Is Your Sporting Club Eligible for Up to $100,000 in Federal Funding?

There’s a significant opportunity on the table for Australia’s community sporting clubs — and most of them don’t know it exists yet. The Federal Government has set aside $35.3 million to help grassroots clubs slash their energy bills, cut emissions, and future-proof their facilities.
The catch? Only around 500 clubs nationally will receive funding, and the first application window opens on 11 June 2026. ¹ If your club runs on volunteers and tight budgets — read on. This one is worth your time.

 

What is the Grant?

The ‘Game On: Teaming Up for Climate Action’ Programme, Explained

The Game On: Teaming Up for Climate Action programme is administered by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). ¹ It is a competitive, merit-based grant designed specifically for not-for-profit community sporting clubs that want to invest in clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure.
The programme runs across two rounds, with a total pool of $35.3 million on offer. Think of it as the Federal Government co-investing in your oval, courts, or clubhouse — so your club can spend less on power bills and more on what actually matters: sport.

 

How Much Can Your Club Get?

Grant Amounts: From $25,000 to $100,000 Per Club

Individual clubs can apply for between $25,000 and $100,000 per round. ² That’s a meaningful sum for a community club — enough to cover a commercial solar and battery system, LED lighting upgrades, or EV charging infrastructure, often with money to spare.
Grants are competitive, so the strength of your application — including the quality of your supporting quotes and documentation — matters. This is where having a grant-ready quote from a reputable supplier makes a real difference.

Key Dates At A Glance

• Round 1 opens: 11 June 2026
• Round 1 closes: 8 July 2026
• Works can begin: From November 2026
• Works must complete: By March 2028
• Apply via: grants.gov.au / GrantConnect portal

 

What Can The Money Be Spent on?

Eligible Upgrades: Solar, Batteries, EV Chargers and More

The programme covers a broad range of clean energy and climate-resilience improvements.
Eligible works include:^1,2

• Solar PV systems and battery storage
• EV charging infrastructure
• LED lighting upgrades
• Energy-efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning)
• Building insulation
• Shade structures
• Drainage improvements for climate resilience
• Climate risk assessments

For most community clubs, the highest-impact upgrade is a solar and battery system — it delivers ongoing bill savings that outlast the grant itself. EV chargers are also increasingly popular, particularly for clubs with parking facilities.

 

Does Your Club Qualify?

Eligibility: Who Can Apply?

To be eligible, your club must:^1,2

• Be a not-for-profit community sporting organisation
• Hold a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Be structured as an incorporated association, company, or co-operative
• Be affiliated with a state or national sporting body
• Operate at the grassroots (community) level — not elite or professional

The programme prioritises certain sports that together will receive at least 50% of total funding: AFL, Cricket, Soccer, Basketball, Netball, Rugby League, Tennis, Golf, Athletics, Gymnastics, and Surf Lifesaving. ² That said, clubs from all sports are encouraged to apply — priority simply means those codes have a higher chance of receiving funding in the competitive allocation process.

 

The Consortium Option

The Consortium Trick Most Clubs Don’t Know About

Here’s the detail that most clubs miss entirely: if your club forms a consortium with other clubs — between 11 and 20 organisations — your group can apply for up to $2 million in combined funding. ²
Think about what that means in practice. A group of local sporting clubs — say, a football club, a cricket club, a netball club, and others in the same region — could collectively fund a substantial programme of solar installations, battery systems, and EV chargers across all their facilities under a single, coordinated application.
The administrative overhead is shared, the grant-writing effort is pooled, and the outcome is far larger than any single club could achieve alone. If you’re a sporting precinct, a council with multiple club tenants, or a regional sporting association, this is the pathway worth exploring first.

 

How Powerbay Helps

Grant-Ready Solar, Battery and EV Charger Solutions — Available at Bunnings

PowerBay is an Australian renewable energy company selling solar panels, batteries, and EV chargers through Bunnings Warehouse nationwide. We’ve helped clubs and community organisations navigate exactly this kind of grant process, and we make it straightforward.

• Free site assessment — we come to your facility and assess your energy needs at no cost
• Grant-ready quote — a DCCEEW-compliant quote in the format required by the application portal.
• Application guidance — we walk you through what DCCEEW assessors are looking for.
• Full supply and installation — once you’re approved, we handle everything end to end.

Getting a professional, compliant quote early is one of the most important steps in a successful application — it demonstrates that your club has done the groundwork and that the project is deliverable within the programme’s timeline. PowerBay makes that part easy.

 

What to do Right Now

Your Action Plan Before 8 July 2026

The Round 1 window is short — just four weeks from 11 June to 8 July 2026. ¹ Here’s what your club should do right now to be ready:

1. Confirm your eligibility — check your ABN status, incorporation, and sporting body affiliation
2. Book a free site assessment with PowerBay — we’ll assess your facility and prepare your grant-ready quote
3. Talk to your neighbouring clubs — if a consortium application makes sense, now is the time to organise it
4. Register on GrantConnect — set up your organisation’s account at grants.gov.au before the round opens
5. Prepare your supporting documents — financial statements, board authorisation, and site details
6. Submit by 8 July 2026 — late applications will not be accepted

 

Ready to get your club grant-ready?

Book your free PowerBay site assessment today — we’ll prepare a DCCEEW-compliant quote and guide you through the application process. Available through Bunnings Warehouse nationwide. Visit powerbay.com.au or speak to our team at your nearest Bunnings Warehouse.