Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: From $3,000 to $25,000
- Application opened: 14 August 2026
- Application closes: 6 October 2026, 1:00 pm
Program objective
We encourage all applicants to read the Program Guidelines carefully before applying. A copy of the FAQs is also available to assist you throughout the application process.
The key objectives of the program are to:
Support Aboriginal-led Prevention through Sport: Enable Aboriginal communities, organisations and leaders to design and deliver primary prevention activities that reflect local priorities, strengths, culture and Aboriginal ways of knowing.
Promote safe, respectful and inclusive sporting environments: Support projects that use sport and active recreation to strengthen respectful relationships, challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours, and promote safety, inclusion and belonging
Address the drivers of DFSV in culturally meaningful ways: Support projects that respond to the gendered, colonial and social drivers of domestic, family and sexual violence in ways that are culturally safe, strengths-based, trauma-informed and community-led.
Build local capability and partnerships for prevention: Strengthen the ability of Aboriginal communities, sport and active recreation organisations, ACCOs, DFSV prevention specialists and local partners to work together and embed prevention into everyday sporting activities, leadership, policies, practices and community engagement.
Strengthen learning and impact through Aboriginal-led reflection and evaluation in sport: Embedding culturally appropriate reflection, continuous evaluation and storytelling to understand what works, what is meaningful for communities, identify opportunities to strengthen impact and how Aboriginal-led approaches can inform future prevention activity and investment.
This program is administered by Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Eligible applicants must have the legal, financial and operational capacity to manage and deliver the proposed project. The applicant organisation will submit the application, enter into the funding agreement with the Office of Sport, receive the grant funding, and is responsible for delivering and acquitting the project.
There are two ways an organisation can be eligible to apply. Both must use the partnership model outlined in section 2.1.1 of the Program Guidelines.
Who can apply: An Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO)/Aboriginal-led organisation
Required Partnership: Must include at least one project partner. The partner does not also need to be Aboriginal-led.
Project Requirement: The project must meet the definition of an Aboriginal-led project in section 1.3 and be delivered through sport or active recreation.
Who can apply: A sport, recreation or local government organisation
Required Partnership: Must include at least one Aboriginal organisation or community group as a project partner.
Project Requirement: The project must meet the definition of an Aboriginal-led project in section 1.3 and be delivered through sport or active recreation.
Aboriginal-led applicants
The following organisations are eligible to apply:
- an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth).
- NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALC) under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW).
- Aboriginal-owned businesses, with a minimum 51 per cent Aboriginal ownership and operation (for example, Supply Nation certified or NSWICC Registered)
- Incorporated Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), including (but not limited to):
- Aboriginal Medical Services
- Regional Alliances
- Aboriginal-led health, family, youth, wellbeing and place-based services
- Aboriginal-led sport or active recreation organisations
Aboriginal-led applicants must meet the definition of an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO)/Aboriginal-led organisation in the Program Guidelines.
Sport, active recreation and local government applicants
The following sport, recreation and local government organisations are eligible to apply:
- Incorporated, community-based or not-for-profit organisations delivering sport and active recreation, who are an:
- Incorporated association registered with NSW Fair Trading
- Australian public company limited by guarantee
- Trust registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC)
- Non-distributing co-operative registered with NSW Fair Trading
- NSW Office of Sport recognised State Sporting Organisations (SSOs) and State Sporting Organisations for People with Disability (SSODs)
- Local government authorities in NSW
- Regional Joint Organisations of Councils, the Lord Howe Island Board and Unincorporated Far West groups
All applicants must meet the partnership requirements outlined in the Guidelines.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Eligible projects must:
- Be delivered in NSW.
- Use sport or active recreation as the primary engagement setting.
- Meet the definition of Aboriginal-led project in section 1.3.
- Address one or more relevant primary prevention drivers of DFSV outlined in section 1.
- Be completed by 1 December 2027.
Projects may engage Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants within the sporting environment where the project responds to Aboriginal community priorities and is intended to contribute to positive outcomes for Aboriginal communities.
When the project can start and end
The project must be completed by 1 December 2027.
What costs you can apply for
Eligible project costs may include, but are not limited to:
- Venue hire for project delivery
- Minor equipment, materials and resources required specifically for project activities
- Promotion, communications, marketing and community engagement materials directly related to the project
- Specialist facilitator, trainer, cultural advisor or other specialist contractor fees
- Accessibility costs, including transport support, interpreters, childcare or other participation supports where needed
- Reasonable payment for Aboriginal cultural knowledge, community leadership, Elders, speakers or lived/living expertise where directly related to the project
- Reasonable catering for project activities, workshops, yarning circles, community gatherings or training sessions, where the cost is directly related to delivery of the project. Catering must be proportionate to the number of participants, duration, and nature of the activity.
- Travel and accommodation where it’s essential to project delivery, particularly for regional or remote participation
- Staff salary or wage costs for time directly attributable to project delivery (limited to no more than 10% of the total grant amount).
Who can’t apply
Ineligible applicants are any organisation types not listed in the ‘Eligible Applicants’ section, and include (but are not limited to):
- Unincorporated groups that are not applying through an eligible applicant.
- Parents and Citizens (P&C) Associations.
