Significant Sporting Events Program

The Significant Sporting Events Program is a Victorian Government funding program that assists event organisers to enhance the delivery of national or international level sporting events in Victoria.

Important dates

Close: 15 February 2025

Program guidelines

A web page with fully accessible guidelines has been developed for this program.

To view it, please go to Significant Sporting Events Program guidelines.

PDF and accessible Word versions of the guidelines can be downloaded using the links below.

Download: Significant Sporting Events Program guidelines ( , 7.1 MB)

Download: Significant Sporting Events Program guidelines ( , 284.8 KB)

Grant types

The Significant Sporting Events Program (SSEP) has 2 streams of grants available.

Stream	Description	Maximum Grant Value (per event, per year)
Event Assistance Grant	To assist with offsetting general operational costs associated with staging events	Up to $20,000*
Event Development Grant	To develop or expand existing events or to attract new events to Victoria that deliver key outcomes for the State	Up to $150,000*

* Higher grant amounts may be available and will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis by Sport and Recreation Victoria.

The final funding amount will be determined in relation to the scale of the event and key outcomes measured against the assessment criteria; only one grant is available for the same event, per year.

Funding rounds

The SSEP has 6 funding rounds each financial year. Applications must be received a minimum of 6 months prior to the event.

Funding Round	Funding Round Opens	Funding Round Closes	Assessment	Indicative notification of outcome	Event Delivery Date (not earlier than)
1	1 July	15 August	Mid-August	October	1 January
2	1 September	15 October	Mid-October	December	1 March
3	1 November	15 December	Mid-December	February	1 May
4	1 January	15 February	Mid-February	April	1 July
5	1 March	15 April	Mid-April	June	1 September
6	1 May	15 June	Mid-June	August	1 November

Applications may be considered outside these timelines on a case‑by‑case basis by Sport and Recreation Victoria and will only be granted under exceptional circumstances.

Event eligibility

Eligible sporting events must:

be delivered in Victoria
be for a sport recognised by the Australian Sports Commission as the National Sporting Organisation for their sport in Australia and listed on the Australian Sports Directory
be nationally or internationally sanctioned by a recognised sporting body and meet the criteria of at least one Event Type as detailed below
occur at least 6 months after the date of the submitted application
offer equal prize money for people of all genders, where prize money is awarded.

Applications for multi‑year events and events that are subject to a bid process that otherwise meet the program criteria are acceptable.

Event Type

Eligible events must meet all the criteria for one of the following event types.

Event Type	Criteria
National Championship	Event is sanctioned by the recognised national sporting organisation as a national championship for the sport/discipline/category in Australia The winner is declared the national champion.
National Series Event	Event is part of a series sanctioned by the recognised national sporting organisation as the top tier national series for the sport/discipline/category in Australia Points or rankings are issued that contribute to an overall national series champion
National Competition Match	A regular season or finals series match/es of the top tier national competition for the sport/discipline/category in Australia Single pre-season or friendly matches will only be eligible if held in regional Victoria where the match is not played at the home teams’ regular venue or town
International Championship	Event is sanctioned by the recognised international federation as an international championship for the sport/discipline/category The winner is declared the champion of a specific region (e.g. World, Oceania, Asia).
International Series / Qualifying Event	Part of an international series for the sport/discipline/category in the region Points, rankings or qualifying positions are on offer that contribute to an overall international series champion.
International Competition Match	Australian national team competing against another international team OR two international teams competing for the sport/discipline/category in Australia

Application Process

There are several common features in successful applications. Good applications are:

well planned;
clearly demonstrate how the event delivers against the assessment criteria; and
provide the appropriate supporting documentation.

Step 1: Confirm eligibility

Read the SSEP guidelines in full and check the detailed information contained in these guidelines to determine if your organisation and the proposed event are eligible.

Step 2: Stakeholder consultation

Applicants are encouraged to discuss their event with agencies such as venues, local councils and sporting associations. Where possible, applicants should demonstrate the support of key stakeholders in their applications.

Step 3: Apply online

All applications must be made online via the Significant Sporting Events Program webpage.

Ensure you have the required information on hand and click on the ‘Start new application’ buttons at the top or bottom of this page to submit your application.

You will receive an Application Number when you apply online. Please quote this number in all correspondence relating to your application.

If you experience any issues with submitting your application, please contact us.

Significant Sporting Events Program – Event Summary (DOCX 186.54 KB)
Significant Sporting Events Program – Supporting Document Checklist (DOCX 186.57 KB)

Program area and assistance

For general information about the Significant Sporting Events Program please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

To contact the Department’s Customer Contact Centre call 1800 325 206 between 9 am and 5 pm on Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

To speak with a member of the Significant Sporting Events Program please contact the Events Unit on (03) 9623 1429 between 9 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) or contact us.