Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund
The Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund will foster the benefits of sport in communities. This fund will invest in new and existing facilities to improve the participation and performance in sports at all levels.
The NSW Government is determined to ensure regions remain vibrant communities. The Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund will ensure that NSW has a network of spaces and places that enable quality sport and active recreation participation and performance at all levels.
The Fund objectives are to:
- increase the number and type of regional sporting facilities
- improve the standard of existing regional sporting facilities
- increase participation in sport.
The Fund will focus on larger sporting facilities that deliver the best regional outcomes for the community. The Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund provides grants between $1 million and $10 million for regional sport hubs or regionally significant sport facilities.
Smaller sport and active recreation projects may be eligible for the Stronger Country Communities Fund. $100 million has been made available for these type of projects in Round 2, which opened on Monday 12 March and closes on Friday 4 May 2018.
Downloads
Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund guidelines (PDF, 824.5 KB)
Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund fact sheet (PDF, 215.6 KB)
Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund frequently asked questions (PDF, 244.29 KB)
Regional Sport Hubs Model Draft Report - August 2017 (PDF, 2.16 MB)
Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund Webinar
22 March 2018
Duration: 26:41 minutes
The webinar outlines the recent changes to the Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund and highlights the 2018 program guidelines.
Provided by: The Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC)
Eligibility
Funding for the Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund is available for projects in all 92 regional local government areas, Lord Howe Island and the Unincorporated Far West from eligible applicants.
Eligible applicants are:
- local government authorities
- NSW state sporting organisations
- incorporated, community-based, not for- profit sporting organisations (clubs and associations whose primary purpose is to organise sporting activities/deliver sport programs) and those organisations providing sport and recreation programs that benefit the community such as PCYCs, YMCA and YWCA
- educational organisations (such as schools, TAFEs and universities) in conjunction with local councils, and local or state sporting entities
- private enterprises.
The land on which the facility is to be developed must be one of the following and substantiated with evidence e.g. land ownership and tenure, lease arrangements:
- Crown reserve land
- land owned by a public authority (for example, municipal property)
- land held for public purposes by trustees under a valid lease, title or trust deed that adequately protects the interests of the public
- land vested in NSW Aboriginal Land Councils under the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983
- private land that benefits the community’s interests in sport and active recreation.
Purpose of funds
The Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund will give priority to proposals that establish regional sport hubs and enhance regionally significant sport facilities. Proposals aligned with a state/national sporting organisation’s facility strategies and aim to improve participation in sport will be given priority.
Assessment
Expressions of Interest and detailed applications/business cases that are eligible and comply with the application requirements will be assessed against the Fund objectives, project types and three assessment criteria – strategic alignment, affordability, deliverability.
Criteria 1: Strategic alignment |
The strategic assessment considers alignment of the project with a range of strategic priorities for sport and recreation including NSW Government priorities, state/national sporting organisation and local council strategic plans. The project’s capacity to improve participation in sport and the use of sporting facilities will also be assessed. The assessment also considers the urgency and continuing need for the project to be delivered. |
Criteria 2: Affordability |
All proposals need to demonstrate affordability of the project relative to the available funding, taking into account net lifecycle costs, and allowing for ongoing operating and maintenance requirements. This also includes an assessment of a range of fundamental project planning requirements. The assessment focuses on the robustness of the project cost planning, including if the funding is for a new or existing asset, how detailed and realistic the budget is, if other funding has been secured, and if the nominating organisation has an existing plan and budget in place to manage project costs. The organisation must also have the capacity and financial sustainability to fund and manage ongoing operation and maintenance of the infrastructure over its lifetime. Only projects with a minimum financial co-contribution of 25 per cent of the total grant amount will be considered, unless financial hardship can be demonstrated. Projects with greater financial co-contribution will be considered favourably. |
Criteria 3: Deliverability |
All applicants will need to demonstrate they have the capacity to deliver the project through robust strategies for procurement, project management and risk management. Additionally the applicant will need to clearly demonstrate how any partnership model (including asset management) would be administered to deliver the project. |
How to apply
The Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund is administered by the Office of Sport in collaboration with the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Applying for the Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund is a two-step process.
Step 1: Submit an Expression of Interest
Applicants must supply high-level technical and administrative information about the project by 5pm on Friday 4 May 2018. The proposal must include a realistic budget and identify other funding partners.
Depending on the sports that are proposed to utilise the facility, a letter of support from the relevant state/national sporting organisation or organisations must be included with the Expression of Interest.
The NSW Government will review Expressions of Interest against the fund objectives and eligibility criteria outlined in this document, and assessment criteria contained in the fact sheet.
Applicants can seek advice and assistance from the Office of Sport on eligibility criteria, fund objectives, definition of regional sport hubs and regionally significant sport facilities.
Please refer to the Expression of Interest Checklist when you are preparing and submitting an Expression of Interest.
Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund Financial hardship form (Word) (DOCX, 2 MB)
Step 2: Submit a detailed application/business case
If an Expression of Interest is successful, the applicant will be requested to formally submit a detailed application (project plan and budget) or a business case, based on the scope of the project. The applicant must also complete a Project Benefits Summary.
Relevant parties will be required to provide significantly more detail regarding their project, including information on their ability to carry out the project in the appropriate time frame and the competitiveness of the proposal against factors such as value for money, sustainability and the level of contingency/risk.
Detailed applications or business cases and the Project Benefits Summary must be submitted by Friday 31 August 2018.
A detailed application is required for projects under $5 million and a business case is required for projects over $5 million.
Please use detailed application templates (project plan and budget) when you are preparing a detailed application for projects under $5 million.
A sample business case template is available for applicants with projects valued over $5 million.
A Project Benefits Summary template is to be used by applicants.
Detailed application project plan template (Word) (DOCX, 185.83 KB)
Detailed application project budget template (Excel) (XLSX, 25.83 KB)
Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund Financial hardship form (Word) (DOCX, 2 MB)
Project benefits summary template (Word) (DOCX, 2 MB)
To submit your detailed application or business case
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The NSW Government can provide guidance on business case developmentOffice of Regional Development staff can be contacted on: |
Opening and Closing Dates
- The Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund opens for Expressions of Interest on Thursday 15 March 2018 and closes at 5pm on Friday 4 May 2018.
- The detailed application/business case phase is expected to commence mid-June 2018 and close 5pm on Friday 31 August 2018.
- Detailed applications or business cases from previous applicants opting to proceed to step two are due by 5pm on Friday 4 May 2018.
Extra help preparing an effective business caseA webinar video to help applicants prepare effective business cases for Regional Growth Fund applications is now available to watch on the Regional NSW website. A list of Frequently Asked Questions about preparing a business case is also available on the website. |
Office of Regional Development staff are available to discuss project eligibility, the application process and support business case developmentEmail: regionalnsw.business@dpc.nsw.gov.au(link sends e-mail) |
Apply now
The Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund closed for Expressions of Interest at 5pm on Friday 4 May 2018.
Applications closed: 4 May 2018
2017/18 Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund recipients
FAQs
All potential applicants are encouraged to regularly review the Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund frequently asked questions (PDF, 244.29 KB) to ensure that their application addresses the relevant requirements.