Guidance for Victorian Football Clubs
Grant Funding - Sport and Recreation Victoria
Community Sport Sector Short-term Survival Package

On 25 May 2020, applications opened for Sport and Recreation Victoria’s (SRV) Community Sport Sector Short-term Survival Package grants.

Eligible sports clubs can apply for $1,000 grants to help cover ‘immediate financial needs’ as COVID-19 restrictions ease and we look to return to football. Full details of the announcement can be found here. 

Football Victoria (FV) has reviewed SRV's grant guidelines and put together guidance to assist clubs that wish to apply for this financial assistance. Armed with this guidance, the process is simple and should take no more than 30 minutes to complete online.

While we hope that this guidance will help you to put together a strong application, FV is not able to guarantee the success of any application.
 
FV has also build guidance for Football Associations.

  • Clubs can access the application form here.
  • SRV provides additional information and FAQs here.

Applications for these grants close on Monday 15 June 2020 or earlier if grants are fully allocated earlier.

Information to have available when completing your application:

  • Incorporated association name and number: you can find this on the Consumer Affairs Victoria portal
  • Australian Business Number (ABN): you can find this by searching ABN Lookup
  • Registered address: this will be your club’s primary place of business and is ordinarily the address used to register as an incorporated association and/or for an ABN
  • Postal address (optional): you may choose to provide a different postal address
  • Authorised person: a person within your club who holds a position of authority and can engage with SRV, as necessary. This may be the person completing the application
  • Bank Account details: approved payments will be made to the nominated account

The application process has 6 steps as follows:

Step 1: Are you eligible to apply?

A series of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions, where you must confirm whether your club:

  • is a community organisation that provides sport and recreation activities within Victoria
  • adheres to and enforces the Fair Play Code
  • has implemented and maintains policies relating to member protection and child safety standards
  • complies with the expectations of the Victorian Anti-Doping Policy
  • has met reporting requirements on any grants previously received from SRV

We would expect all clubs to be able to answer yes to all of these questions.

Step 2: Applicant details

Provide information about your club, including address and authorised person.

Step 3: Organisation details

Provide information about your club’s sporting affiliation and location, including:

  • usual length of the season (Feb/Mar – September)
  • number of seasons competed per year (1)
  • the LGA your club is aligned with
  • the LGA or landowner you hire facilities from
  • your club’s usual annual membership numbers

Step 4: Reasons for application

You have up to 200 words to answer each of the following questions. Consider your club’s situation and whether any of our sample answers apply:

Q - Describe how the shutdown restrictions have impacted your organisation

Consider usual sources of revenue that have been affected, difficulties your club has encountered, and any additional costs your club has incurred. Consider including the dollar amounts where known. These may include but are not limited to:

“The revenue impact on the club has been significant and has included…”

“The expenditure impact on the club has been significant and has included…”

Reduced registrations (eg down by X%)

Cost of additional cleaning requirements

Loss of sponsorship funds (eg 3 major sponsors lost)

Inability to defer costs eg rent

Refunds to members

Continuing salary costs (full-time & part-time staff)

Non-operation of hospitality (eg canteen closed)

Cost of additional health & safety requirements

Reduced ticketing sales

Increased groundskeeping costs

Reduced merchandise sales

Legal costs

Reduced fundraising

Increased insurance costs


It is crucial that you are able to demonstrate the need for the funding and that without the funding, certain aspects of the club won’t be able to continue (i.e. that the funding is supporting your survival).

Q - How will this funding support your organisation?

Consider what immediate costs your club faces to ensure it can function as restrictions ease.

Some examples of uses of the funding that you may choose to include in your application are:

  • Purchase of sanitising/cleaning materials or services (eg deep clean of facilities)
  • Rent/pitch hire
  • Utilities
  • Insurance
  • Essential salary costs (but not including match/player/coach payments)

Step 5: Bank account details

Provide details where the club would prefer funds deposited.

Step 6: Declaration and agreement

Read the grant conditions and confirm you have provided true and accurate information and are authorised to apply on behalf of the club.


Clubs are encouraged to consider other Federal, State and Local Government grant and funding options during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further details can be found here.