Clubs and state sporting organisations (SSOs) are not eligible to be a primary applicant as the ASC is seeking national delivery coverage for the Program. Clubs and SSOs can partner with eligible bodies as partner organisations or delivery partners.

A Partner organisation is an organisation that supports the Primary applicant to deliver Project outcomes.

Any organisations wishing to partner with an eligible organisation must not be named by the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse on its list of “Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme”.

The ASC Play Well Participation Grant Program Guidelines set out the funding requirements for the Participation Grant Program. Please read the guidelines carefully and if you have any questions, please contact participationgrants@ausport.gov.au.

All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their grant application. Notifications will commence in April 2024.

Successful applicants must enter into a funding agreement with the ASC. The type of funding agreement will depend on the size and complexity of your project.

You will have 30 days from the date of a written offer to execute a funding agreement with the ASC (‘execute’ means both you and the ASC have signed the agreement). The offer may lapse if both parties do not execute the grant agreement within this time. In certain circumstances, we may extend this period.

Applications must be submitted by a single eligible organisation, noted as a Primary grant applicant.

However, the ASC encourages Primary grant applicants to consider partnering with other organisations (including those not eligible to be a Primary grant applicant) to enhance the delivery of the project. There is no limit to the number of times an organisation can be nominated as partner of Primary grant applicant(s) for the purpose of the Program.

No. Successful applicants are not guaranteed to receive the full amount of funding requested.

The ASC reserves the right to recommend grant amounts which may differ from the amount requested.

Successful applicants will be responsible for ensuring an appropriate evaluation of the Project’s performance is undertaken, to determine the extent to which funded activities have contributed to the Program’s objectives and outcomes.

In Stream 1, successful applicants have the opportunity to receive additional investment up to $20,000 to support the completion of an independent evaluation of their Project, including preparing and publishing a case study. Applicants will be asked to nominate if they wish to be considered for this additional funding during the application process.

The ASC will evaluate the relevant Projects for successful applicants, and up to five will be selected to receive the additional evaluation funding. Applicants, wishing to be considered, should incorporate this additional $20,000 investment into their projected budget.

No. Eligible applicants may only submit one application for assessment.

Yes, the ASC encourages Primary grant applicants to consider partnering with other organisations (including those not eligible to be a primary grant applicant), to enhance the delivery of the Project.

This includes universities.

No. State Sporting Organisations are not eligible to submit an application as a Primary grant applicant.

National Sporting Organisations can only submit one application in Stream 1. This application can either be for a pilot or an expansion project. They cannot submit an application for both.

Yes. The eligible Local Government Council must partner with at least one local or State Sporting Organisation and be delivering at least one sport listed on the Australian Sports Directory to be considered eligible. Outside of this, the Local Government Council may choose to also partner with other organisations to enhance the delivery of the project.

Yes. A Local Government Council can partner with a State Sporting Organisation (SSO) even if the office of the SSO is not located in the Local Government area. However, the project must be delivered within the bounds of the applying Local Government Council.

Yes. An eligible organisation can submit an application as a Primary applicant in Stream 1 and then partner with an eligible Local Government Council to deliver a project in Stream 2. There is no limit the number of times an organisation can be listed as a partner.

Yes. Projects that target cohorts outside those that are specifically listed in the Program Guidelines are still eligible to apply for funding.

In Stream 2, eligible Local Government Councils can partner with schools to deliver their project as long as they also partner with at least one local or state sporting organisation. The school could not be the sole partner involved in the project.

No. Universities are not eligible to submit an application as a primary grant applicant. Universities may partner with an eligible NSO, peak body or Local Government Council to deliver a project.

If a Local Government Council is partnering with a local sporting club or association, you do not need to supply a letter of support from the SSO. The letter of support must be from the organisation/s you will be partnering with to deliver the project.

There is no minimum level of in-kind or financial contribution from partner organisations. It is up to the Primary grant recipient to determine how best they will work with their partner and what kind of co-contribution they will seek.

For the purposes of this Program, a National/Peak body is defined as an organisation that has the purpose of delivering or supporting the provision of sport and/or physical activity. In addition, the organisation must be able to demonstrate:

• It has been operating as a not-for-profit for at least three years.
• Not be named by the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse on its list of “Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme”.
• They have no outstanding debts through other funding programs or services administered by the ASC.

If the organisation can demonstrate that it meets these criteria, they are invited to apply through Stream 1 of the program.

No, to be eligible as a Primary applicant you must be a recognised National Sporting Organisation, National Sporting Organisation for people with Disability, National Peak Physical Activity Body, or a Local Government Council. Regional Sporting Assembly are not eligible to apply as a Primary Grant Applicant, however, may partner with an organisation that is eligible to support the delivery of a project.

Yes, a National Sporting Organisation (NSO) can submit an application as a Primary grant applicant in Stream 1, and partner with a Local Government Council in stream 2.

However, this partnership cannot be the sole partnership working with the Local Government Council to deliver their project. Councils must partner with at least one local sporting organisation or state sporting organisation to be eligible for funding. A NSO may also partner with a LGA as secondary partner to deliver the project.

Organisations that meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to submit applications for funding. Project applications will be assessed based on the criteria outlined in section 10 of the Program Guidelines. While physical delivery is not a specified requirement, we welcome projects that contribute to the program's objectives, which include:

• Increase involvement in sport and physical activity through the provision of inclusive and quality sport and physical activity experiences, and
• Address the barriers to sport and physical activity and provide more opportunities to be involved in sport and physical activity programs for those in the community who face the most barriers.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) will enter into a Funding Agreement exclusively with the successful Primary grant applicant. The Primary grant applicant may engage a third-party provider to assist with the delivery of the project aligning with the grant fundings intended purposes. It is the responsibility of the Primary grant applicant to oversee the grant expenditure and ensure compliance with the program guidelines. Should a third-party provider be engaged, the Primary grant applicant must also ensure appropriate acquittal of the grant funds occurs.

Yes, existing projects and activities delivered by a Council are eligible for funding if they are modified to align with the objectives of the Grant Program, including the creation of new partnerships with State or Local Sporting Organisations.

Yes, this is one example of a project that is considered to meet the Program eligibility, aims and objectives.

Yes, however the project activities must be delivered in the geographic boundary of the Primary Applicant (Council) applying.

Stand-alone, one-off event projects submitted through Stream 1 are considered ineligible. However, this exclusion does not apply to applications submitted in Stream 2 by eligible Local Government Councils. For further details on eligible Projects and events, please refer to section 7 of the Program Guidelines.

Project costs are unique to each applicant. The Primary applicant must provide a comprehensive budget breakdown, outlining how the grant funds will be used to deliver their project. Although there is no specified limit on funding allocated to core costs associated with project delivery, it is recommended that applicants refer to section 7 of the Program Guidelines to confirm the eligibility of their budget costs. This ensures that all budgeted expenses align with the Program's guidelines.

No. It is recommended applicants regularly save their progress by clicking Save Progress. SmartyGrants does not automatically save data that has been entered and will time out (force log out) after 20 minutes of inactivity for security reasons.