About the program
The Play Our Way grant program funds local initiatives and ideas to overcome barriers that women and girls face in participating in sport. Funded activities will:
- provide safe, inclusive, quality and sustainable facilities, equipment and initiatives
- help women and girls to stay involved in sport and physical activity for life.
The program funds activities under 2 streams:
- Stream 1: Facilities
- Stream 2: Participation and equipment.
Successful projects in both streams will maximise the opportunities for women and girls to access, participate and stay involved in sport and physical activity.
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.
Why it is 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 two stages, an Expression of Interest (EOI) followed by an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
We received over 1,000 EOIs requesting more than $1 billion funding. We invited organisations with the highest quality EOIs to submit a full application.
We received 255 applications worth over $200 million for the second stage of assessment. Organisations completed for $136 million in funding, making the second stage highly competitive.
We assessed each application according to the grant opportunity guidelines and approved over 160 applications.
We will publish a list of successful projects under Stream 1: Facilities once all grant agreements are in place.
Stream 2: Participation and Equipment
This stream was also competitive. More than 600 applications requesting $250 million in funding competed for $55.6 million in funding.
We assessed each application according to the grant opportunity guidelines and approved over 120 applications. Most grant agreements are now in place.
We will publish a list of successful projects under Stream 2: Participation and Equipment once all grant agreements are finalised.
Common reasons applications were not successful
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 main or exclusive focus of the activity.
- The application did not present value for money, target priority cohorts or align with the objectives of the program as strongly as other applications.
- 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, there was 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).
We won’t be providing individual feedback given the high number of applications.
Next steps
The Community Grants Hub at the Department of Social Services is responsible for establishing and managing grant agreements with successful applicants.
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 – More than 100,000 women and girls to benefit from record sporting investment – Media release