Game On Grants

By Brett BeesonGrants

Summary

  • Purpose: Helps community sporting clubs reduce energy bills, cut emissions, and improve climate resilience.
  • Funding amount: Clubs can apply for one-off grants up to $100,000.
  • Funding rate: Grant amount can be up to 100% of eligible expenditure, so no co-contribution may be required if the project fits
  • Eligible project examples: Solar PV, batteries, energy audits, LED lighting, HVAC upgrades, disaster-ready infrastructure, shade, drainage, water/energy management, and climate resilience planning.
  • Scale and timing: The program is worth about $35.3 million over two rounds, with Round 1 expected to provide about $17.6 million and support part of the target of up to 500 clubs nationally.

Eligibility

  • Must be a community sporting club or eligible organisation applying for a community sporting facility in Australia.
  • Project should improve energy efficiency, electrification, emissions reduction, or climate resilience.
  • Project should involve eligible expenditure of around $25,000 to $100,000.
  • Club must have authority to do the works, or be able to get landlord, council, or facility-owner approval.
  • Club needs a clear, practical project with quotes, expected benefits, and evidence that the work will reduce energy costs, emissions, or climate risk.

Process

  1. Register with GrantConnect and download the grant documents.
  2. Confirm eligibility and approvals — committee support, and landlord/council approval if needed.
  3. Build the project scope and quotes — PhiSaver for monitoring/data/verification; partners for upgrade works.
  4. PhiSaver provides data to show the benefits — energy savings, cost savings, emissions reduction, and resilience benefits.
  5. Submit the application with quotes, budget, approvals, timeline, and evidence before the deadline.

Documentation

  • Club/applicant details: legal name, ABN, contact person, authorised officer, bank details.
  • Facility details: site address, sport/s played, lease or ownership arrangement, and approval to do works.
  • Project scope: what will be installed or upgraded, such as monitoring, audit, lighting, HVAC, solar, batteries, or controls.
  • Quotes and budget: itemised supplier quotes, total project cost, eligible costs, and funding amount requested.
  • Evidence and benefits: energy bills, PhiSaver data, photos, expected savings, emissions reduction, and resilience benefits.
  • Timeline and approvals: delivery dates, committee sign-off, landlord/council approval if needed, and reporting plan.