SA Football Facilities Fund
Overview
SANFL has partnered with the AFL and South Australian Government to launch a South Australian Football Facilities Fund, to create welcoming and inclusive facilities for our football communities.
From state to local grassroots venues, the Fund will enhance the capacity of facilities and football infrastructure for all user groups.
The creation of this Fund will enable SANFL, AFL and State Government to achieve our shared strategic vision of creating welcoming facilities, particularly through provision of all gender changerooms for players, officials and umpires, as well as maximising venue capacities by improving quality of ovals, lighting and supporting infrastructure.
The SA Football Facilities Fund provides funding to assist local governments, Australian Rules football clubs, umpiring associations, schools and tertiary education institutions to develop Australian Rules football facilities across South Australia.
The aim of the program is to:
- Provide fit for purpose, inclusive and accessible facilities that cater for a diversity of participants, particularly all genders and all-ability participants, that wish to participate in our game
- Maximise available carrying capacity of existing venues and the quality/functionality of supporting infrastructure
- Develop increased supply through construction of new ovals, especially in growth areas
- Develop venues to support high performance and talent pathways for players and umpires
- Provide welcoming and functional facilities that enhance the experience for volunteers and spectators
Funding Amounts
The total budget for the SA Football Facilities Fund is $8,000,000 over three years.
A pool of approximately $2.66M will be available per year of the Fund, with up to $500,000 over three years made available for small projects to enable upgrade of football supporting infrastructure such as goal posts and scoreboards.
The following table outlines minimum Applicant contributions and maximum grant amounts.
For more detail, please review the fund guidelines which are available in the Key Documents & Links below.
| Project Scope | Maximum Grant |
|---|---|
| Larger projects such as changerooms, turf improvements and lighting | $150,000 |
| Smaller projects such as goal posts, scoreboards and coaches boxes | $50,000 |
Key Dates
GRANT ROUNDS
Please note the following approximate dates to provide prospective applicants with a guide for forward planning.
| Round One | 2023/24 | Round Two | 2024/25* | Round Three | 2025/26* |
|---|---|---|
| Opens: 20 November 2023 | Opens: August 2024 | Opens: August 2025 |
| Closes: Wednesday 21 February 2024 | Closes: December 2024 | Closes: December 2025 |
| Announcement: Early April 2024 | Announcement: Early April 2025 | Announcement: Early April 2026 |
Key Documents & Links
FAQs
Projects that receive funding through the SA Football Facilities Fund (SAFFF) are still eligible to apply for a grant through the ORSR Community Infrastructure Fund, however the funding received from SAFFF cannot form part of the 50% contribution towards overall project costs.
While formal landowner consent is not required to submit an application, engagement with project stakeholders, including asset owners forms 10% of the overall assessment criteria.
Local councils and other asset owners are critical stakeholders in the projects expected to be delivered as part of this fund, and it is important for applicants to demonstrate how they have engaged these bodies in their planning.
We encourage applicants to upload evidence of engagement with the landowner (ie: consent form or letter of support) as part of the supporting documents in the application.
Standalone projects for spectator amenities such as shelters, BBQ areas, canteens etc. are not eligible for funding.
However, overall venue projects which include changerooms and pavilion which may also contain elements of these are eligible.
Applying organisations should only apply for one grant in any grant round.
Applicants may group projects into a single application however maximum funding amounts still apply.
Organisations may apply for grants in each round of the fund, however projects that have been funded in a previous round will not be eligible for funding in subsequent rounds.
Applicants should consider their priorities when applying for funding, as we expect the fund to be over-subscribed and are unlikely to be able to fund multiple grants at a single venue.
As a guide, small projects should be delivered and acquitted within 12 months of the project being funded.
Larger projects delivery timeframes will vary depending on the maturity of the planning and funding secured, however regular reporting will be required to monitor progress towards project commencement/completion.
Generally payment of grant funds will be made upon completion of the project and submission of required reporting/acquittal documents.
Payment may be made earlier in certain circumstances, however will be negotiated with the recipient on a case-by-case basis.
INFORMATION SESSIONS
We have delivered online information sessions to go over the guidelines, the application and assessment process and chat through eligible project examples. A recording is available for your review.
Get In Contact with SANFL
To strengthen the potential outcomes from the Fund for communities, interested parties should engage with SANFL as early as possible to develop proposals that strongly align with the key objectives.
Fill out the form below to register your interest, and a member of the SANFL Infrastructure & Government Relations team will get in touch to discuss your project.