Female Friendly Community Sport Facilities and Lighting Upgrades Grant Program

Prior to your application, you will need to collate the following essential support material: 

• a landowner consent form for the project on the land on which the facility is to be developed or redeveloped.
• a landowner consent form or signed letter of consent from the appropriate authorised delegate must be provided for projects located on public land. For example, for projects located on public school land a letter of support for the specific project must be provided from School Infrastructure NSW as part of the application.
• evidence of applicant’s tenure and lease arrangements.

Late applications

• Late applications can only be considered where an applicant has started an application in SmartyGrants prior to the closing date/time.
• A late application will only be considered where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process.
• Any requests received prior to closing will have their application form re-opened for late submission in SmartyGrants until 5pm on the day of closing.
• The final determination on whether a late application will be accepted will be made by the Grant Assessment Panel supported by a probity advisor.

Late supporting documentation

• 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 within one hour of the closing date/time.
• Late supporting documentation will only be accepted for applications already submitted in SmartyGrants and where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process. Any late supporting documentation received within 24 hours after the closing date/time will be taken into consideration for assessment by the Program Team.
• The final determination on whether a late supporting documentation will be accepted will be made by the Grant Assessment Panel supported by a probity advisor.

Make sure that you have read and addressed all of the eligibility criteria outlined above. In addition:

• All applications are required to provide a minimum 25% financial co-contribution of the grant amount requested (e.g., if an applicant’s grant amount requested is $200,000, they should demonstrate at least a $50,000 financial co-contribution, therefore the total project cost will be $250,000).
• Applicants that cannot meet the funding co-contribution expectation may apply for financial hardship. A financial hardship application provides applicants the opportunity to outline why they should be exempt from the requirement to provide a minimum 25% financial co-contribution of the grant amount requested. Financial hardship applications are to be made as part of the application process.
• Financial hardship may be granted where a project is located in a disadvantaged area of NSW and/or is recovering from a significant natural disaster or pandemic (e.g., COVID-19 or other exceptional circumstances). The Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA), published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), will assist in measuring disadvantage.
• All successful applicants must enter into a funding agreement with the Office of Sport. Grant payments will not be made until an executed funding agreement is in place and the Office of Sport will not be responsible for any project expenditure until this time. Project construction is to commence by 30 June 2023, and it is expected that project construction will be completed by 30 June 2025. Funding approval may also have specific conditions that have been determined during the assessment process.
• Applicants can submit up to three (3) applications in total. The applicant can advise of their project priority ranking in the application form. All projects will then be assessed in line with the Guidelines.
   

Eligible applications will be assessed against the Program’s objectives, focus, and aim and the following assessment criteria:

• Strategic justification
• Project scope and inclusive design
• Project affordability
• Project deliverability and applicant capability.

Merit assessment criteria

Criterion 1: Strategic justification (30%)

• Describe how the project creates or enhances a safe, accessible facility that fosters welcoming community spaces and environments for women and girls.
• Explain how the project will lead to increased participation in sport or active recreation, and increased facility utilisation for women and girls and other user groups including people with disability, First Nations peoples and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities (attach a Facility Usage Schedule to support such increases).
• Describe how the project aligns with your organisation’s gender equality and participation plans and will support existing and proposed initiatives and policies to sustain equality for female participation. Provide details and supporting evidence of National/ State/ Local Sporting Organisation support for project(s) where relevant.
• Explain how the project will support existing gender equality plans of local government, NSW Government including the women in sport strategy - Her Sport Her Way and/or state sport organisation/peak body.
• Provide details of community profile, demonstrated need, key user groups, primary project beneficiaries and the project urgency specifically for women and girls.
• Describe community and stakeholder consultation, management, and project support (provide relevant attachments and support letters).

Criterion 2: Project scope and inclusive design (20%)

• Provide a clear scope of proposed project works. Identify eligible and ineligible project components.
• Describe how elements of the project’s design and physical environment will specifically cater to women and girls who use the facility. Include details of who was consulted as part of developing the project proposal and highlight how women and girls were involved in co-creation of the design.
• Describe how elements of the project’s design and physical environment will specifically cater to women and girls, people with disability, First Nations peoples, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
• Provide supporting documentation such as facility design brief, concept, schematic or detailed design plans.
• Identify any Design Principles outlined in the program guidelines that have been incorporated into the project, and specifically how the project incorporates environmental sustainability and climate resiliency into design, construction, and operation. Provide details such as choice of materials, technologies and practices that have been incorporated e.g. energy and water conservation taps, sustainable and climate resilient materials for flooring.
• Outline any other best practice approaches in the design, development and delivery of the project that address the Program’s objectives.
• Explain any placed-based planning showing:
  • the location of the project
  • any co-location with other key infrastructure
  • if it is accessible and convenient
  • if it has considered Connecting with Country and Designing with Country.

Criterion 3: Project affordability (20%)

• Provide a detailed project budget including capital costs and funding sources. The budget should clearly identify the project components that will be funded by the grant and the components to be funded by the applicant.
• Provide evidence to support budgeted costs and revenues, e.g., itemised cost estimates, assumptions for revenue projections.
• Provide evidence of approval for committed funding co-contribution(s). All applications are required to provide a minimum 25% financial co-contribution of the grant amount requested. Applicants that cannot meet a minimum 25% financial co-contribution of the grant amount requested may apply for financial hardship through the application process.
• Provide evidence of the applicant’s capacity to fund and manage ongoing operations including routine and lifecycle maintenance costs. 

Criterion 4: Project deliverability and applicant capability (30%)

• Provide evidence of landowner(s) consent for the project.
• Provide evidence of Development Application approval (if required) or demonstrate that a Development Application is not required. Projects with approved Development Applications will be prioritised.
  • If no Development Application is required, confirm there are no planning, construction, zoning, environmental and/or Native Title impediments to delivering the project (e.g. Review of Environmental Factors).
• Provide a detailed project plan that identifies key project tasks and milestones and a forecast delivery timeline. The project plan must clearly illustrate that construction will commence by 30 June 2023 and be completed by 30 June 2025.
• List any assumptions, constraints, and dependencies in delivering the project.
• Demonstrate the capacity to deliver the project through robust strategies for procurement, project management and risk management.
• Demonstrate any partnership model (including asset management) that would be administered to deliver the project.
• Demonstrate proven experience in delivering similar size projects. This should consider the applicant’s proposed project management resources and any specialist external resources to be engaged to deliver the project.
• Provide details on how the project will contribute to economic employment opportunities including job creation (i.e., the estimated number of direct and indirect FTE and PTE positions):
  • during design and construction (e.g., design team, project managers, contractors and supply chain opportunities including materials and maintenance), and
  • during operation (e.g., facility managers and other economic benefits such as hosting future events that provide a visitor economy benefit).