Australian Sports Foundation – Sport Recovery Grants

This program aims to restore grassroots sport to communities affected by the bushfires or other natural disasters. It will be focusing on the organisations and community members who have been affected by the recent bushfires – or in different parts of the country, floods or other disasters – and require assistance to resume playing sport in their community.

The objective of the program is to encourage and support the return participation of all Australians in sport in the wake of the bushfires and similar natural disasters to ensure that sport can play its important role in healing and restoring communities.

For the purposes of this program, a natural disaster is any catastrophic event that is caused by nature or the natural processes of the earth. Examples include earthquakes, bushfires, landslides, hurricanes, floods, heat waves, severe hailstorms and droughts. The current Covid-19 pandemic is not a 'natural disaster' for these purposes, and a separate response is being planned to address this crisis.

Grants of up to $20,000 are available.

Only one application per organisation will be accepted.

Eligible applicants must:
- Be in an area affected by the 2019-20 Australian bushfires or other natural disasters, or be applying for members that have been impacted by these disasters.
- Be a not-for-profit with the Australian Sports Foundation.
- Be a not-for-profit with an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Intend to spend the funds within 12 months of receiving them.

Priority will be given to applications from volunteer run organisations.

Eligible activities include:
- Replacing lost or damaged sporting equipment or kit.
- Replacing lost or damaged uniforms.
- Replacing lost or damaged small infrastructure items such as canteen equipment, mowers, rollers etc.
- Providing fee relief or other financial support to members who have suffered loss or damage to property, homes or businesses, and who may also need help getting back into sport.

Items referred to must have been damaged or destroyed in the 2019-20 Australian bushfires or other natural disasters, restricting access to sport.

The main assessment criteria include:
- The legitimacy of the application and its alignment to the intended outcomes of the program.
- How well the intended project restores sport to the community after bushfire damage or natural disaster.
- The evidence of need and clarity of how granted funds will be used provided with the application.

The following are ineligible for funding:
- Organisations or clubs that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
- Replacement or repair sporting equipment, kit, uniforms or small infrastructure that have not been damaged in the 2019-20 Australian bushfires or other natural disasters.
- Replacement or repair of sporting equipment, kit, uniforms or small infrastructure that have been damaged by fire due to arson, accidents, malfunctions or anything else unrelated to the bushfires or natural disasters.
- Replacement or repair of large infrastructure such as sports ovals and recreation centres.
- Purchasing of vehicles.
- Purchasing of equipment that is not specific to restoring sport.
- Fee relief for members of the sporting community that have not been impacted by the bushfires or other natural disasters.
- Fee relief for members of the community that have been affected by Covid-19.