Her Sport Her Way Grant Program

The Her Sport Her Way Grant Program is a key initiative of the NSW Government’s Her Sport Her Way strategy. The Program aligns with the Office of Sport Strategic Plan and supports sports participation plans. It provides more than $2.5 million over four years to assist our NSW State Sporting Organisations to develop and deliver new initiatives to increase participation of women and girls in sport, on and off the field, with a focus on diversity and inclusion.

Important dates

The following dates are indicative and apply only to this round.

Applications open Wednesday 19, October 2022
Applications closed
Outcomes advised January 2023 onwards
Funding agreements executed for successful projects January 2023 onwards
Projects to be completed June 2024

Program objectives

The Program aims to increase opportunities for women and girls, on and off the field, throughout NSW. The key objectives of the Program are to:

Increase the number of women and girls playing sport

Improve the retention of adolescent girls
Increase the number of women in leadership positions both on and off the field
Improve gender inclusive sporting cultures and environments

Grant funding

A total of $650,000 (Ex GST) is available for the Program in 2022/23.

The grant amount requested by an applicant must be a minimum of $10,000 and cannot exceed $50,000 per project.

Applicants may apply for more than one project, or multiple locations however the maximum available to any one Organisation is $50,000.

The amount requested should reflect the scale and reach of the project and the Organisation’s contribution to the project.

All applications are required to provide a minimum 25% co-contribution of the total project cost.

Co-contributions can be financial, or in-kind, such as staff time directly related to the funded project or through use of voluntary labour or services.
If you have an established partnership and the agreement includes a financial component, this can be included in the applicant contribution as part of the overall budget or scope of the project.
Contributions will be considered as part of the assessment process. The greater the contribution the more favourably the project will be looked upon.

Eligible Applicants

NSW State Sporting Organisations recognised by the Office of Sport . Check your eligibility against Recognised State Sporting Organisations in NSW.

Eligible Organisations are encouraged to partner with other Organisations, including those with specific experience working with women and girls and under-represented communities.

Ineligible applicants

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

Sporting clubs and associations
Individuals and groups of individuals

An Eligible Applicant will be deemed ineligible 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 not signified their intent 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

Project category and description	Eligible project examples
Participation Projects that aim to reduce barriers to participation for women and girls and create innovative, inclusive sport experiences that reflect what women and girls want.	Projects or programs designed to attract new women and girl participants e.g. where a new program is created or an existing program offering is adapted to address specific barriers for women and girls, and where relevant, the needs of under-represented groups Projects or programs that are based on or include consultation with women and girls in order to inform a new program or adaption of an existing program or participation offering will be prioritised Initiatives that engage with adolescent girls and are designed to address adolescent drop out e.g. youth designed and led programs Programs that engage key influencers to facilitate girls’ participation in sport, such as parents, coaches, and teachers
Leadership Projects that aim to attract, develop, and retain female coaches, officials and leaders, and projects that recognise and celebrate their achievements.	Initiatives that support and promote leadership opportunities for adolescent girls including those not currently involved in sport • Projects that lead to improved pathways and the visibility of female coaches and officials e.g. mentoring and scholarship programs Projects with a youth engagement approach that encourage and support young women to advance their careers in sport and aspire to leadership positions Initiatives that recognise and increase the visibility of role models to inspire participation for women and girls to aspire to leadership roles or increase participation e.g. case studies and digital storytelling
Capability Projects that aim to build the capability of Organisations to increase the participation of women and girls both on and off the field, and projects that build gender inclusive sporting cultures and environments.	Community activation events, forums and education sessions that share experiences and successful engagement strategies for women and girls in sport Initiatives that engage with adolescent girls to guide policy and product development e.g. peer to peer platforms and youth advisory groups Projects that increase the effectiveness of boards and management in relation to female participation such as improvements to policies, processes, stakeholder relationships, strategic planning and whole of sport communication Projects that build a positive, gender inclusive culture across the organisation Research projects that contribute to the information/evidence base about women and girls as participants to assist sport organisations make decisions about operations, planning and future delivery options e.g. facility audit; data collection; consumer insights

The Program will not fund the following projects or project costs:

Retrospective funding, where projects have commenced or have been completed at the time of application
Projects that have already been funded by the NSW Government unless significant new and additional scope is identified
Projects that will not be completed by June 2024
Project administration costs and staff wages not directly related to the project
Appearance fees, prize money, trophies, and presentation functions
Entertainment, hospitality, catering, food and drink
Events that are organised for the primary purpose of fundraising, including charity fundraising events
Purchase of land, rental of premises or associated occupancy payments
General running costs including capital equipment or office equipment
Insurance costs (public liability, general liability, etc.)
Infrastructure projects (e.g. construction, upgrade, maintenance, and repairs).

Each application will be checked for eligibility by the Office of Sport. All applications including those with uncertain eligibility assessment will be referred to the Grant Assessment Panel for final determination on eligibility.

Application process

How to apply

Step 1: Check your eligibility

Check your eligibility against Recognised State Sporting Organisations in NSW.
If you are not eligible, you can partner with an eligible organisation, although they will need to be the applicant organisation and submit the application.

Step 2: Understand the requirements

Before you apply, please read these guidelines and related materials including the Supporting Document checklist to make sure you understand all relevant requirements, including whether you are eligible to apply.
You can find the relevant information on the Office of Sport’s website: Her Sport Her Way Grant Program
For questions relating to the grants program please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Step 3: Prepare your application

Seek support for the project by forming partnerships with key stakeholders
Gather your evidence including letters of support, consultation reports and participation data etc.
Complete the Her Sport Her Way Participation Planning Tool
Check your project’s alignment with Her Sport Her Way strategy, State/ National sports plans, the Office of Sport Strategic Plan 2020-24
Review information session presentation and Think Tanks resources including latest research and insights, practical case studies and promising programs
For specific assistance with the SmartyGrants system, email grantsunit@sport.nsw.gov.au or call 13 13 02 during standard office hours.

Step 4: Submit your application

Projects must be submitted through the SmartyGrants website to be considered eligible.
Applying for a grant is a simple process using the SmartyGrants website.
The Office of Sport recommends that applicants familiarise themselves with the online application form ahead of preparing the application and plan to submit ahead of the closing date to reduce the risk of missing the deadline.
Complete your application by filling in each of the sections.
Upload all required supporting documentation.
Submit your application before the closing date and time.
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

Program evaluation and reporting

Organisations will be required to report against the Her Sport Her Way Grant Program Evaluation Framework and any evaluation conditions outlined in the Funding Agreement.
Successful applicants will be required to:
Attend an evaluation workshop that will address the evaluation framework requirements
Provide progress reports against key milestones
Develop a case study and/or digital story to share and promote successful approaches and/or strategies
Successful applicants will be supported with evaluation requirements in partnership with SPRINTER (SPort & Recreation INTervention & Epidemiology Research).