Open Call: Aboriginal Sport for Respect Grant Program (Australia)

The Aboriginal Sport for Respect Grant Program supports Aboriginal organisations and communities to design and lead sport and active recreation activities that reflect local priorities and foster respectful relationships through genuine partnership with the sport sector. It is administered by the NSW (New South Wales) Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport, with grants ranging from $3,000 to $25,000. The application closes on 6 October 2026 at 1:00 pm. Opportunity at a Glance

- Grant opportunity name: Aboriginal Sport for Respect Grant Program

- Funding organisation: Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (administers the program)

- Status: Open

- Grant amount: From $3,000 to $25,000

- Application opened: 14 August 2026

- Application closes: 6 October 2026, 1:00 pm

- Project completion deadline: 1 December 2027

- Primary focus: Aboriginal-led primary prevention of domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) using sport and active recreation

- Eligible applicants (high level):

- Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs)/Aboriginal-led organisations (with an Aboriginal-led project delivered through sport or active recreation), or - Sport, recreation or local government organisations partnering with at least one Aboriginal organisation or community group

- Submission method: Not specified in the provided source text (use the official “Start the application” section on the program page)

About the Opportunity

This program enables Aboriginal organisations and communities to design and lead activities that reflect local priorities and ways of knowing. The intent is to support respectful relationships through genuine partnership with the sport and active recreation sector.

The program’s objectives include:

- Support Aboriginal-led Prevention through Sport - Promote safe, respectful and inclusive sporting environments - Address the drivers of DFSV in culturally meaningful ways - Build local capability and partnerships for prevention - Strengthen learning and impact through Aboriginal-led reflection and evaluation in sport Funding and Benefits

- Grant size: Grants are from $3,000 to $25,000 (exact amount per project not specified in the provided text).

- Cost coverage (examples of eligible costs): Eligible project costs may include venue hire, minor equipment/materials, promotion/marketing related to the project, specialist facilitator/trainer/cultural advisor or other specialist contractor fees, accessibility supports (including transport support, interpreters, childcare), reasonable payments for Aboriginal cultural knowledge and leadership (including Elders/speakers/lived/living expertise) where directly related, and reasonable catering directly tied to the project activity.

- Staff costs limit: Staff salary or wage costs for time directly attributable to project delivery are limited to no more than 10% of the total grant amount.

- Eligible delivery rule: Projects must be delivered in NSW and use sport or active recreation as the primary engagement setting.

Who Is Eligible? Eligible applicant types (two ways to be eligible) The program describes two eligibility routes, both requiring use of the partnership model in section 2.1.1 of the Program Guidelines. - Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO)/Aboriginal-led organisation

- Required partnership: Must include at least one project partner (the partner does not need to be Aboriginal-led).

- Project requirement: The project must meet the definition of an Aboriginal-led project (section 1.3) and be delivered through sport or active recreation.

- Sport, recreation or local government organisation

- Required partnership: Must include at least one Aboriginal organisation or community group as a project partner.

- Project requirement: The project must meet the definition of an Aboriginal-led project (section 1.3) and be delivered through sport or active recreation.

Examples of eligible applicants (as listed in the source)

Aboriginal-led applicants may include:

- An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth) - NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs) under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) - Aboriginal-owned businesses with minimum 51% Aboriginal ownership and operation (e.g., Supply Nation certified or NSWICC Registered) - Incorporated Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), including (but not limited to) Aboriginal Medical Services, Regional Alliances, and Aboriginal-led health/family/youth/wellbeing/place-based services, and Aboriginal-led sport or active recreation organisations Sport, active recreation and local government applicants may include: - Incorporated, community-based or not-for-profit organisations delivering sport and active recreation that are: - Incorporated associations registered with NSW Fair Trading - Australian public company limited by guarantee - Trust registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) - Non-distributing cooperatives registered with NSW Fair Trading - NSW Office of Sport recognised State Sporting Organisations (SSOs) and State Sporting Organisations for People with Disability (SSODs) - Local government authorities in NSW - Regional Joint Organisations of Councils, the Lord Howe Island Board, and Unincorporated Far West groups Ineligible applicants (examples listed in the source) The source states that ineligible applicants include organisations not listed in the “Eligible Applicants” section, including (but not limited to): - Unincorporated groups that are not applying through an eligible applicant - Parents and Citizens (P&C) Associations - State and Federal Government departments and agencies - Schools and TAFEs - NSW Institute of Sport, Australian Sports Commission (including the Australian Institute of Sport), and NSW Regional Academies of Sport - For-pr