Applications are now being accepted for the Victorian State Government’s Aboriginal Sport Participation Grant Program.
The program aims to get greater Indigenous participation in sport. It recognises that funding is a huge barrier to participation and thus it seeks to engage with key community stake holders such as local sporting clubs and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to get more Indigenous participation in sport.
This program recognises that sport is vital in bringing communities, families, and individual together. The government hopes that through Indigenous people accessing the grant and subsequently participating in sport there will be positive results for all community stakeholders as sport facilities social-cohesion, connectedness, and well-being.
Grants are being issued under three categories:
Category 1: Aboriginal sporting carnivals
Grants issued under Category 1 may be up to $2,500 per junior team and $1,500 per senior team. The grant may be used my grantees to fund travel and accommodation when their team participates in state-wide or national carnivals.
To be eligible all individuals in the team must identify as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. For this current round of grants the team must also be participating in the tournament or carnival between September 2023 and February 2024. The teams must also reside in the state of Victoria.
Category 2: Uniforms or Equipment
Grants issued under Category 2 may be up to $1,000 per team, club, or association and for individuals up to $250 for the purchasing or uniforms and/or equipment.
To be eligible all individuals in the team must identify as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. For this round of grants uniforms must be purchased between September 2023 and February 2024. Once again, all teams must reside in Victoria.
Category 3: Athlete Participation Support
This category of grants may be up to $750 and can be issued to both athletes and coaches to assist with travel and accommodation costs needed to compete or train in regional, state, and national competitions or representative teams.
To be eligible all athletes or coaches must identify as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The participants must reside in Victoria and have been invited or are planning to compete in a regional, state, or national sporting competition or be a member of a representative team. A participant must not have previously received an individual grant under this category in the previous funding round.
To apply for categories 1 & 2 applications must be submitted by October 20, 2023. For category 3 applications they will remain open until the funding allocation is exhausted. Applications for a second round of funding next year will be due by 2 April 2024.
To submit an application prospective applicants have been asked to first check their eligibility which may be done online or by contacting the Aboriginal Programs team at aboriginal.programs@sport.vic.gov.au. Applications for those eligible may be submitted via the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR) Grant Portal.
The outcome for round 1 applications will be issued in December 2023 and for those applying for category 3 grants they will be notified within 4 weeks of submission.
This grant program is a great opportunity and is not to be missed for those eligible. It is great to see the Victorian government committing to supporting Indigenous sport and hopefully though these grants we will more Indigenous sportspeople both on the Victorian and national stage.
