Play Well

Play Well Affiliate Program

About the program

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has traditionally worked with national sporting organisations (NSOs) and national sporting organisation for people with a disability (NSODs) to deliver on sporting experiences across Australia.

With the launch of the Play Well Strategy and a vision that ‘everyone has a place in sport’, the ASC is excited to be expanding its connection to more national sport and recreation organisations across Australia. These organisations will be currently delivering or supporting sporting and recreational activities, creating positive sporting experiences, and encouraging more Australians to be physically active.

Eligible organisations can apply to become an ASC Play Well Affiliate. Affiliates will be part of a formalised Program and will help create a connected and collaborative industry that supports all organisations to provide safe, welcoming, inclusive and fun sporting experiences.

Affiliate benefits will include (but are not limited to):

  • Contribution to the co-designed implementation of the Play Well Strategy
  • Delivery and support of the strategy’s priority activities
  • Engagement with the ASC, other Affiliates and key organisations within the sector
  • Potential eligibility for future ASC grant programs (subject to any additional criteria and eligibility).

The ASC Play Well Affiliate Program will provide greater interaction, engagement and collaboration between a wider range of Play Well priority stakeholders. This will result in in increased alignment across the sport ecosystem and increased impact and delivery on Play Well objectives.

Download the Program Guidelines for more information, including a full list of program benefits.

Program Information session

The ASC Play Well Affiliate team held a program information session on Wednesday 26 March 2025 (11.00 AEDT).

Thank you to those organisations who registered their interest and/or attended.

The session recording is available to view below.

Eligibility

All applications will be assessed against the eligibility criteria by ASC staff. Applications which do not meet the eligibility criteria will not progress to assessment.

Eligible organisations must:

  • Be not-for profit, national peak bodies who deliver or support sporting or recreation activities, and whose core function encourages Australians to be physically active.
  • Be able to provide evidence of financial reports for three consecutive reporting periods and have been operating as a not-for-profit for a minimum of two full years.
  • Be compliant with Gender Equity Reporting to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), as required under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, for organisations with over 100 employees.
  • Demonstrate good governance, financial standing and meet the ASC’s integrity requirements, including child safeguarding, complaint management, and preventing and responding to discrimination, harassment, and abuse.
  • For organisations that deliver or administer a sport delivered or administered by an ASC recognised National Sports Organisation (NSO) or National Sports Organisation for People with a Disability (NSOD), provide a letter of endorsement for the program application from the NSO/D.

A list of ineligible organisations can be found in the Program Guidelines.

Important dates

Applications Open: 14.00pm AEDT Friday 21 March 2025

Applications Close: 14.00pm AEST Friday 11 April 2025

Program Information Session: 11.00am AEDT Wednesday 26 March 2025

Applications Assessed: April-May 2025

Applications Approved: June 2025

Organisations Notified: June 2025

Applications

Applications for the Play Well Affiliates Program for FY25-FY27 closed on Friday 11 April 2025 (AEST).

More information

For more information on the Play Well Affiliate program, contact the ASC Play Well Affiliate team at playwell@ausport.gov.au