Surf Club Facility Program 25/26 - Category 3

To be eligible for funding you must be a:

• Surf Life Saving Clubs in NSW or

• Surf Life Saving NSW Branch in NSW. Applications from Branches will only be considered after all eligible applications from Surf Life Saving Clubs have been assessed and the funding has not been exhausted.

Applications involving partnerships between groups are encouraged and will be considered favourably. For example, an eligible applicant may partner with their local council or landowner, who may provide a financial co-contribution, and/or perform as the delivery team. The partner may complete portions of the application on behalf of the eligible applicant. For partnership applications, a Tripartite Funding Agreement is appropriate and can be requested via the application form.

Surf Life Saving Clubs in NSW

Category 3 is limited to:

• Projects that request grant funding of up to $1,000,000

• Projects that can be completed by February 2029.

• Two (2) grant applications per organisation and a maximum claim of $1,000,000 across all applications. Successful applicants are required to execute a funding agreement with the office within 6 weeks of notification. Grant payments will be made in instalments following achievement of milestones.

Category 3 projects should:

• Commence within 6 months of notification of successful applicants.

• Have landowner consent to construct the scope of works described in the application.

• Have approval from the appropriate authority.

• Evidence the applicant can provide a minimum of 30% of the total project cost as a co-contribution.

• Evidence the applicant can provide a minimum of 20% in addition to the total project cost as a contingency for cost escalation/overruns.

The project must be completed by 28 February 2029.

Establishment of new and enhancement of existing surf lifesaving club facilities that are adaptable, inclusive, safe, accessible and financially sustainable.

Ineligible applicants are any organisation types not listed in the ‘Eligible Applicants’ section, and include (but are not limited to):

• Individuals

• Organisations not affiliated with Surf Life Saving NSW

• Local Government Authorities, however, where the Council will be managing the project on behalf of the eligible applicant Surf Club, the Office of Sport will issue a tri-partite funding agreement with the Council and successful applicant.

• 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.

Projects or components that do not meet the criteria outlined in the 'Eligible Projects' section are considered ineligible. These may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Facilities that are not used primarily for Surf Life Saving activities• Purchase or lease of land/facility

• Projects that involve the development of private or commercial ventures unrelated to the Surf Life Saving Club facility

• Master planning across multiple facilities

• Costs associated with feasibility, design, or development stages including feasibility studies, business cases (except for Category 2)

• Projects that do not meet relevant Australian standards and construction codes

• Costs to resource the preparation and submission of the grant application

• Retrospective funding, where projects have commenced or are completed prior to the execution of a funding agreement

• Related primarily to operational expenditure, including but not limited to insurance

• General maintenance or minor repairs required due to normal wear and tear, (e.g. projects where painting is the main scope)

• Repair of facilities where the damage can be covered by insurance

• Administration costs with the exception of direct external / independent project management costs (for Category 2 & 3), limited to 10% of the grant amount requested

• Purchase of portable equipment including rescue and training equipment such as surf boards, IRB’s, stop watches, flagpoles etc.

• Purchase of office equipment (including computers and printers) or other non-fixed items such as kitchen appliances, and loose furnishings unless they are included to fit out a Category 3 projects.

• Projects that have already been funded by the NSW Government unless significant new and additional scope is identified.

Project budgets should not include any ineligible costs, and these will be removed by assessors if included, at the absolute discretion of the Office of Sport.

• Construction of new or upgraded amenity buildings such as kiosks, first aid rooms, patrol rooms, kitchens, club rooms, function rooms, unisex and universally designed change rooms, including parent and child change spaces and/or officials’ areas (this includes prefabricated modular facilities).

• Fixed and non-fixed items, rescue/safety activities etc that are part of the larger capital improvement project scope, e.g. portable storage racks for rescue boards or beach access mats for wheelchairs.

Categories 2 and 3 applications are expected to provide a minimum 30% financial co-contribution of total project cost (e.g., if an applicant’s total project cost is $100,000, they should demonstrate at least a $30,000 financial (cash) co-contribution).

The total project cost should reflect only the scope of works for which grant funding is being sought and includes both the requested grant amount and any financial co-contribution. Where your financial co-contribution exceeds the minimum requirement, the project will be looked upon more favourably during the merit assessment process.

Value of in-kind contributions cannot be calculated toward the financial co-contribution. This means that the value of in-kind work such will be in addition to the minimum financial co-contribution.