Applications may be submitted for sport and recreation infrastructure projects from eligible applicants, including:

• local government authorities
• incorporated, not-for-profit organisations whose primary purpose is to facilitate community sport and recreation activities including:
  • Sport and recreation clubs and associations
  • Sport and recreation clubs who own their own land, are a tenant of a private facility or not a tenant of a local council
• Victorian state sporting associations or the national sporting organisation seeking to invest in a community infrastructure project
• not-for-profit and private facility managers with long-term community facility management arrangements
• private enterprises with long term community access arrangements or those who can demonstrate long term access to the public who wish to invest in infrastructure
• educational institutions such as universities or non-government schools (schools not in a position to borrow funds are encouraged to work with project partners).

Who is ineligible?

General government sector agencies generally are not able to borrow from Treasury Corporation of Victoria as they are funded through the budget process. These entities include:

• Alpine Resorts Co-ordinating Councils
• Parks Victoria
• Kardinia Park Trust
• Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust
• State Sports Centre Trust
• TAFEs
• Public primary and secondary schools

A full list of ineligible government sector entities can be found on page 146 of the Victorian Financial Report - 2016/17

Before considering an application to the scheme you can test your project or organisations suitability by undertaking a short eligibility test.

Organisations may seek lending approval for loans between $500,000 and $10 million.

Loans through the scheme will be provided at the Treasury Corporation of Victoria's borrowing rate at the date of contract execution. As of 25 June 2018, the interest rate for a 10 year loan from the Treasury Corporation of Victoria was 3.10 per cent (inclusive of administrative costs).*

In addition to accessing a low-interest rate loan from the Treasury Corporation of Victoria, organisations will receive additional interest subsides that will further reduce the interest rate paid by borrowers by at least 50 per cent.

Organisations will have flexibility when structuring their loan/s. Organisations will be able discuss the following conditions with the Department of Treasury and Finance and Treasury Corporation of Victoria to ensure the loan structure is consistent with business requirements:

• Fixed or variable interest rate
• Loan term (up to 15 years)
• Requirements for a limited interest only period
• Security to be provided
• Timing of repayments (monthly / quarterly / semi-annual)

*It is important to note that the Treasury Corporation of Victoria’s borrowing rates are subject to market fluctuations and therefore the actual interest rate offered will be dependent on the Treasury Corporation of Victoria's borrowing rate at the date of contract execution.

Applications will consist of three components. All components must be provided in order for an application to be deemed eligible for assessment. These include:

• Loan application form
• Business case
• Supporting documentation

Business Case

All applicants will be required to submit a business case which aligns strongly with the objectives of the scheme and addresses issues including:

• Project justification        
• Project delivery & outcomes
• Financial viability

Organisations are encouraged to utilse the Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme Business Case Template to assist with the development of their application.

Supporting Documentation

Applications will be required to provide documentation to support their business case and demonstrate financial viability, security and capacity to repay.

The Department of Treasury and finance have developed the Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme - Cash flow template (Excel) to assist organisations demostrate their organisations viability and capacity to service a loan.

Full details regarding  required supporting documentation can be found in the Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme Guidelines.

How to submit your application

Applications with all supporting documentation can be sent directly to loans@sport.vic.gov.au. 

If your files are too big for an email, you can upload documents to an online cloud storage system such as WeTransfer, Dropbox or OneDrive. Just advise where your files can be downloaded in your email to loans@sport.vic.gov.au.

All applications and supporting documentation must be submitted prior to 11.59 pm on Friday 31 August 2018.

The following working day, you will receive a confirmation email notifying you of receipt of the application.

Loans scheme applications open - 16 July 2018

Loans scheme applications close - 31 August 2018

Notification of outcomes - early October 2018

Fact sheets and templates

• Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme  - Business case template (Word)
• Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme - Cash flow template (Excel)
• Fact Sheet Competitive Neutrality (Word)
• Fact Sheet Project Management Framework (Word)
• Project Management Template (Word)
• Fact Sheet Schedule of Use (Word)
• Schedule of Use Template (Excel)
• Schedule of Use Example (Excel)
• Fact-Sheet Capital-Replacement-Plan (Word)
• Capital Replacement Plan Template (Excel)
• Detailed Area Schedule Example and Template (Excel)
• Fair Play Code form for tenants (Word)
• Fact Sheet Environmentally Sustainable Design (Word)
• Fact Sheet Universal Design (Word)
• Fact Sheet In-Kind Labour and Voluntary Support (Word)
• In-Kind and Voluntary Support Template (Word)
• In-Kind and Voluntary Support Example (Word)
• Project Governance Template (Word)
• SunSmart Online Shade Audit Tool

Guides

These publications are intended for use as a guide only and further specialist advice should be sought on the specifics of your project:

• Design for Everyone Guide
• Sport and Recreation Victoria Infrastructure Grants – Acknowledgement and Publicity Guidelines (pdf)
• Sport and Recreation Victoria Infrastructure Grants – Acknowledgement and Publicity Guidelines (Word)
• Femal Friendly Sport Infrastructure Guidelines
• This Girl Can - Helping women and girls get active
• AFL Preferred Facility Guidelines
• AFL Unisex Amenitites Guidelines
• Netball Australia National Facilities Policy (pdf)
• Netball Victoria Facility Manual
• Community Cricket Facilities Guidelines
• Tennis Australia National Tennis Facility Planning and Development Guide
• Artificial Grass For Sport Guide (pdf)
• Artificial Grass For Sport Guide (Word)
• Croquet Facility Guide
• Community sporting facility lighting guide (pdf)
• Community sporting facility lighting guide (Word)
• Good Play Space Guide: "I can play too" (pdf)
• Good Play Space Guide: "I can play too" (Word)
• Pool Concourse Guidelines
• ARV Functional Design Brief Template
• DHHS – Safe Pool Operations
• Healthy Choices: policy guidelines for sport and recreation centres
• PLA Open Space Planning Guide
• Female participation in sport and physical activity a snapshot of the evidence 
• Physical activity across life stages
• Provision of drinking water fountains in public areas
• Welcoming Sport
• Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse women and girls in sports
• Women in sport and recreation in Australia
• Barriers to sports participation for women and girls
• Retaining the Membership of Women in Sport

For general Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme enquiries:

Phone: 1300 366 356 for the cost of a local call (except from mobile phones); or email loans@sport.vic.gov.au

Open Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 5pm except public holidays