Community sporting organisations across New South Wales can now apply for a share of $500,000 to purchase and install automated external defibrillators at local sports grounds and recreation facilities.
Under the 2026 Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program, eligible organisations can receive grants of up to $3,000 for an approved AED package.
The funding may support the purchase and installation of a defibrillator, associated maintenance arrangements and training to help club members respond during a cardiac emergency.
Applications are scheduled to close on 7 October 2026, although the program may close earlier if its available funding is fully allocated.
Grants of up to $3,000 available
Successful applicants can receive funding for one approved AED package valued at up to $3,000.
The package may include the defibrillator itself and related equipment or services provided through an approved supplier.
Where the total package cost exceeds the maximum grant, the applicant will be responsible for paying the remaining amount.
Applicants are generally limited to one application and one AED package during the funding round.
Receiving funding in a previous round does not necessarily make an organisation ineligible. However, previous recipients may receive lower priority if the available allocation is exhausted by new applicants.
Priority for disadvantaged communities
The program is intended to improve access to lifesaving equipment in communities where sporting organisations may struggle to cover the upfront and ongoing cost of an AED.
Priority will be given to clubs and facility operators located in disadvantaged areas or able to demonstrate financial hardship.
This means funding is not necessarily awarded simply on the basis that an organisation submits an eligible application.
Applicants may need to provide evidence of their location, financial circumstances, facility use and ability to maintain the equipment after it is installed.
The funding is available to eligible NSW sport and active recreation organisations and certain owners or operators of facilities used for community sport.
More than 2,500 devices funded since 2017
The Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program began in 2017.
Since then, more than 2,500 AEDs have been awarded for use at sport and recreation facilities across NSW.
A previous funding round delivered devices to more than 190 sporting organisations, with the government directing a substantial proportion of the equipment towards regional, remote and disadvantaged communities.
The program is designed to increase the number of sporting locations where an AED can be accessed quickly by players, officials, volunteers and spectators.
However, the presence of a defibrillator does not replace the need to call Triple Zero, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation and follow emergency-service instructions.
Devices to be included on GoodSAM registry
AEDs funded through the 2026 program will be listed on the GoodSAM AED Registry.
The registry allows emergency services and participating members of the public to identify the location of nearby defibrillators during a suspected cardiac arrest.
Registering devices may make them accessible beyond a club’s scheduled competitions or training sessions, depending on where the AED is stored and when the facility can be accessed.
Clubs will need to ensure the registry information remains accurate, including the device’s location, operating hours and accessibility.
An AED kept inside a locked building may not be available during an emergency outside normal club hours, even if its location appears on a public registry.
Immediate action is critical during cardiac arrest
A sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping blood effectively.
The person will usually become unresponsive and stop breathing normally.
Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the likelihood of survival, making rapid access to an AED particularly important at busy sporting facilities.
The devices analyse the person’s heart rhythm and provide clear instructions to the user. A shock is delivered only when the machine identifies a rhythm that may respond to defibrillation.
Professor Jamie Vandenberg from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute said early access to a defibrillator could more than double a person’s likelihood of survival.
Government and health-sector figures indicate that fewer than one in ten people who experience cardiac arrest outside hospital currently survive.
These outcomes vary depending on factors including whether the incident is witnessed, how quickly CPR begins and how soon an AED and emergency medical care become available.
Training and maintenance remain important
Although modern AEDs are designed to guide users through the emergency process, clubs should ensure volunteers and staff know where the equipment is stored and how to retrieve it quickly.
Training may include recognising cardiac arrest, calling Triple Zero, performing CPR and using the AED safely.
Organisations must also maintain the device after it is installed.
This includes checking battery life, replacing electrode pads before they expire, inspecting the unit after use and ensuring signage remains visible.
A device that cannot be located, has expired components or is stored in an inaccessible place may provide little practical benefit during an emergency.
Funding is open but limited
The $500,000 allocation could theoretically fund around 166 maximum-value grants if every successful applicant received the full $3,000.
The actual number of devices supported will depend on the cost of approved packages and the value requested by each organisation.
Because applications may close once all available funding has been allocated, eligible organisations are being encouraged to apply before the published deadline.
The announcement confirms that the grant round is open; it does not mean the AEDs have already been purchased or installed.
Applications will first need to be assessed, after which successful organisations can proceed through the approved purchasing and installation process.
Part of broader community sport support
The defibrillator program forms part of the NSW Government’s wider funding for grassroots sport.
Other programs separately support sporting facilities, participation initiatives, safety equipment and projects designed to make community sport more inclusive.
Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said the AED grants would help clubs prepare for medical emergencies and improve access to equipment that could save a life.
The longer-term success of the program will depend not only on how many devices are funded, but also on whether they remain maintained, clearly marked and quickly accessible when an emergency occurs.
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