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.

Applications closed

Key dates

Applicants notified: February 2024

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.

Please note further information is available in the guidelines associated with the current round.

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.

All projects must be located within South Australia and evidence permission from the landowner (where the project is located). For projects located at a school, the applicant must provide evidence that the project will be used by clubs and the local community outside of school hours and evidence that it is contributing significant financial resources towards the project. Applicants should demonstrate how their project will achieve program objectives. Examples of eligible projects may include:

  • Construction or upgrade of an active recreation and sport facility or multi-use sports hub. Some examples of this include:
    • Significant upgrades to playing surfaces, including multi-sport upgrades and resurfacing that supports increased use.
    • Building, expanding and/or upgrading change rooms, parent and child change spaces and officials’ areas.
    • Improved sports floodlighting and safety lighting.
  • Upgrade of an aquatic facility.
  • Modifications to ensure that an existing facility meets environmental and Occupational Health and Safety regulations.
  • Construction/development of trails (walking, horse, bike, water-based).
  • Water and energy saving initiatives including water harvesting, installation of new or upgrades to existing irrigation infrastructure, connection to existing water infrastructure, more efficient lighting, installation of solar panels and other innovative smart technologies.

Please note that the list above includes example projects that may be funded. The list is by no means exhaustive and applications for other projects that meet the objectives of the program will be considered.

Where applicable, all projects must also meet relevant state sporting organisation and Australian Standards (e.g. change room dimensions) as well as complying with universal design principals (e.g. unisex toilets/showers).

Ineligible project types:

  • Facility planning and design.
  • Projects that are to upgrade or develop major stadia.
  • Projects that currently have an active/open grant through an ORSR grant program.
  • Projects solely for the upgrade or redevelopment of public toilet facilities.
  • Projects that commence prior to a Grant Agreement being finalised.
  • Projects that do not support active recreation and sport activities.
  • The repair of like-for-like replacement of facilities damaged by fire, explosion, vandalism, flood, storm or other natural disasters that are covered by insurance.
  • Routine or cyclical maintenance works to existing facilities.
  • Residential buildings including caretaker residences.
  • Portable infrastructure
  • The purchase of recreation, entertainment, sporting, maintenance or any other equipment.

Ineligible costs:

If you are successful, the ORSR grant contribution cannot be used to cover the following project costs:

  • Costs that are not considered labour or materials.
  • Costs associated with ongoing operations, such as but not limited to, electricity, water and other utilities.
  • Cost of landscaping for aesthetic purposes.
  • Costs associated with the construction or sealing of car parks or roads.
  • Insurances.
  • Any costs associated with preparing and submitting a funding application.
  • Purchase of land.
  • Project management fees where a local council or school is managing the project.

Request amount and co-investment

All applications (trails applications excluded) must contribute a minimum of 50% in funding towards the project unless BOTH of the following circumstances are evidenced:

  • The facility is physically located within a geographical catchment area that is experiencing socio-economic disadvantage*; and
  • The facility or land on which the facility exists or is to be constructed is not owned or under the control of local government or an education body.

*For the purposes of this program, a community experiencing socio-economic disadvantage is identified as having a Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) score of 2 or lower as determined in the Australian Bureau of Statistics Suburbs and Localities, Indexes, SEIFA 2021.

View the South Australian suburbs with a SEIFA score of 2 or lower

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

Interactive Map: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia 2021 (arcgis.com)

Applications evidencing both above circumstances  are required to contribute a minimum of 25% in funding toward the project.

Minimum Applicant Contribution

Maximum Grant

Sport / Active Recreation Projects

50%

$500,000

Sport / Active Recreation projects located in a low SEIFA area AND not owned or under the control of local government or an education body

25%

$500,000

Trails Projects

25%

$500,000

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 a State Government election commitment, that grant cannot be used as part of the co-contribution requirement.

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.

For a detailed breakdown of the following process refer to the guidelines.

  1. Apply - applications submitted by organisation via SmartyGrants.
  2. Screening - ORSR screens applications for eligibility.
  3. Assessment - A funding assessment committee assesses applications.
  4. Recommendation Process - Recommendations are provided to the Minister.
  5. Notification - All applicants are notified of 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.