About the program
The Australian Government is providing $200 million for the Play Our Way program. The program will run over 3 years from 2024–25 to 2026–27.
The program will provide funding for local initiatives and ideas to address participation barriers faced by women and girls. The following types of organisations could apply for funding through this competitive grant opportunity:
- local governments
- community organisations
- not-for-profit organisations
- sporting organisations.
Successful organisations will use the grants to both:
- provide safe, inclusive, quality and sustainable facilities, equipment and initiatives
- help women and girls to remain involved in sport and physical activity for life.
Input from experts across the sport sector and key Australian government agencies helped design the program. This included an expert advisory panel of women with experience in community and professional sport.
We are no longer accepting applications for this grant opportunity. Applicants were able to apply for funding under 2 streams:
- Stream 1: Facilities
- Stream 2: Participation and equipment.
Why is it important
Sport and physical activity are important to physical and mental health and wellbeing. Participation in sport also helps to foster a strong sense of community belonging and pride.
Women in Australia are under-represented in sport and physical activity. The Play Our Way program will support ongoing involvement in sport and physical activity by giving women and girls:
- more opportunities for equal participation in sport and physical activity
- access to sporting facilities, equipment and initiatives.
Grant opportunity outcomes
Stream 1: Facilities
Applications for this stream involved 2 stages, an Expression of Interest (EOI) followed by an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
We received more than 1,000 EOI applications worth over $1 billion in requested funding. We invited organisations with the highest quality expressions of interest to submit a full application.
We received 255 applications worth over $200 million for the second stage of assessment. Organisations were competing for $136 million in funding, making the second stage highly competitive.
We assessed each application according to the grant opportunity guidelines. We have contacted applicants to let them know if their application was successful. Grant agreements will be offered from February 2025.
We will publish a list of successful projects under Stream 1: Facilities once all grant agreements are in place.
Stream 2: Participation and Equipment
Applications for this stream were also very competitive, attracting more than 600 applications worth $250 million in requested funding.
We assessed each application according to the grant opportunity guidelines and contacted all applicants to let them know if their application was successful.
We will publish a list of successful projects under Stream 2: Participation and Equipment once all grant agreements are in place.
Unsuccessful applications
We received many strong applications under both Streams. Unfortunately, it was not possible to fund all applicants.
Common reasons an application wasn’t successful when compared to others include:
- It wasn’t clear that women and girls were the primary or exclusive focus of the activity.
- The application was not as strong when compared to others in addressing value for money, targeting priority cohorts or alignment with the objectives of the program.
- The application did not show that the activity would have an ongoing effect beyond the funding period.
- The application didn’t show how the project would help with the retention or growth of women and girls taking part in sport or physical activity.
- The application didn’t show that the project was addressing a specific barrier for women and girls (for example, no evidence of consultation or collaboration with women and girls in the local community to identify need).
- The applicant didn’t include all the required attachments, or answer each of the assessment requirements.
- The applicant didn’t have evidence of tenure at the location, or landowner support for the project (Stream 1: Facilities only).
Due to the high number of applications we received, we won’t be providing individual feedback.
Next steps
The Community Grants Hub is making funding offers on our behalf to successful applicants. For Stream 1, this is unlikely to occur before February 2025.
More information
- Play Our Way program – Media release
- Play Our Way – Grant Guidelines now available – Media release
- Play Our Way – Apply now – Media release
- Play Our Way – Over $55 million in grants offered to organisations to support women and girls to 'Play Our Way' – Media release
- Play Our Way program – Grant Opportunities Guidelines webinar
- Play Our Way – More than 100,000 women and girls to benefit from record sporting investment – Media release