Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program

Providing access to funding for the development of sustainable, functional, inclusive and fit-for-purpose active recreation and sport facilities that meet the current and future needs of the South Australian community. The Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program will assist eligible organisations to develop infrastructure that directly addresses demonstrated need and supports participation through the rational development of good quality projects.

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2026-27 applications open

Key dates

ROI opens: Friday 7 August 2026
ROI closes: Midday, Friday 4 September 2026
Stage 2 Invitations: October 2026
Stage 2 close: Late November 2026
Assessment: December 2026-February 2027
Applicants notified:  March 2027

Guidelines and forms

2026-27

Guidelines

Landowner consent form

Council project support form

Project support form

South Australian suburbs with a SEIFA score of 4 or lower

Information sessions

The Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (ORSR) invites potential applicants to attend an information session for the 2026–27 Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program (CRSFP).

This session will provide an overview of the program, including eligibility requirements, funding parameters, assessment considerations and the new two-stage application process being introduced for 2026–27. Participants will learn how the Registration of Interest (ROI) stage will operate, what information is required at each stage of the process, how applications will be assessed and how to prepare a competitive application. The session will conclude with an opportunity for participants to ask questions.

Where: Online
Date: Thursday, 13 August 2026
Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm

Applicants who are unable to attend can access a recording of the session, which will be made available on the ORSR website following the event.

Register for info session

To be eligible for CRSFP funding, organisations must:

  • Be a not-for-profit sport club, association or sports facility manager incorporated under the Associations Incorporations Act 1985 (SA), or hold a comparable legal status; or
  • Be a local council; or
  • Be a school council/board of management; and
  • Have been operating for 12 months or longer.

Where a proposed project is located at a school:

  • The application must include a formal, executed agreement (e.g. licence or user agreement) with a community sport organisation (e.g. club or association);
  • The agreement must guarantee the community organisation regular, ongoing access outside of school hours to the funded facility for a minimum of five (5) years from the anticipated project completion date.

The following organisations will be considered ineligible for CRSFP funding:

  • Organisations that have been operating for less than 12 months.
  • For-profit organisations.
  • An organisation that has overdue ORSR grant acquittals as at the closing date of the applications. However, applications may be considered by the Funding Assessment Committee if these overdue ORSR acquittals have been submitted prior to the first day of the assessment conducted by the Funding Assessment Committee.

Budget and request amount

The total budget for the 2026-27 round of CRSFP is $5,900,000.

The following notional allocations will be made available:

  • $4,900,000 to projects where the requested amount is between $100,001 and $750,000.
  • $1,000,000 to projects where the requested amount is between $5,000 and $100,000.

Eligible applicants may request a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $750,000.

Where a notional allocation is not fully exhausted, the remaining funds will be allocated based on the discretion of the Funding Assessment Committee.

Funding request Notional allocation
$100,001 to $750,000 $4,900,000
$5,000 to $100,000 $1,000,000

Co-contribution

All applications must contribute a minimum of 50% in funding towards the project unless one of the following two circumstances are evidenced:

1. The predominant outcome is the upgrade or construction of a trail; or

2. The facility is physically located within a geographical catchment area (suburb) that is experiencing socio-economic disadvantage*.

Applications that meet one of the above circumstances must contribute a minimum of 25% in funding toward the project.

*For the purposes of this program, a community (based on suburb) experiencing socio-economic disadvantage is identified as having a Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) decile score of 4 or lower as determined in the Australian Bureau of Statistics Suburbs and Localities, Indexes, SEIFA 2021.

Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia, 2021 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au).

Summary

Co-contributions are limited to confirmed cash contributions and in-kind materials and labour.

Where an application is for a project that involves an insurance payout, that payout cannot be used as part of the co-contribution requirement.

Where an organisation has received funding through the SA Football Facilities Fund, that funding cannot be used as part of the co-contribution requirement. If you are unsure of your eligibility, please contact ORSR or the South Australian National Football League.

