Centre of Excellence Fund

Important dates

The following indicative dates apply to this funding round. 

• Applications open Monday 31 October 2022
• Applications close 1pm, Monday 5 December 2022
• Outcomes advised February 2023 onwards 
• Funding agreements executed for successful projects February 2023 onwards 
• Project construction is to commence by February 2024, and project construction is expected to be completed within two years of commencing

Key objectives

The primary objectives of the Fund are to: 

• Provide elite performance sport infrastructure 

• Support talent identification and development pathways (i.e. athletes moving from pre-elite to elite)  

• Support the enhancement of dedicated female programs and facilities to improve pathways for women and girls, in line with the NSW Government’s women in sport strategy Her Sport Her Way

• Improve the level of community engagement e.g. an increase in the number of community health and wellbeing education workshops held at a Centre of Excellence

Secondary objectives of the Fund are to: 

• Create multi-purpose and multi-use facility components 

• Create inclusive facilities that meet the needs of females, people with disability, First Nations peoples and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities   

• Establish a diversified funding model 

• Improve operational sustainability  

• Promote and incorporate environmental sustainability and climate resiliency into design, construction and operation 

• Promote innovation in sports science, sports medicine and technology  

• Promote partnerships that maximise outcomes. 

Funding availability

The NSW Government has allocated $150 million to the Centre of Excellence Fund.

Up to $90 million will be available in 2022-2023 (Round 2).

• Centre of Excellence Fund grants are for the capital cost of the project only. Applicants are responsible for project administration costs, non-fixed or movable equipment and the ongoing operation of the facility. 
• The grant amount requested by an applicant must be a minimum of $5 million and cannot exceed $15 million. All applications are required to provide a minimum 50% financial co-contribution of the estimated total project cost (e.g. if an applicant’s estimated total project cost is $30 million, they must demonstrate at least a $15 million co-contribution). Financial hardship applications can be made through the application process. 
• All successful applicants must enter into a funding agreement with the Office of Sport. Grant payments will not be made until an executed funding agreement is in place and the Office of Sport will not be responsible for any project expenditure until this time. The standard funding agreement terms and conditions are published on the Office of Sport website and no amendments will be considered unless essential to the delivery of a funded project. 

• Project governance (e.g. establishment and operation of a project control group to oversee the delivery of the project) and planning activities (e.g. activities associated with obtaining planning approval including submitting a Development Application) are to commence within three months of the execution date of the funding agreement.

• Project construction is to commence by February 2024, and project construction is expected to be completed within two years of commencing. Funding approval may include certain conditions that have been determined throughout the assessment process.

• Applications should identify the risk of a project not proceeding should the full grant amount requested not be approved. The Office of Sport reserves the right to recommend grant amounts that may differ from the amount requested in the application. Any such details will be specified in a written offer as well as the funding agreement. 
• Projects that are not the focus of the Centre of Excellence Fund will be encouraged to consider an application under other grant programs (e.g., Female Friendly Community Sport Facilities and Lighting Upgrades and Local Sport Grant Program).

Eligible applicants

To be considered eligible, the project must be submitted through the Office of Sport SmartyGrants website.

Eligible applicants are: 

• NSW Office of Sport recognised State Sporting Organisations (including National Sporting Organisations where the state body is part of a unitary governance model) 

• National Sporting Organisations 

• NSW Institute of Sport, Australian Sports Commission (incorporating the Australian Institute of Sport) and NSW Regional Academies of Sport  

• Australian Universities with NSW campuses  

• NSW Department of Education operated specialist sports high schools  

• NSW based professional sporting organisations competing in a national or state competition 

• NSW based sporting clubs and associations, with the approval of their state or national body 

• NSW Local Government Authorities, the Unincorporated Far West Region and the Lord Howe Island Board 

• Private enterprises (for-profit organisations). 

Applications that adopt a partnership approach will be considered favourably. Applicants are encouraged to engage with all levels of government (i.e. federal, state and local), other State and National Sporting Organisations and Sporting Organisations for People with Disability, NSW based professional sporting organisations, and relevant peak sporting bodies in the development of their project. 

Ineligible applicants

Ineligible applicants are any organisation types not listed in the ‘Eligible Applicants’ section, and include (but are not limited to): 

• Individuals 

• Schools (other than NSW Department of Education operated specialist sports high schools) and TAFEs 

• Parent and Citizens (P&C’s) Associations 

• Other community based or religious groups that do not have a primary purpose of sport and/or recreation 

• Progress associations. 

An eligible organisation will be deemed not eligible for funding under this program if they are an organisation named: (i) by the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse on its list of institutions that have not joined or signified their intent not to join the Scheme; or (ii) in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that has not yet joined the National Redress Scheme.

Types of eligible projects

To be considered eligible, the project must be submitted through the Office of Sport SmartyGrants website.

Eligible projects must be on land within NSW and applicants must provide a signed letter of consent from any landowners for the project on the land on which the facility is to be developed. 

Additional information also sought includes evidence of applicant’s tenure and lease arrangements. 

Applications should be limited to constructing new or enhancing existing Centres of Excellence that maximise community engagement and demonstrate enhanced inclusion of dedicated female programs and facilities to improve pathways for women and girls.  

Application process

Step 1: Check your eligibility

• Before you apply, please read the guidelines and related materials to make sure you understand all relevant requirements.
• You can find the relevant information on the Office of Sport’s website https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/grants.

Step 2: Prepare your application

• Applying for the Centre of Excellence Fund is a simple process using the SmartyGrants platform https://sport.smartygrants.com.au/COEF-2022-23.
• The Office of Sport recommends that applicants familiarise themselves with the online application form ahead of preparing the application and plan ahead of the closing date. You can download a copy of the application form prior to commencing your application.
• Applicants must prepare a detailed business case in line with NSW Government Business Case Guidelines that includes a case for change, cost benefit analysis, financial analysis, commercial analysis, and management analysis. The complexity and the size of the business case should be proportional to the scope, value, and complexity of the project.
• A business case template is available on the Office of Sport’s website. Applicants are permitted to use their own format given it follows the same structure as the business case template.

Step 3:  Submit your application

• Complete the application by filling in each of the sections (including completing a business case and providing supporting documentation).
• Submit the application by the closing date/time of 1pm, Monday 5 December 2022.
• Successful submissions will be issued with a SmartyGrants system generated acknowledgement email containing a PDF copy of the application which will confirm the time the application was submitted.

Late applications and supporting documentation

• If for some unforeseen reason you are not able to lodge your application or supporting document(s) on time, you must contact infrastructuregrants@sport.nsw.gov.au at the earliest possible time and within one hour of the closing date/time.
• Late applications and supporting document(s) can only be considered where an applicant has started an application in SmartyGrants prior to the closing date/time and where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process.
• Any late supporting documentation received within five working days after the closing date/time may be taken into consideration for assessment by the Program Team.
• The final determination on whether a late application or supporting document(s) will be accepted will be made by the Grant Assessment Panel supported by a probity advisor.

Supporting documents

• Program Guidelines

• Frequently Asked Questions

• State/National Sporting Organisation Statement of Support Form

• Facility Usage Schedule

• Business Case template

• Budget template

• Funding Agreement template

Contact us

Get in touch for more information about eligibility criteria, timeframes, and costs; or if you have any questions about the application process.

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Past recipients

Centre of Excellence Fund 2022-23 Recipients
Centre of Excellence Fund 2021-22 Recipients