Juniors find it difficult to meet the ongoing and significant costs associated with participation at sporting competitions, particularly those from regional areas.

The Local Sporting Champions program is an Australian Government initiative designed to provide financial assistance for juniors towards the cost of travel, accommodation, uniforms or equipment when competing, coaching or officiating at an official national sporting organisation (NSO) endorsed state or national sporting competition.

Individual application:  https://online.ausport.gov.au/lsc/apply/individual.aspx

Team Application https://online.ausport.gov.au/lsc/apply/team.aspx

Who is eligible?

The Local Sporting Champions program is designed to support young people participating in state and national level sporting competitions as either an athlete, coach, umpire or referee.

In order to be eligible to apply for a Local Sporting Champions grant, young people must meet the following criteria:

• Be between 12 and 18 years of age (inclusive) at the time of the nominated sporting competition.
• Be participating as an athlete, coach, umpire or referee in an official state or national level sporting competition, endorsed by the relevant Australian Sports Commission recognised national sporting organisation (NSO) or national school sport competition. 
• Be required to travel greater than 250km return to particpate in the nominated NSO endorsed state or national sporting competitions, or national school sport competition.
• Be an Australian citizen.
• Must not have been the recipient of a Local Sporting Champions grant, whether as an individual or a member of a team, during the current financial year.
• Must not have received funding from other government sources for the nominated national school sport competition or NSO recognised state or national sporting competition.
• Must not be participating in a professional competition that involves prize money