Significant Sporting Events Program – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Significant Sporting Events Program?

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

What types of events are eligible for the Significant Sporting Events Program?

Eligible sporting events must:

be delivered in Victoria
be for a sport recognised by the Australian Sports Commission and listed on the Australian Sports Directory as the National Sporting Organisation for their sport in Australia (Australian Sports Directory)
be nationally or internationally sanctioned by a recognised sporting body and meet the criteria of at least one Event Type as outlined in the Program Guidelines.
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.

What types of events are not eligible for the Significant Sporting Events Program?

The SSEP will not allocate funding to support:

events that do not strongly align with the SSEP outcomes
community or state level events
sport or business conferences including trade shows
charity fundraising events
events that have received funding from the Victorian Government’s Major Event Fund for the same event in the same year
retrospective funding where event delivery has commenced or is completed.

Who can apply to the Significant Sporting Events Program?

To be eligible, an organisation must:

be the organisation with the rights to host the eligible event
be an incorporated body, cooperative or association (including business associations)
have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
be financially solvent
provide evidence of public liability insurance coverage to a value appropriate for the event
have satisfactorily met reporting requirements on any grants received from the Victorian Government
comply with the Child Safe Standards if required under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005
if it was named in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse or has received notice that it has been named in an application for redress to the National Redress Scheme:
- have joined the National Redress Scheme, or
- intend to join the National Redress Scheme within 6 months of receiving the relevant notice, or
- have been deemed ineligible to join the National Redress Scheme
if funding is to be used to deliver services that fall within the scope of the Victorian Funding Guideline for Services to Children, hold appropriate insurance against child abuse.

Information to help you determine whether your event is within the scope of the Victorian Funding Guideline for Services to Children is set out in Section 7 of the guidelines.

Can organisations apply for multi-year events?

Organisations can apply for multi-year events.

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

Organisations will need to ensure the application and supporting documents provide the relevant information for each year of the event.

What can the grant be used for?

Examples of costs the SSEP could support:

general operational delivery of the event e.g. venue hire, temporary infrastructure, sport presentation
delivery of additional sport development, capacity building and/or community engagement activities e.g. coaching clinics, school visits, officials accreditation courses, community come and try sessions
marketing and promotional activities to grow awareness of the sport in connection with the event
broadcast and/or web stream costs.

Ineligible expenses

The SSEP will not fund:

the cost of preparing submissions for grants or event bids
the cost of engaging consultants to undertake feasibility projects
purchase of assets for ongoing use, including but not limited to land, buildings, vehicles, permanent infrastructure and equipment
recurring operational costs, including but not limited to rent, utility costs, wages and maintenance activities.

What is the difference between the 2 streams?

Event Assistance Grant (EAG)

The EAG provides up to $20,000 in funding to support general operational costs.

Event Development Grant (EDG)

The EDG provides up to $150,000 in funding to support events with high operational costs or for event organisers to expand existing events.

I’ve been successful for funding previously, should I expect the same amount of funding?

The SSEP is a competitive grant program, event organisers should not assume their application will be successful.

What is the total SSEP budget available for grant funding?

Up to $1.25 million per financial year is available to support eligible sporting events through the SSEP.

What supporting documents are required for my application?

It is mandatory to provide the following documentation with your application:

Letter of sanctioning from the recognised sporting organisation confirming the level and sanctioning of the event. For international level events, a letter from the recognised international body is strongly encouraged.
Event budget including all income and expenses including financial support beyond the Victorian Government (draft budgets will be accepted). Applications for multi-years will require a budget to be submitted for each year of the event. Budget figures should be GST exclusive.
Event summary – ‘one pager’ including scope of the event, any marketing/promotional milestones, broadcast and/or livestream details, sport development and community engagement opportunities and event schedule/roster

To assist with the development of your application and supporting documentation, please also refer to the Supporting Documents Checklist on the Significant Sporting Events Program page. This checklist can also be submitted with your application if you wish to provide any additional comments.

Sport and Recreation Victoria reserves the right to not assess an application should insufficient information be provided, including responses to assessment criteria and mandatory supporting documentation.

Do I have to call and speak with a member of the Events unit before applying?

No. Please read the program guidelines in full and if you believe you are eligible and you have all the mandatory documentation, you are welcome to apply.

Can applicants re-apply for unsuccessful applications from previous funding rounds?

Yes, applications can be re-submitted should they meet the eligibility of the program guidelines.

Further information

For further information, issues with the online application or further questions on this program, please contact us.

Details of acknowledgement and publicity requirements for funded events are available in the Sport and Recreation Victoria: Acknowledgement and Publicity Guidelines.