Who is eligible for the High Performance Athlete Program?

To be eligible for HPAP applicants must be:

• an Australian citizen; and
• competing in a sport and discipline and classification represented at the Olympic, Winter Olympic, Paralympic or Commonwealth Games; and
• live in South Australia or identify as a South Australian athlete and do not hold a formal agreement with a sports institute other than SASI; and
• meet one of the following:
  - categorised by the applicant’s National Sport Organisation (NSO) based on the National Athlete Categorisation Framework (NACF) into one of the five categorisation levels (Podium, Podium Ready, Podium Potential, Developing, Emerging)*; or
  - representing Australia at a junior and/or senior level; or
  - a South Australian athlete, aged between 13 and 18 (as at 31 December 2024) with their primary residence 130km or more from the Adelaide GPO (includes Kangaroo Island) and recognised as having the potential to transition into a SASI sport program or Individual Athlete Scholarship; or
  - a South Australian athlete, identified by their NSO as having the potential to transition towards sport categorisation, and is or has been under the custody or guardianship of the Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection or identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

*Categorisation information is provided by the applicant’s NSO. NSOs categorise athletes using a sport specific matrix based on the NACF. The NACF defines each of the five categorisation levels (Podium, Podium Ready, Podium Potential, Developing, Emerging) to inform planning and to prioritise support to best achieve system targets.

If you are successful, a HPAP Grant can be used to cover costs associated with enabling athlete development in their chosen sport. The following list includes example costs that the grant may be used for. The list is by no means exhaustive, other costs that meet the objectives of the program are welcome.

Applicants must ensure the following:

• The applicant’s sport and the targeted event/discipline/classification are clearly articulated.
• The applicant’s registration/licence number with the relevant SSO/NSO is correctly entered.
• Contact details for the High-Performance Director and the applicant’s coach are provided.
• Three best sporting achievements in the past 12 months at International, National and State levels are listed.
• What the estimated total cost of the applicant’s sport is over the next 12 months.
• Disability Classification (if applicable).
• The applicant’s Australian Business Number (ABN) is entered correctly and matches the legal name (if applicable).
  If you do not have an ABN, you will need to submit a completed Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Statement by Supplier Form with your application, otherwise 46.5% of any approved grant may be withheld. Download the Statement by Supplier form from the ATO.
• Check that all the questions have been answered and all essential documentation is attached.
• Press ‘submit’ once you have completed the application. Upon request, amendments can be made prior to the closing date.

Eligibility Screening

ORSR conducts a preliminary assessment of all applications ensuring that the following criteria are met:

• The applicant is eligible to apply, and
• The application has been submitted, and all mandatory questions have been answered (incomplete applications may be deemed ineligible).

If an application fails to pass eligibility screening, the applicant will be contacted via email, using the details provided in the application. The online application form will be reopened for the applicant to update and resubmit.

If an application is not resubmitted by the date that is requested by ORSR or the Funding Assessment Committee, ORSR will use the latest submitted version for eligibility screening and assessment.

Funding Assessment Committee

The ORSR Chief Executive appoints the members of the Funding Assessment Committee. The Funding Assessment Committee is comprised of officers from across ORSR.

ORSR recognises that conflicts of interest may arise with staff, technical experts, and others assessing the applications and forming recommendations. All employees of the Government of South Australia must comply with:

• The Code of Ethics of the South Australian Public Sector issued under the Public Sector Act 2009 (SA).
• Public Sector (Honesty and Accountability) Regulations 2010 (SA).

The assessment processes within ORSR are additionally governed by the following:

• Interests Management Policy.
• Grant Management Policy and Procedures.

Assessment against principles

Once the assessment is completed, the Funding Assessment Committee will provide funding recommendations to the Chief Executive, ORSR, for consideration.

Please be aware that the amount of funding recommended may be lower than the amount requested.

All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their grant application.

All grantees will be required to:

• Only use the funding for eligible costs as detailed within the grant agreement.
• Comply with the relevant laws in force in South Australia.
• Comply with the reporting and acquittal requirements of the grant agreement. Failure to comply may result in ORSR grant payments being suspended and/or the individual no longer being eligible to receive ORSR funding or being required to return the grant, or part thereof.
• Submit financial reports and other required documentation in line with the grant agreement. The amount of detail required in reports/documentation will be proportionate to the grant amount.
• Comply with the other terms and conditions in the grant agreement.
• Contact ORSR immediately when becoming aware of a breach of terms and conditions of the grant agreement.