Sport and Recreation Victoria – Significant Sporting Events Program

Event Assistance Grant: Up to $20,000 per event (per year)
Event Development Grant: Up to $150,000 per event (per year)
Higher grant amounts may be considered on a case‑by‑case basis.
Applications close: 15 April 2026

The Significant Sporting Events Program supports organisers to enhance the delivery of national or international level sporting events in Victoria. Funding supports event delivery and development activity that helps strengthen Victoria’s sporting events calendar and supports broader economic and community outcomes.

Key Requirements

The sporting event must be delivered in Victoria.

The sport must be recognised by the Australian Sports Commission and listed on the Australian Sports Directory.

The event must be nationally or internationally sanctioned by a recognised sporting body and meet at least one eligible event type.

Applications must be submitted a minimum of 6 months prior to the event

What is eligible for funding?

Eligible events must:

Be delivered in Victoria and meet the program’s sporting recognition and sanctioning requirements.
Offer equal prize money for people of all genders where prize money is awarded.

Not eligible (examples):

Retrospective funding where event delivery has commenced or is completed.
Capital purchases and permanent infrastructure.
Recurrent operating costs not directly tied to event outcomes.
Community or state‑level events.

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

Industry analysis presentation
Competitor Analysis Presentation
Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.

This grant is open

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