Where an organisation has received State Government funding, that funding cannot be used to meet the co-contribution requirements, unless it is provided by the State Government in its capacity as the landowner.

Funding request Minimum applicant contribution Minimum applicant contribution
(Trail project or low SEIFA)
$100,001 to $750,000 50% 25%
$5,000 to $100,000 50% 25%

Co-contributions are limited to confirmed cash contributions and in-kind materials and labour.

Where an application is for a project that involves an insurance payout, that payout cannot be used as part of the co-contribution requirement.

Where an organisation has received funding through the SA Football Facilities Fund, that funding cannot be used as part of the co-contribution requirement. If you are unsure of your eligibility, please contact ORSR or the South Australian National Football League.

Where an organisation has received State Government funding, that funding cannot be used to meet the co-contribution requirements, unless it is provided by the State Government in its capacity as the landowner.

The Funding Assessment Committee assesses all eligible applications submitted through Stage 2.

Where an application is deemed eligible, the Funding Assessment Committee will assess the application against the relative merit of other projects in meeting the assessment criteria.

The Funding Assessment Committee may request additional information during the Committee’s sitting period.

Where an application is deemed eligible, the Funding Assessment Committee will prioritise it against the following principles.

Weighting

Project Need
Extent to which the applicant has demonstrated and provided evidence that the project:

25%

* Addresses an identified need, gap or deficiency in the availability of fit-for-purpose active recreation and sporting facilities to the community.
* Will lead to benefits for each user group and has support from users of the facility and the broader community.
* Is an appropriate solution and will achieve the desired outcomes efficiently.
 

Participation and Utilisation
Extent to which the applicant has demonstrated and provided evidence that the project:

25%

* Will lead to positive participation and utilisation outcomes for active recreation and sport.
* Will lead to additional programming opportunities and/or improved inclusiveness.
* Provides for multiple sports and/or user groups.
* Will provide gender equity in programming/scheduling.
 

Quality Infrastructure
Extent to which the:

20%

* Project improves the quality, safety or standard of facilities that are available to the community and meets relevant sporting and recreation organisation requirements and Australian Standards.
* Applicant provides plans that address Risk Management, Universal Design Principles, and Environmentally Sustainable Design.
* Applicant provides appropriately detailed plans and specifications that clearly demonstrate what will be constructed.
 

Strategic Justification
Extent to which the project:

10%

* Is identified through a facility planning process.
* Demonstrates the strategic importance of the project to the applicant, user groups and the community. 
* Is prioritised by the local council and/or relevant state sporting organisation.
* Aligns with ORSR’s strategic plan, and the State Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Plan.
 

Project Delivery
Extent to which the applicant evidences capacity to:

20%

* Begin the project within 12 months of receipt of funding.
* Effectively manage the project through relevant project management history.
* Finance the project through the confirmation of cash funding contributions, and or detailed and accurate in-kind contributions.
* Finance the project through provision of itemised accurate and up to date quotes.
* Identify the project scope and outline how the project will be completed within a prescribed timeframe.
* Manage the ongoing maintenance and life-cycle replacement costs.

Step 1 – Registration of Interest (ROI)

Submit a short application outlining:

  • Project need
  • Expected outcomes
  • Project costs
  • Readiness for delivery

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Step 2 – Full Application (Invitation Only)

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit:

  • Quotes
  • Plans
  • Funding evidence
  • Supporting documentation

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Funding Assessment and Recommendations

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Ministerial Approval

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Notification
All applicants are notified of the outcome.

When unforeseen circumstances occur in the delivery of your grant, grantees can seek to amend the terms or conditions, seek additional time or amend the purpose/outcome of the grant.

If you require an amendment, please contact us with your application number and we will forward an Agreement Variation Request through SmartyGrants, which will ask what you would like varied and why you need it varied, for that specific grant.

Your Agreement Variation Request will be considered, and you will be notified of the outcome of your request.

Contact Funding Services

Phone icon 1300 714 990 (option 1)
Email icon ORSR.Grants@sa.gov.au