Frequently Asked Questions

Applications must be lodged by the date stated in the program guidelines that can be found on the Office of Sport website. The application must be lodged via the Office of Sport’s SmartyGrants platform.

It is good practice to complete the application in SmartyGrants well prior to the closing time. You are responsible for ensuring you have adequate technical capability, including sufficient bandwidth, to complete the application in SmartyGrants.

Late applications can only be made where an applicant has started an application in SmartyGrants prior to the closing date/time. 

If for some unforeseen reason you are not able to lodge your application on time, you must contact the Office of Sport at the earliest possible time and within one hour after the closing date/time.

A late application will only be considered where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process. The final determination on whether a late application will be accepted will be made by the Grant Assessment Panel supported by an independent probity advisor.

If any document is not available prior to the closing date/time and you would like to submit this for consideration you must contact infrastructuregrants@sport.nsw.gov.au to request late document submission and list the documents your request relates to. 

Late supporting documentation will only be accepted for applications already submitted in SmartyGrants before the closing date and time and will only be considered where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process. 

The final determination on whether a late supporting documentation will be accepted will be made by the Grant Assessment Panel supported by an independent probity advisor.

Applying for the grant is a simple process using the SmartyGrants platform. The application can be found on the Office of Sport SmartyGrants Page.

Before you apply, please read the guidelines and related materials to make sure you understand all the relevant requirements.

Save or scan any hard copy letters or quotes and save them as a PDF. These can then be uploaded in the relevant sections of your application. 

The Office of Sport staff are available to provide advice to applicants on interpreting the Grant Program Guidelines. However, staff are not able to provide advice that may be perceived as providing an unfair advantage to one applicant over another.

No. The Office of Sport cannot review or provide feedback on any grant applications. Frequently asked questions and answers are available on the grant program webpage and updated as required.

An applicant may only submit one (1) application per facility to the 2024/25 round of the Program. 

No. The application process is competitive. It is anticipated there will be multiple applications competing for the funding available. Successful applications will be those that best meet the objectives, focus, and aim of the program and the assessment criteria.

There are no appeals for unsuccessful applications. Feedback on your application will be provided with the grant outcome notification letter.  You may apply again in the next round of the program or to other suitable grant programs which are listed on the Office of Sport website and the NSW Government Grant and Funding Finder.

The NSW Government is allocating up to $800,000 to the Safe Shooting Program. The grant amount requested by an applicant must be a minimum of $10,000 and cannot exceed $50,000. 

No financial co-contribution is required; however, organisations may contribute financially or in-kind to the project and this will be considered as part of the merit assessment process. Regardless of your grant request, the greater the financial and/or in-kind contribution the more favourably the project will be looked upon.

Discounts are not permitted as in-kind support or considered a co-contribution.

No. Grant funding is available to cover only the capital cost of a project and any directly related project administration costs up to 10% of total costs.

Contingency refers to additional project funding that will only be used if the project actual costs exceed the expected total project cost. The total project cost is funded by the grant amount, any financial co-contribution from the applicant, and the contingency. A contingency of 5% - 10% of total project cost may be included but this is not mandatory.   

Office of Sport will not cover the cost of project overruns. If applications do not include a project contingency, any costs that exceed the expected total project cost must be covered by the grant recipient.

Eligible applications will be assessed against the Fund’s objectives and the following assessment criteria:

• Strategic justification
• Project scope and deliverables
• Project affordability
• Project deliverability and applicant capability

Assessment criteria for each category is detailed in the Safe Shooting Program Guidelines in the supporting documents section of the webpage. 

No. It is not mandatory to have a current approved Development Application however applicants who can demonstrate the project is ready to be delivered by providing evidence of an approved Development Application or that development consent is not required will be prioritised.

Yes. All 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. The template Landowner Consent Form available on the Office of Sport Grants website must be used.

Your organisation/association treasurer should have a certificate of incorporation, or you can search for your incorporated status with:

NSW Incorporated Associations Register
ASIC Register
Indigenous Corporations

Yes, all eligible applicants must be approved by the NSW Firearms Registry.

No. However, to receive grant payments successful applicants will require an ABN or provide a Statement of Supplier form.  If your application is successful, further information will be provided to you.

The Program can be used for (but is not limited to):

• Upgrade of firearms capital equipment and/or facilities to comply with Workplace Health & Safety legislation or as directed by the NSW Firearms Registry.
• Construction or implementation of new or upgraded security infrastructure that improves safety for users and the wider community. 
• New and upgraded provision of universally designed amenities that are beyond compliant with regard to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and provide dignified inclusion in sport participation, for example disability access, unisex toilets or change rooms designed to be female-friendly, including parent and child change spaces.
• Environmentally and operationally sustainable initiatives that support water, energy and financial savings including new or upgrades to lighting including technology-controlled and LED lighting and installation of solar panels and smart metering technology.
• Projects that contribute to the financial sustainability of eligible shooting associations or clubs. 
• Erection of higher earth mounds or safety baffles to combat urban encroachment.
• Buying or upgrading non-fixed equipment (e.g., electronic targetry, movable baffles and moveable bullet traps).
• Projects that improve the storage, security and safety capability of shooting clubs.
• Note that Office of Sport will not cover the cost of project overruns. Costs exceeding the budget must be covered by the grant recipient. Contingency may be requested via the application but is not mandatory.
• Priority may be given to facilities identified as: 
  • Being in poor or unserviceable condition. 
  • Addressing a demonstrated need for the community. 
  • High urgency to address facility building compliance requirements e.g. safety, building standards, including the DDA.

