Contents:

1. 🚀 PitchUp joins The Park - the Australian Sports Commission’s inaugural innovation program

2. 🏀Takeaways from Basketball Australia’s National Congress and what it means for the rest of Aussie sport 

3. 🪙Grant releases - What you might have missed

4. 🏫Venue Spotlight - How leading schools and sports clubs are streamlining their facility hire with PitchUp

NEWS
Innovating alongside the Australian Sports Commission to tackle sports biggest problem

Some moments quietly remind you why you started. Last week was one of those for us at PitchUp.

We had the privilege of travelling to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra to officially begin our involvement in The Park - the Australian Sports Commission’s inaugural Virtual Innovation Hub designed to accelerate innovation across Australian sport. The Co-Design Day brought together sharp minds from across the sports ecosystem, all grounded by a shared belief: when communities can access sport more easily, everyone benefits.

What stood out most wasn’t just the calibre of thinking in the room, but the intent behind it. The ASC’s approach to innovation is deeply community-first, focused on real problems faced by schools, clubs, councils and volunteers on the ground. We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this work, and for the leadership of the ASC team in creating a space where bold ideas and practical solutions can coexist.

As part of this program, PitchUp will be working alongside stakeholders to help map true participation demand against the availability of sporting facilities across selected regions. This includes understanding where demand is being constrained, identifying underutilised spaces, and translating that data into insights that decision-makers can actually act on.

For us, this work goes far beyond software. Access is one of the biggest bottlenecks in Australian sport - and when facilities are stretched, communities feel it first. By helping unlock existing spaces and reduce friction in how they’re managed, we believe we can support healthier participation pathways, stronger local clubs, and more inclusive sporting environments. We’re proud to be part of this journey and excited about what’s possible when the right people come together.

NEWS
From the source; Basketball Australia’s National Congress

For the first time, Basketball Australia brought every State and Territory Association together for its inaugural National Congress - convening leaders from across the game to align on a single, unified vision for the future.

The ambition is bold: to position basketball as Australia’s most played team sport by 2040. More importantly, for the first time ever the Congress marked a shift in how that ambition is being approached - through collaboration, cohesion and a shared national direction, rather than fragmented, state-by-state efforts.

Constructed off the back of the Congress, Basketball Australia’s 2040 Vision - Everybody’s Game is a comprehensive roadmap for the next 15 years. The 74-page document outlines 39 distinct deliverables across participation, facilities, leadership, pathways, community and high performance - providing clarity not just on where the sport wants to go, but how it intends to get there.

While the vision is basketball-specific, many of its underlying challenges and opportunities will feel familiar to anyone working in sport, education or community infrastructure. Growth is strong. Demand is rising. Participation is healthy. But the systems that support access are under increasing strain.

PitchUp was privileged to attend the National Congress in Melbourne late last year to contribute to discussions focused on facilities and infrastructure - an area that underpins almost every ambition outlined in the Vision. We were asked to join a panel exploring how better coordination, venue visibility and data can support access to sporting spaces across communities.

One insight cut across the entire Congress: Australian basketball is increasingly constrained not by interest, but by access.

Basketball offers a clear illustration of what many other Australian sports are challenged with. Participation is rising sharply, yet court availability is not keeping pace. It’s estimated Australia is currently short more than 1,000 basketball courts nationwide. Even if that gap were closed overnight, those facilities would be immediately absorbed by existing demand - raising a broader question that extends well beyond basketball: where will future participants play?

This is not a facilities problem alone. It’s a systems problem.

Across most communities, traditional venues are at or near capacity, while significant infrastructure within schools and council facilities remains underutilised, hard to identify and complex to access. The issue isn’t a lack of courts or fields, but a lack of visibility, coordination and simple systems to unlock them. At the Congress, there was clear recognition that future growth won’t come from building more alone, but from using existing spaces more effectively - with better insight into demand and supply, and fewer barriers for those managing access.

This shift is encouraging beyond basketball. When access becomes easier for schools, clubs and administrators, participation grows, pathways strengthen and pressure on facilities eases.Basketball Australia’s 2040 Vision reflects this more holistic approach, and discussions at the National Congress signalled a willingness to collaborate and rethink how space is managed across the ecosystem.

For those across sport and education, the message is clear: access isn’t operational - it’s foundational, and how we solve it will shape the future of participation.

GRANTS
What You Might Have Missed 

Grants are a great way to contribute to school and community fundraising. It’s important to know what to look for, where to look and be prepared! PitchUp has put together resources for grant applications and will continue to compile these resources in each newsletter edition to make sure you don’t miss anything.

PitchUp Grant updates will cover:
- Public School Grants
- Private School Grants
- Education Grants
- Grants for sporting clubs

1. NSW | Preschools on Non-Government School Sites Program

Funding is available to build or upgrade preschools across at least 50 non-government school sites in NSW, spanning both independent and Catholic schools.

The program is designed to expand access to quality preschool education for families across the state — particularly in high-growth communities where demand continues to rise.

Eligible schools must:
• Provide primary education (primary or composite K–12 schools)
• Be located in high-growth areas
• Be assessed with consideration to socio-economic status, student demographics, and classification as a special purpose school

This initiative is focused on strengthening early education infrastructure where it’s needed most — supporting growing communities and improving access for young learners across NSW.

Applications close: Wednesday, 30 Sep 2026
Get more info here

2. NSW | AFL Facilities Fund

Delivers targeted investment into community football facilities across NSW to strengthen participation and improve the AFL experience at every level.

Clubs can apply for funding to deliver projects that grow the game and enhance local infrastructure.

The objectives of the NSW Facilities Fund are to:

• Increase venue capacity and improve supporting infrastructure
• Build new ovals and expand capacity in high-growth communities
• Deliver inclusive, accessible facilities — with a strong focus on female participation
• Strengthen venues that support talent pathways, umpiring and volunteers
• Foster partnerships to improve the quality and reach of the AFL venue network
• Provide recovery support for facilities impacted by natural disasters

This fund is about building better places to play — now and into the future.

Eligible to: Government, education, community Groups, sporting Clubs, businesses

Applications close: Friday, 30 Oct 2026
Get more info here

3. AUS | Active Australia Innovation Challenge (Heart Foundation)

Supports innovative projects that increase physical activity across schools, community groups, councils and tertiary institutions.

Funding is available for initiatives that activate a specific group or community -encouraging greater participation through creative, locally driven solutions.

Key eligibility requirements:

• Applicants must hold a current ABN, or partner with an organisation that does
• Where partnering, the ABN-holding organisation must submit the application
• The lead organisation will manage funding and be accountable for project delivery

This is a strong opportunity for schools and community organisations looking to pilot new participation initiatives — particularly those that bring together facilities, programs and local partnerships to drive measurable impact.

Applications close: Sunday 1 March 2026, 5:00pm AEDT

Get more info here

VENUE SPOTLIGHT
PitchUp Welcomes New Venues