Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $3,000
- Application opened: 25 September 2025
- Application closed: 19 November 2025, 7:00 pm
Program objective
The key objectives of the Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program 2025/26 are:
- To promote wider access to these devices across NSW.
- Support local sport and active recreational clubs or related incorporated organisations located in, or servicing, the most disadvantaged areas of NSW in purchasing an AED package.
Funding Availability
The NSW Government has allocated up to $500,000 in 2025/26 for this Program.
- The grant amount will fund the cost of an approved AED package up to $3,000.
- There is no mandatory financial contribution. However, where the cost of the selected package exceeds $3,000 the organisation must fund the additional cost.
- Eligible organisations can only receive funding for one AED package under this round of the Program.
- Applicants who have received funding under previous rounds of the Local Sport Defibrillator Program are eligible to apply but will only be funded if the program allocation has not been fully committed by the closing date.
This program is administered by Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be considered eligible under the Program, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
1. The organisation primarily operates in, or the majority of participants reside within, a postcode listed in Appendix C (Program Guidelines), as ranked by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in their Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA).
This must be demonstrated by meeting one or more of the following:
- The applicant organisation’s registered address* being located within an eligible postcode, or
- Applicants providing clear evidence of their sporting or active recreational activities being primarily undertaken at a facility(ies) in an eligible postcode, or
- Applicants providing clear evidence that a majority of their participants reside in eligible postcodes
*The determination of registered address will be based on the address associated with the applicant organisation’s ABN. If the organisation does not have an ABN, the incorporation registered address will be used.
OR
2. The applicant organisation does not meet eligibility criteria 1, but is currently experiencing financial hardship, which must be demonstrated by:
- Providing formal documentation to demonstrate financial hardship showing the organisation’s current financial position. Documentation must be one or more of the following:
- Profit and loss statements and balance sheets
- Cash flow statements
- Tax returns and BAS statements
- Letters from accountants or financial advisers confirming financial hardship.
The application must be submitted through SmartyGrants.
In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria, eligible applicants are:
- Incorporated, not-for-profit clubs, associations or organisations in NSW that are sport or active recreation related
- State or national sport or active recreation organisations on behalf of member clubs located in NSW
- Licensed sporting or active recreation clubs in NSW, providing that the AED package directly benefits sport and active recreation members or participants
- Sport clubs associated with a school, church or university in NSW providing they are an incorporated not-for-profit club in their own right
- Councils, Service Clubs and other incorporated not-for-profit owners or managers of facilities that are used for sporting or active recreational activities in NSW
Applicants who have previously received funding under earlier rounds of the Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program will only be considered if program funds have not been fully allocated by the closing date.
For the purposes of these Guidelines, active recreation is defined as physical activity for the purposes of relaxation, health and wellbeing or enjoyment which can be self-directed or facilitated by a provider or organisation. All applicant organisations will be required to provide information around the nature of their activities and the population groups they are servicing.
Eligible applicants with an ABN must ensure that the incorporation details and ABN details are for the same organisation.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Applicants must purchase an approved AED package from an approved Service Provider as listed at Appendix A of these Guidelines. A list of all approved packages and their pricing is available on the Office of Sport website, Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program, under supporting documents.
Applicants must rely on their own enquiries as to the suitability of the approved AED Service Provider or package for their needs. Each approved Service Provider has developed their own package. Applicants must make their own enquiries as to any additional inclusions beyond the minimum package requirements.
The Office of Sport procurement process ensures that AEDs being purchased with grant funding meet certain minimum standards.
At a minimum, the provision of an AED package will include:
- An AED
- AED familiarisation instruction
- A minimum of six years of essential defibrillator maintenance. Note that battery warranties may have a shorter duration.
When the project can start and end
The project must be completed by 30 September 2026.
Who can’t apply
Organisation types not listed in the ‘Eligible Applicants’ section including (but not limited to):
- Individuals, groups of individuals and unincorporated organisations
- Organisations who only deliver one-off annual events
- For profit, commercial organisations
- NSW Government departments and agencies
- Educational institutions including schools and their Parents and Citizens (P&Cs), Universities, TAFE, Colleges and childcare centres
- Organisations 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.
What costs you can't apply for
- AEDs purchased from a service provider not listed on the approved list at Appendix A of the Program Guidelines.
- Ongoing maintenance outside of the scope of the six-year essential defibrillator maintenance schedule
- Any extended warranty specified by an approved Service Provider
- Accredited CPR, First Aid, ongoing or additional face to face AED familiarisation instruction except where this is included as part of an approved package
- Out of warranty repair of equipment
- Replacement costs of consumables including batteries and electrode pads
- Replacement or temporary replacement of the AED if it is damaged or unrecoverable through wear and tear, vandalism, accident, theft or misuse
- General first aid maintenance items or equipment (items requiring cleaning and disinfecting after use).
Types of projects not funded under this grant
- Project that is not primarily for use by sport and active recreation facilities or organisations
- Project that does not demonstrate a connection to one of the postcodes listed at Appendix C (Program Guidelines), except where the applicant has demonstrated they are experiencing financial hardship
- Retrospective funding e.g., projects that have already commenced and/or purchases completed prior to application submission
- Projects already funded by the NSW Government for the same project or same component of a project.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
- Your organisation's incorporation number
- Your organisation's ABN (if applicable)
- Evidence for one of the eligibility criteria
- Review the list of eligible suppliers and packages and make any enquiries relating to suitability for your organisation's needs
- If your selected AED package costs more than $3,000, confirm your organisation can fund the additional amount
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.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Minister for Sport
The Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program is administered by the Office of Sport who will undertake an eligibility check.
Throughout this process the Office of Sport may request additional information from the applicant.
An independent probity advisor will oversee the grant process.
The Office of Sport will assess all applications and make recommendations to the Minister for Sport for consideration. The Minister will make the final decision relating to the approval of funding.
Applications will be assessed in the order they are received. This will continue until the program funding allocation has been exhausted, or the closing date and time occurs.
Anticipated assessment outcome date is Within 2 months of program close
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is 2 weeks of notification of successful outcomes
Support and contact
Office of Sport staff are available to provide information to potential applicants on interpretation of these Guidelines including types of projects eligible for funding. They can also provide advice relating to the online application process. Please direct enquiries to grantsunit@sport.nsw.gov.au.
For enquiries relating to the grant program or suppliers, please email defibs@sport.nsw.gov.au.