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

• Purchase of firearms or ammunition.
• Purchase of protective clothing.
• That do not meet relevant Australian standards.
• Projects on private land unless there is clear public benefit to the community’s interest in sport and active recreation and have documented consent from the landowner.
• Costs associated with preparing and submitting the application for funding under this program.
• Costs associated with feasibility, design, or development stages including feasibility studies, business cases and masterplans.
• Facilities where little or no public access is available.
• For the purchase or lease of land/facility.
• Related to administrative or operational expenditure which are normally the responsibility of businesses, state agencies or local councils.
• Retrospective funding, where projects have commenced construction or are completed prior to the execution of a funding agreement, or which could proceed without any NSW Government financial assistance.
• Projects that have already been funded by the NSW Government unless significant new and additional project scope is identified.
• General maintenance or replacement costs through normal wear and tear (e.g. painting, running costs and minor repairs to existing facilities).
• For the building or upgrade of licensed areas and gaming areas.
• Repair of facilities where the damage can be covered by insurance.
• Ancillary infrastructure e.g. car parks or accommodation.
• Project administration costs and costs for the ongoing operation of the facility.

Note that project budgets should not include any allocation of grant funding towards ineligible costs. These will be removed by assessors if included, at the absolute discretion of the Office of Sport. 

To demonstrate project need, you may upload letters of support from the local MP, council, and/or community groups.  Results of venue performance or safety audits may be provided. Photos of existing condition to show level of dilapidation or inadequacy are also very useful.

• Organisations registered for GST: exclude GST from the amount of funding requested in your project budget. GST will be paid to your organisation if successful.
• Organisations not registered for GST: include GST in the costs for your project budget. Please ensure that quotes you receive include GST charged by tradesmen or suppliers.

You can determine if your organisation is registered for GST by looking at your ABN details.  If you do not have an ABN, you are not registered for GST.

Universal Design is about creating an inclusive facility/society. It helps everyone navigate their environment easily and makes them feel that they belong in that place.

It is not a type of product, building style or even a set of standards – it is a design thinking process.

That means Universal Design can be applied to anything and everything that is designed, programmed, or participated in throughout our everyday lives and environments.

Designs should go beyond Construction Code of Australia or Access standards to ensure facilities are accessible to more people.

For further information see:

NSW Government Architect

NSW Government Architect - Urban Design for Regional NSW

What is Universal Design | Centre for Excellence in Universal Design

Inclusive and accessible facilities consider Universal Design in their approach.
 
Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their gender, age, size, ability or disability. Refer to the Universal Design Australia for more information.

Applicants applying for construction projects are encouraged to present detailed design plans; however, DA concept design plans will also be accepted. The more progressed a project’s design the greater level of confidence there will be in project cost, risk profile and delivery schedule.

If you have been successful in receiving a grant from the Office of Sport and need to change the contact details, please send your updated details to Infrastructure Grants infrastructuregrants@sport.nsw.gov.au and identify the grant program and your grant number.

All successful applicants will receive detailed information about how they must acknowledge NSW Government funding for infrastructure projects. Projects funded will typically require a statement of funding acknowledgment in the applicant’s annual reports and media releases; and a statement and the NSW Government logo included on temporary and permanent building signage, related websites and invitations and other funding related materials. Successful applicants will receive full guidelines, logo and signage template files.

Further details about acknowledgment of NSW Government funding for infrastructure projects can be found here.

Physical onsite works that are part of the installation of fixed capital equipment or the commencement of project construction. These works include, but are not limited to, early works construction packages, site clearing and demolition, upgrades or installation of capital equipment, earthworks or building works. You should not commence works until a Funding Agreement has been executed (signed by both parties).  Any costs incurred prior to execution of the Funding Agreement are undertaken at the applicant's own risk.

The Office of Sport will contact the successful applicants to claim the grant within two weeks of being notified of success. Failure to claim the grant within two weeks of notification may result in the Office of Sport withdrawing the offer of funding.

Grant payments will not be made until an executed funding agreement (terms and conditions) is in place and the Office of Sport will not be responsible for any project expenditure until this time.    

A financial acquittal will be required within 30 days of project completion within SmartyGrants. This will require you to provide evidence of expenditure on the project e.g. copies of receipts, paid invoices, remittance advice, transaction listings from your finance system, bank statement or similar. The acquittal certificate must be signed by two office bearers of the recipient organisation stating that the funding had been spent in accordance with the grant application and terms and conditions. 

If you are provided a grant, it is your responsibility to put in place adequate controls to prevent fraud and corruption and avoid negligence. This requirement is stipulated in the funding agreement terms and conditions.

Fraud is defined by the Independent Commission Against Corruption as “dishonestly obtaining a benefit, or causing a loss, by deception or other means”, and corruption as “deliberate or intentional wrongdoing, not negligence or a mistake”. Grant recipients may experience fraud, corruption or negligence when dealing with contractors in the project, or within their own organisation or its governance. In general, negligence can be defined as the failure to take proper care over or for something.

Appropriate management of procurement processes, the management of contracts and contractors, the establishment of appropriate project management practices (including governance and oversight), and the declaration and management of conflicts of interest are common controls used to prevent or control such incidents. The Office of Sport does not cover the loss of project funding due to fraud, corruption or negligence on behalf of the grant recipient which may also result in the termination of a funding agreement for a grant.

If you experience fraud, corruption or negligence, you should notify the Office of Sport. The Office of Sport can help your organisation work any variations required, except additional funding, to manage the impact on the project.

Fraud and corruption should always be reported to the police. More information about reporting fraud and corruption can be found at:

https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/frauds_and_scams

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/report-fraud

https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/buying-products-and-services/scams