Para Grant 2
2026 Para Coach – Mentor Roles Grant Program
Applications open
- Application Opening Date: 9:00am AEST, Monday 25 May 2026
- Application Close Date: 4:00pm AEST, Tuesday 9 June 2026
Grants
This new Grant Program is a Project Para initiative introduced to increase the capability of Para coaches. It aims to do so by retaining and supporting targeted serial winning coaches to share their knowledge and expertise across the system.
For the purposes of this Grant Program, serial winning coaches are defined as: “coaches who have coached multiple athletes to medals at multiple benchmark events, including the Paralympic Games”. In other words, coaches who have reliably and repeatedly developed athletes to be best in the world and then prepared and supported them to perform at their best and win medals at benchmark events, including World Championships and Paralympic Games.
The objectives of the new Para Coach-Mentor Roles Grant Program are to:
- Ensure the knowledge and expertise of serial winning coaches is retained within the system, for the benefit of the system.
- Provide HP and developing HP Para coaches with the opportunity to be mentored by coaches who have repeatedly guided athletes to medal winning performances at benchmark events, including the Paralympic Games.
- Recognise and reward the knowledge and expertise of the serial winning coaches selected as coach-mentors.
- Determine whether the inaugural pilot program should be expanded, to provide more support to more Para coaches, across more Paralympic sports.
2026 Para Coach – Mentor Roles Grant Program Guidelines
Grant amount
The total funding pool for the pilot Grant Program is $80,000 (excluding GST).
Two (2) Coach – Mentor Role Grants are available for this Program.
Coach – Mentor Role Grant
- The amount available for each Coach – Mentor Role Grant is $40,000 (excluding GST). This includes a minimum of $30,000 (excluding GST) to the successful coach-mentor for remuneration for their time and expertise and up to $10,000 (excluding GST) towards costs incurred (e.g., travel) in supporting identified mentees.
- The payment will be made to the successful eligible organisation/s. The organisation will be responsible for the Coach-Mentor’s employment, which may include engagement via contract. The ASC will not employ coaches or hold employment contracts. The funding may contribute to reasonable superannuation and oncosts associated with the Coach-Mentor role on agreement with the ASC.
- Applications must be made by eligible organisations on behalf of the coach-mentor.
- Eligible organisations may only submit one application to the Coach – Mentor Roles Grant Program with one (1) Coach - Mentor identified in the application.
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Applications must be submitted by an eligible organisation, and not potential coach-mentors. To be eligible to apply for the Grant Program, the following criteria must be met:
Organisation
- Be an ASC recognised NSO/D for a Paralympic sport or a NIN Partner (collectively referred to as ‘eligible organisations’).
- Identify and support a coach with the ability, qualifications, experience and commitment required to meet the identified coach-mentoring need.
- Clarify the roles and responsibilities of and proposed schedule for the coach-mentor (including targeted mentees/mentee groups), in consultation with the coach-mentor. (Consider the addition of coach-mentoring opportunities with other Paralympic sports, in consultation with the coach-mentor and the AIS HP Coach Development Team).
- Provide/source additional funds should the funding amount not be sufficient to support the coach mentor for the grant period.
Confirm that the coach-mentor targeted for the Grant Program:
- is an Australian citizen or has been granted permanent residency status;
- has the ability, qualifications, experience required to meet the identified mentoring need and meets the criteria of a serial winning coach4;
- is willing to undergo Safeguarding and Integrity checks from ASC Safeguarding and Sport Integrity Australia (organised by the ASC);
- is interested and available to meet the identified coach-mentoring need;
- will commit to and deliver agreed coach-mentoring support to Para coaches identified by the relevant NSO/D and/or NIN Partner during the 2026/27 financial year.
- will engage fully and be willing to work collaboratively with the Program (NSO/D, NIN partner, AIS) staff and coaches;
- will be open to feedback and monitor their own progress during the year and be willing to provide feedback;
- will be highly motivated and committed to improving their craft as a Para coach and coach mentor;
- will complete the evaluation tasks for the Program.
- Submit a financial acquittal, written report and recommendations and an evaluation of the Grant Program to the SmartyGrants platform by 30 April 2027.
Grant funds must be used to directly support the engagement of the targeted coach-mentor in the identified mentoring activities and align with the objectives of the Grant Program.
A total of $40,000 (excluding GST) is provided for each of the two coach-mentors. A minimum of $30,000 (excluding GST) must be used as remuneration for the coach-mentor. Up to $10,000 (excluding GST) can be used to directly support the coach-mentor’s engagement in the identified mentoring activities. (These activities can be in the mentor’s own sport and/or other sports and may or may not require travel to other locations). Eligible expenses within the allocated $10,000 (not including GST) include travel and other costs required to deliver agreed mentoring support and improve athlete and coach outcomes.
Before applying, applicants must read and understand these Guidelines and the application form. As per Section 3.1, eligible organisations may submit one (1) application, identifying one (1) coach-mentor. Applications are to be completed online via the ASC website at https://sportaus.smartygrants.com.au/HPPCMR, opens in a new tab by the closing date. To complete the application, applicants must:
- Provide all the information requested.
- Address all eligibility criteria and assessment criteria.
- Attach all mandatory supporting documentation.
Please ensure the application is complete and information accurate, prior to submitting.
Application changes after the closing date and time are not permitted.
Late applications will not be accepted except at the discretion of the ASC following consideration of evidence of exceptional circumstances.
Applicants should keep a copy of the submitted application and any supporting documents.
An automated email from the ASC grant management system confirming receipt of your application will be generated after submission. If you do not receive an email, or experience technical issues please contact the ASC Grants Team via funding@ausport.gov.au.
Applications will first be assessed against the eligibility criteria. If eligible, the ASC will assess applications against the assessment criteria (see Section 6) and against other applications. Each application is considered on merit, based on:
- how well it meets the assessment and prioritisation criteria;
- how it compares to other applications;
- whether it represents value for money, including consideration of the scale of impact (e.g., number of Para coaches and/or key medal opportunities supported), level of co-investment, and the potential sustainability or longer-term benefit of the proposed activities.
The assessment process will consider:
- the overall objective/s to be achieved in providing the grant;
- the extent to which the evidence in the application demonstrates that it will contribute to meeting the objectives;
- the extent to which the proposed activities are achievable within the grant period and the likelihood that outcomes will be sustained beyond the funding period.