Federal Grants for Sports Clubs: How to Make the Most of Game On

The federal government has put $35.3 million on the table for community sports clubs to cut their energy costs and reduce emissions. Applications for Round 1 open 11 June 2026, which means clubs need to move quickly.

What Is the Game On Grant?

Game On: Teaming Up for Climate Action is a federal government program designed to help not-for-profit community sports clubs fund energy upgrades. It sits within Australia’s broader net zero commitment, and it is aimed squarely at clubs that want to reduce their energy bills and environmental footprint but need financial support to get there.

Individual clubs can apply for between $25,000 and $100,000. Clubs can also apply as a consortium, with groups of 2 to 10 clubs eligible for up to $1 million combined, and groups of 11 to 20 clubs eligible for up to $2 million combined. Across both rounds, up to 500 clubs nationally are expected to receive funding.

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible, a club must be a not-for-profit with an ABN and be incorporated, either as a company, incorporated association, co-operative, or indigenous corporation. It must also be affiliated with a recognised state or national sporting body.

The program has set aside at least 50% of funding for priority sporting codes: AFL, cricket, football (soccer), basketball, netball, rugby league, tennis, golf, athletics, gymnastics, and surf lifesaving. Clubs from all other sports can still apply for the remaining funding, so this is not limited to the major codes.

For-profit entities and venues primarily used as licensed bars or gaming machine areas are excluded, as are unincorporated associations.

What Can the Money Pay For?

The grant covers a wide range of energy upgrades. Our team at Watt Utilities can help clubs across most of what the program funds, including:

• Solar PV systems and battery storage, including installation, switchboard upgrades, and roof strengthening
• LED lighting upgrades for courts, fields, and clubhouses
• Heat pumps for pool heating and hot water
• Air conditioning system upgrades
• Building insulation, glazing, and draught sealing
• Electrification of gas cooking equipment
• EV charging infrastructure
• Climate risk assessments and sustainability plans

For most clubs, solar and battery storage combined with LED lighting upgrades will deliver the biggest ongoing reduction in energy costs. Our energy specialists work through consumption data to identify which upgrades will have the most impact for each club’s specific situation, before any money is committed.

Key Dates

Round 1 applications open on 11 June 2026 and close on 8 July 2026. That is a four-week window, so clubs that want to apply should start preparing now. Grant agreements are expected to be signed around November 2026, and all works must be completed by 30 March 2028.

Applications are submitted at grants.gov.au through GrantConnect. If your committee has not used that platform before, it pays to get familiar with it before the window opens rather than working it out under time pressure.

How Watt Utilities Can Help

Watt Utilities is a Gold Coast-based commercial energy broker that has been working with businesses and organisations across Australia since 2006. We work with community clubs as well as commercial clients, and we understand what it takes to get an energy upgrade project scoped, costed, and delivered properly.

Our team offers a free energy health check to help clubs understand their current consumption and identify which upgrades are worth pursuing. From there, we coordinate across our network of installation partners covering solar, battery storage, EV charging, lighting, air conditioning, and more. We help clubs build a clear picture of what they want to fund through the grant before they apply, so the application reflects a realistic and well-scoped project.

We can also assist clubs exploring consortium applications, connecting groups of clubs with shared interests in coordinating their upgrades and maximising the combined funding available to them. You can find out more about the range of services we offer on our website.