- State and Federal Government departments and agencies.
- Schools and TAFEs.
- NSW Institute of Sport, Australian Sports Commission (incorporating the Australian Institute of Sport) and NSW Regional Academies of Sport.
- For-profit commercial organisations, unless they are listed as an eligible applicant under this section, such as an eligible Aboriginal-owned business or eligible NSW-based professional sporting organisation
- 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. They are also ineligible to participate as project partners.
What costs you can't apply for
Ineligible costs
- Costs associated with preparing and submitting the grant application
- General administration costs, or organisational overheads that are not directly related to the Project.
- Prize money, trophies and presentation functions.
- Entertainment, hospitality, catering, food and drink not directly related to the Project. The purchase of alcohol will not be funded in any circumstances.
- Events organised primarily for fundraising purposes, including charity fundraising events.
- Purchase of land, rental of premises for the organisation’s administrative and operational requirements, or associated occupancy payments.
- General running costs including capital equipment, insurance costs (public liability and general liability insurance).
- Infrastructure projects (e.g. construction, upgrade, maintenance, and repairs).
- Costs of engaging an independent evaluator or evaluation consultant.
Project budgets should not include any ineligible costs. These will be removed by assessors if included, at the absolute discretion of the Office of Sport.
Types of projects not funded under this grant
Ineligible projects
- Projects that do not meet the definition of an Aboriginal-led project
- Projects focused primarily on increasing sport or active recreation participation, where there is no clear and explicit link to DFSV primary prevention outcomes.
- Projects whose primary purpose is crisis response, victim-survivor support, case management, counselling, perpetrator intervention or tertiary response
- Projects that do not use sport or active recreation as the primary setting for engagement and delivery
- 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 1 December 2027.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
- Evidence of applicant eligibility
- Evidence confirming incorporation status or Aboriginal governance, ownership or another relevant eligibility requirement.
- Partnership evidence
- Information identifying each project partner, its organisation or group type, contact details, role and contribution, and whether it is an Aboriginal organisation or community group. Applicants must also explain the Aboriginal leadership and decision-making arrangements for the project.
- Project Plan
- An activity schedule identifying the main activities and timing, responsible parties, and the capability and capacity to deliver each activity.
- Project budget, supported by quotes or cost evidence
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Start the application
Step 1: Check your eligibility.
- See Eligible Applicants section of the Guidelines to see which organisations can apply for funding.
- If you are not eligible, you may be able to 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 the Guidelines and related materials including the application 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
Step 3: Prepare your application.
- Gather your evidence including project plans, letters of support, partnership evidence (where appropriate), quotes etc.
- Consider using the SmartyGrants tool, SmartyFile. The tool allows organisations to collaborate with team members, pre-fill information into forms and manage, view, search and sort submissions across multiple funders in one spot. Applicants with an ABN can use this function.
Step 4: Submit your application.
- Applying for a grant is a simple process using the SmartyGrants platform.
- 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. The SmartyGrants portal will not accept submission of an application unless all mandatory documents have been uploaded.
- Submit your application as soon as possible and before the closing date and time.
- You will be asked to declare that “The responses in this application and all supporting documents provided are to the best of my knowledge true and correct.” The application may be deemed ineligible if the application contains false or misleading statements.
- Projects must be submitted through the SmartyGrants website to be considered eligible.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Minister for Sport
The Aboriginal Sport for Respect Program is a targeted, competitive grant program where eligible applications will be assessed on their comparative merits against nominated criteria. The Program is administered by the Office of Sport in two stages:
- Eligibility check
- Merit assessment
Throughout the assessment process the Office of Sport may request additional information from the applicant.
An independent probity advisor will oversee the grant process and attend all Grant Assessment Panel meetings.
The Minister for Sport will consider the recommendations of the Grant Assessment Panel and make decisions relating to the approval of funding.
A copy of the Template Funding Agreement can be reviewed here.
Anticipated assessment outcome date is November 2026
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is Within two weeks of notification of outcome
Support and contact
The Office of Sport has engaged an Aboriginal advisory organisation to provide free and culturally safe support to prospective applicants throughout the application period. The Aboriginal Advisor can help with:
- Understanding the program objectives, eligibility requirements and application process.
- Understanding the published assessment criteria and how these relate to the program objectives.
- Navigating the grant application process and application requirements.
- Discussing project concepts and how proposed activities align with the program objectives.
- Discussing community partnerships and approaches that support delivery of Aboriginal-led initiatives.
- Providing general grant program guidance and responding to applicant enquiries.
- Providing phone and email support during business hours.
To ensure a fair and equitable application process, the Aboriginal Advisor cannot:
- Write, draft, complete or submit applications on behalf of applicants.
- Prepare budgets, project plans or supporting documentation for applicants.
- Re-write, edit or review application responses.
- Assess draft applications against the assessment criteria or provide an indication of likely funding success.
- Participate in the assessment, moderation or approval of grant applications.
Office of Sport staff are available to clarify interpretation of these Guidelines. They can also provide guidance relating to the online application process and referral on to the Aboriginal Advisor to provide culturally safe advice.
The Office of Sport Grants Team can be contacted via:
Phone: 13 13 02
Email: grants@sport.nsw.gov.au.