Eligibility criteria for 2025/26 rounds concluding 30 April 2026

Applicants must meet the following criteria

• Be turning 12 to 18 years of age in the same calendar year as the nominated championships.
• Be an Australian citizen or have been granted permanent resident status, residing in Australia.
• Be participating as an athlete, coach, or match official in:
  • an official state championships endorsed by the relevant Australian Sports Commission (ASC) recognised national sporting organisation (NSO), national sporting organisation for people with disability (NSOD) or a School Sport Australia member body; or
  • an official national championships endorsed by the relevant ASC recognised NSO, NSOD or School Sport Australia; or
  • an international competition as a member of an official Australian team, representing an ASC recognised NSO, NSOD or School Sport Australia.
• Those attending a state championships must be living more than 250km from the championships venue, and travelling greater than 500km return to participate in the nominated championships*.
• May receive a maximum of one grant in the same allocation year (1 May 2025 – 30 April 2026) for attending either:
  • one state or national championships or international competition.
• Must incur out-of-pocket expenses equal to, or greater than, the grant amount they are eligible to receive.
• Must not receive a Local Para Champions grant or a Local Sporting Champions grant in a previous round to attend the same event or competition.
• Applications must be submitted within timeframes indicated in the 'When  can I apply?' section of the guidelines.

Note: * Those attending a national championships or international competition do not need to be travelling a minimum distance to be eligible.

Along with meeting the eligibility criteria, to receive a grant applicants must abide by the program Terms and Conditions.

The LSC program is currently oversubscribed with a large number of applications received each year. All applications undergo a competitive assessment process, and as a result, the grant cannot be guaranteed.

Have questions about the Eligibility Criteria? Check out the FAQ for more information.

Have any questions about Local Sporting Champions?

Email:sportingchampions@ausport.gov.au