Round three of Play for Equity

THIRD ROUND OF PLAY FOR EQUITY NOW OPEN! 

Thanks to a co-investment partnership between the Australian Government's Team Up and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its Olympism365 strategy, funding opportunities for community-based sport and play initiatives across the Pacific have been boosted. As a result, the third round of the Play for Equity fund is now open.

WHAT IS THE PLAY FOR EQUITY FUND?

The mission of the Play for Equity fund is to resource innovative and intersectional community initiatives advancing gender and disability justice in and through sport and play in the Pacific. This fund will provide small unrestricted grants to groups and individuals with new and radical solutions derived from community-based activism. Applications will be reviewed and selected by an Advisory Committee made up of experts in women’s rights, feminist activism, disability justice, and sport from the Pacific.

The first round of the Play for Equity Fund was launched in September 2022 funded by the Australian Government’s Team Up program. 

The second round of the Play for Equity Fund was funded through a partnership between the Australian Government’s Team Up program and International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its Olympism365 strategy and supports the objectives of the Oceania Sport, Equality and Inclusive Communities Impact Network. This is the third round of the Play for Equity Fund and is funded through the same partnership arrangement as the second round.

Team Up and Women Win  are the administrators of the Play for Equity fund and will be responsible for the fiscal management and general operations of the Fund. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

During this funding call, the Play for Equity fund is targeting groups and individuals based in the following countries: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga and Vanuatu.

The Play for Equity fund will support both registered or unregistered non-profit community-based organisations, sporting bodies, collectives, groups, and cooperatives, as well as individuals.

For individual applicants, people above the age of 18 that self-identify as women, nonbinary, transgender or identify as belonging to marginalised or vulnerable populations such as people with disabilities, can apply.

HOW WILL THE PLAY FOR EQUITY FUND SUPPORT AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH TO GENDER JUSTICE?

To support an intersectional gender justice movement, the Play for Equity fund will dedicate a portion of the funds to grantees working towards disability justice, and grantees working with PIDSOGIESC (Pacific Islanders of Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristic).

Of the total amount of funding:

• At least 30% of available funds will go to applications with a focus on disability justice.
• At least 30% of available funds will go to applications with a focus on PIDSOGIESC.

Applicants working towards these two aims are encouraged to include this information in their application.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Applicants are asked to produce a 3–5-minute video pitch which will be submitted via an application form on Google Form. The Google Form application will also require applicants to provide contact information and brief written responses on the work your organisation or you do, and the communities you work with.

As a general guideline, your 3–5-minute video application should include:

• 30-60 seconds explanation of the barrier/issue you are trying to address
• 90-120 seconds explanation of how you would plan to use the funding
• 60-120 seconds explanation of how this work would advance gender and/or disability justice in and through sport and play or the change you expect to see

As you prepare your video application, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Keep videos under five minutes in length
• Ensure that you have the informed consent of all people visible and present in the video
• Please review your video to ensure that the audio is clear and comprehensible
• For organisations: Have multiple (at least two) people from your organisation speak in the video

The video is intended to provide you with a creative and simple way to apply for funding, and no video editing is expected (it can be filmed in one take). The applications may be recorded in any language, including sign language. You may submit an audio-only application if you prefer.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY ON GOOGLE FORM 

If you anticipate challenges with data, technology, or internet connectivity to upload your video, please get in touch with Team Up’s Roshika Deo at roshika.deo@ghd.com and we will do our best to support you in your application process.

The Play for Equity fund is accepting applications until midnight (GMT+12) on 1 December 2024.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How can we use the funding from the Play for Equity Fund?

The Play for Equity Fund will provide unrestricted/core funding to organisations, groups, and individuals working to support advancing gender and/or disability justice in and through sport and play. Grantees are free to decide how to best use the funds, in line with the mission of the Play for Equity fund.

We are an emerging group and do not have an annual income – can we still apply?

Yes, you can still apply. In the application form, you will be asked to provide the name and contact details of two organisations or groups that you have previously worked with, whether formally or informally, which will allow us to confirm and verify your group.

I am an individual – can I still apply?

Yes, if you are above the age of 18 and self-identify as a woman, non-binary, transwoman, transmen, or identify as belonging to a marginalised or vulnerable population such as people with disabilities, you can apply.

Our organisation/group is NOT legally registered - can we still apply?

Yes, you can still apply. Your organisation/group does not need to be legally registered to apply for the Play for Equity Fund. We are accepting applications from both registered and unregistered organisations, sporting bodies, collectives and groups.

We use yoga, dancing and other forms of physical movement within our work - can we still apply?

Yes, you can still apply. The Play for Equity fund will support applications using all forms of physical and play-based activity aimed at promoting well-being, including traditional sports. 

What is the maximum amount of funding we can request?

Groups may apply for up to $15,000 AUD from the Play for Equity fund.

Individuals applying to the Play for Equity fund will be able to apply for funding up to $8,000 AUD.

We advise all applicants to be intentional about their funding request. It is highly recommended to apply for no more than 50 per cent of your annual organisational income. For example, if you have $10,000 AUD in organisational income, to apply for no more than $5,000 AUD.

Do we need to have a bank account to be able to receive funds?

Yes, it is preferable that you have access to a bank account, either an organisational account or the personal account of one of the leaders of your organisation/group to receive international transfers. If this is not possible, we can discuss this with you and explore alternative options.

What is the Play for Equity Fund selection process?

All eligible applications received will go through the Play for Equity fund selection process which is made up of two phases:

(1) All eligible applications will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee members who are made up of experts in women’s rights, feminist activism, and sport from the Pacific, to create a shortlist.

(2) The shortlist applications will then be assessed and scored by all the Advisory Committee members who will make a final decision on which groups and individuals will receive funding.

What information will be collected from applicants, and who has access to this information?

Within the application form, we ask for the contact details (name, email address and telephone number) of someone from your organisation or group, as well as those of two referees. Only the Play for Equity Fund Advisory Committee, Team Up and Women Win will have access to this information. 

Please note that if you are shortlisted, we will require a letter of support via your referees. We advise that you please let them know and confirm whether they will be able to provide this upon request.

If we are successful, when will we hear, and when can we expect to receive funding?

Selected grantees will be notified in February 2025. Funding will be distributed in March 2025, with the expectation that the funding will be spent in 2025.

What are the reporting requirements?

Guiding questions will be provided to the grantees to respond to and submit, including five photos of the activity carried out by the grant. In addition to this, some impact stories on the grant activity will be collected. This information will be collected by Team Up at the end of the funding term, or in between separate grant disbursements if multiple disbursements will be made.

Why is Tuvalu not included in the third Play for Equity round? 

Following the historic Falepili Union between Australia and Tuvalu, the Australian Government has launched a Tuvalu-focused Play for Equity fund, exclusively open to applicants from Tuvalu. This is separate from the broader Pacific-wide call for submissions under the third round of Play for Equity, which invites applications from various Pacific Islands.