • Podium
  • Podium Ready
  • Podium Potential
  • Developing
  • Emerging

• be actively participating with a recognised NSO/D in training and competition within their para sport;
• have no anti-doping rule violations any time; and
• have no match fixing offences at any time.

You are not eligible to apply if you are:

• an individual or athlete that is not currently supported by an ASC recognised NSO/D, as listed in the ASC Sports Directory, and/or is not categorised as per the Athlete Categorisation Framework
• not in a Para sport discipline; or
• an organisation.

Before applying for the Para Athlete Barriers Fund, applicants must read the grant guidelines

Only one application may be submitted per athlete.

If you are under 18 years of age you must obtain the agreement of your parent or guardian to apply.

When submitting an application, applicants will be able to select between a written and video response for certain components of the form.

If selecting to respond via video:

• the video must not be more than 2 minutes in length per question
• must address the question prompt on the application form
• must be uploaded by providing an accessible link in the application form.

To complete the application, applicants must:

• provide all the information requested, including current athlete categorisation details, personal bank account details, and residential address details
• address all eligibility criteria and assessment criteria; and
• provide contact details of your parent(s)/guardian(s) if under 18 years of age.

The eligible applications will be assessed against the following criteria through a competitive process:

1. Applicant demonstrates what their barriers are and how they are limiting their performance and/or progression in Para Sports
2. Applicant explains how the grant funding will be spent to assist in overcoming the described barriers, and
3. The financial assistance is likely to have a high impact on their performance and/or progression.

The Assessment Panel may discuss applications with a key contact at the nominated NSO/D or other HP system partner (e.g. Paralympics Australia) to verify that the expenses identified are aligned with the performance and/or progression needs of the athlete and are not already being funded by other organisations.  Applicants will be asked in the application form whether they consent to the details of their application being shared with the NSO/D or other HP system partner before contact is made.  Applicants may choose not to consent to this, and their application will still be considered equally.

When requested by the ASC (likely between January and June 2026), all grant recipients will be asked to complete the Para Athlete Barrier Fund recipient survey detailing how the grant funding was spent and its impact on supporting their progression/performance. A proportion of grant recipients will be asked to provide evidence of the use and expenditure of the approved grant through an audit process, which may include receipts for expenditure of the grant.