Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4th August 2026
New $250,000 grant program will help communities turn facility plans into future projects.
More than 960,730 Victorians participate in basketball each year, making it the state’s highest-participation community sport and driving growing demand for basketball facilities across metropolitan and regional Victoria.
Meeting that demand will require 22 additional basketball courts every year until at least 2030, on top of an existing shortfall of approximately 220 courts needed to meet current community demand.
To help communities take the next step towards delivering the facilities they need, applications are now open for Basketball Victoria’s new $250,000 Facility Planning Grant Program.
Believed to be the first program of its kind delivered by a State Sporting Organisation in Australia, the initiative will provide up to five grants of $50,000 to support the planning and development of future basketball infrastructure across Victoria.
The program will fund the critical early-stage work that helps turn facility ideas into investment-ready projects, including feasibility studies, master planning, concept development, business case preparation and other project readiness activities.
While funding opportunities may be available for construction, many promising community projects struggle to reach that point because associations and organisations do not have the resources required to complete the necessary planning.
Basketball Victoria Chief Executive Officer Nick Honey said the program was a practical investment in the future of the game and the communities supporting its continued growth.
“Basketball is thriving across Victoria, with hundreds of thousands of people participating in our game every year,” Mr Honey said.
“That growth is something to celebrate, but it also means we need to continue planning for the facilities our communities will need in the years ahead.
“We know there are associations, councils and education providers with strong ideas for new or expanded basketball facilities. The challenge is often finding the resources to undertake the early planning work needed to move those ideas forward.
“These grants will help communities build the evidence, partnerships and detailed plans required to attract future investment and give their projects the best possible chance of becoming a reality.”
The pressure on existing facilities is already being felt across the state, with limited court availability resulting in approximately 25 per cent of scheduled basketball games being converted into manufactured byes.
Mr Honey said the figure demonstrated the importance of developing a strong and coordinated pipeline of future facility projects.
“When court availability limits how often people can play, it shows why long-term planning is so important,” he said.
“This program alone will not deliver every court Victoria needs, but it can help more communities take that vital first step and put forward stronger projects when future funding opportunities become available.”
Basketball Victoria General Manager Government, Strategy & Innovation Jake Keogh said quality planning was often the key to unlocking government and partner investment.
“The best facility projects begin long before construction starts,” Mr Keogh said.
“Feasibility studies, master plans and well-developed business cases help demonstrate community need, build strong partnerships and provide decision-makers with confidence that a project is ready to progress.
“By investing in those critical first steps, we can help associations, councils and education providers develop stronger, investment-ready projects and build a more sustainable pipeline of basketball facilities across Victoria.”
Victoria accounts for approximately 51.27 per cent of basketball participants nationally, while tens of thousands of students also engage with the sport through school programs each year.
The Facility Planning Grant Program supports Basketball Victoria’s Strategic Plan 2025–2028 and its commitment to improving access to safe, modern and fit-for-purpose facilities across metropolitan and regional Victoria.
Eligible applicants include Basketball Victoria affiliated associations, Victorian local government bodies, and Victorian schools, TAFEs and universities with a demonstrated commitment to basketball participation and community access.
Applications for the Basketball Victoria Facility Planning Grant Program opened on Monday 3 August 2026 and will close on Wednesday 23 September 2026.
For more information and to access the Grant Guidelines, visit Resource Hub - Basketball Victoria Facility Planning Grant.
-ENDS-
Media Contact:
Maree DeGeorge
Media & Communications Specialist
Basketball Victoria
maree.degeorge@basketballvictoria.com.au
0499 851 266
