Grants for Sporting Clubs Queensland

What does a grant for sporting clubs include? 

A grant for sporting clubs and active recreation organisations can include funding for many different parts of your facilitation, including:

• New infrastructure or facilities such as shade sails, new change rooms or spectator viewing amenities
• New sport and equipment for active recreation activities
• Additional money for memberships (for example, using Fairplay vouchers for active recreation membership for children)
• Financial assistance to support grassroots sport
• Aid to host a significant sporting events program or community occasions
  
  

Who provides sporting club grants? 

The Queensland government, as well as some private companies, provides funding to stimulate local economies, increase participation in sport and to support community groups and event organisations.

How long does a sporting grant take to be approved? 

After applications open in each round, it takes around 4-5 months before funding grants for sport and recreation organisations in QLD are approved. After approval has been confirmed, you can begin to build, buy and configure your new sports and recreation organisations’ facilities and resources.

Benefits of funding for sporting clubs

The key benefit for gaining funding for your sports club or facility is that you do not have to spend a large portion of your budget on sports infrastructure improvements. 

Instead, your organisation can use a grant for infrastructure upgrades and the rest of your budget on other improvements or necessities within the business. 

Of course, there are many other advantages of using funding for your sports club, including: 

• Building your community: Whether you’re a sports club that provides a space for football or a lawn bowling green or a multi-purpose area, funding can help build your space and provide for your community. Having extra budget from infrastructure funding can also mean you have the means to further community involvement. 
• Activating and enhancing your space: Enhancing your space means that more patrons and customers are encouraged to join in on the action! Grants programs for sports club development allow you to enhance your outdoor areas with shade sails, covers and protected areas that can be used by a larger group.
• Increasing functionality and utilisation: Finally, funding gives you the opportunity to to increase utilisation of your sports club facilities. A funded sports shade structure gives your patrons the opportunity to use sports facilities all year round, and in any weather conditions as they are completely protected. 
  
  

The Minor Infrastructure Program

The Minor Infrastructure Program provides targeted funding to eligible sport and recreation organisations to help the sport and active recreation industry deliver new, upgraded and end of life infrastructure projects and works. This can include shade solutions brought to you by Greenline, for better sun and weather protection that the broader community can enjoy with their sporting ventures.

Round 2 of the Minor Infrastructure Program has been brought forward from January 2024 and will now open for applications in September 2023.

The combined program is known as the Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund. Sport and recreation organisations that are applicants will select from one of the two categories:

• Inclusive and Accessible: $30 million to support new and upgraded change rooms and amenities that meet universal design principles.
• Safe, Quality and Efficient: $15 million to support new, upgraded and end-of-life field of play and ancillary facilities to meet activity requirements at a community level.
  
  

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF) is Queensland’s largest one-off community grants program and distributes approximately $60 million each year to not-for-profit community groups, including sporting clubs. The GCBF funding helps these groups to provide services, leisure activities and opportunities for Queensland communities.

In 2023, the GCBF program has 4 funding rounds available:

1. $100,000 super round for all priorities—closes 28 February
2. $35,000 standard grant round—closes 31 May
3. $35,000 standard grant round—closes 31 August
4. $35,000 standard grant round—closes 31 October.

This grant funding requires eligible organisations to be both a legal and sponsored entity, meaning it has to have non-for-profit objectives and is properly registered as an organisation or business. 

To further learn about eligibility requirements and understand your organisation’s responsibilities throughout all stages of the grant funding process, read the guidelines for GCBF applicants and instructions for applying for the GCBF grant.

Eligibility criteria

The eligible organisations are defined under the eligibility framework principles established by the Queensland government:

• Principle 1 – Risk to the Queensland Government is considered when determining the eligibility of activities and organisations
• Principle 2 – Eligibility directly correlates with Accelerate program objectives and outcomes to support participation opportunities
• Principle 3 – Eligibility will be established to ensure entities, with the appropriate risk mitigation requirements, are funded to align with funding and grants program outcomes
• Principle 4 – Human Rights will be considered when developing program eligibility
• Principle 5 – Where another government agency has portfolio responsibility, eligibility would only be considered through coordinated effort to achieve program outcomes.

For more information about eligibility and the application process for funding opportunities, please visit the Queensland government grants website.

How to submit your grant application:

1. Determine Your Eligibility

Prior to initiating your application, we strongly advise reviewing these guidelines to ensure that you have a good understanding of all the requirements, especially when considering eligibility of your sporting club or organisation. 

If you find yourself uncertain about your sport club’s qualification for the Local Sport Grant Program or any other available grants, our Greenline consultants are readily available to provide additional information. 

We can offer consultation services to identify the most suitable grant program for your facility and your shade solution requirements.

2. Prepare Your Application

Making an application for the Local Sport Grant Program can be a straightforward process when utilising the Queensland government website. They encourage applicants to acquaint themselves with the online application form well in advance of completing it and to plan accordingly in anticipation of the application deadline.

3. Submit Your Application

Execute the application by completing each section, ensuring all necessary documentation is included.

Tips for securing a grant:

Identify what you are funding

Before submitting any applications for funding for your sports club, it is important to consider what you wish to use the money for. 

Ensuring you have a clear concept and scope of project in mind will keep you on track during the application process. 

Having a singular project is generally favoured over multiple ones, so make sure you stay focused on what is most beneficial to your organisation. 

Read up on eligibility 

Eligibility is one of the most important steps to any grant application. 

Going through a long form or process can be time-consuming and arduous, so ensuring that you actually fit the grant requirements is essential. 

When considering a specific grant, look through any terms and conditions, requirements or prerequisites before applying. 

Plan out your application

Similar to looking at eligibility, planning out your application simply means that you have all of your documents and forms properly filled out and organised. 

Setting a timetable may be the best option to keep you within application closing dates and give you wiggle room for any adjustments you may need to make. 

Set reachable goals and a detailed budget 

Your application and project scope must be a reachable and realistic goal. 

While getting funding is quite difficult, it will be even more so if you do not have a clear understanding of what you wish to achieve with your funds, or if you set your expectations too high. 

Ensure you have budgeted out each part of your plan and have thought-out each decision carefully. A compelling case will provide you with the best chance at your sporting grant application being accepted. 

Consider the decision maker 

Finally, to build a strong case within your application you must also consider the person on the other end. Who will be receiving and reviewing your application? 

Thinking about who is making the decisions for securing the specific grant you are applying for will ensure that you are catering to the right audience. 

This can even come down to checking for spelling mistakes or grammatical errors within your writing. 

What to do after your grant has been approved

After you have been approved for your grant, you can then begin the process of hiring and building your new space. 

At Greenline, we have the perfect option for every sporting facility and club out there, with shade solutions on the larger scale like a Barrel Vault structure, to a smaller Shade Sail.

Deciding whether you need a large shade structure or a smaller shade sail can be a challenge, which is why we’ve set up a project estimate tool for you to work through your choices.