Women Leaders in Sport - Organisation Grants - 2026

The WLIS Organisation Grants support the Australian Sports Commission's (ASC) commitment to gender equity by investing in initiatives that strengthen leadership pathways, elevate women’s visibility and influence, and address the structural and cultural barriers that limit women’s full participation in sport. In 2026, the program will prioritise projects that address gendered violence, promote and encourage male allyship, support women and girls from marginalised or under‑represented groups, and elevate the voice and visibility of women in leadership.

These priorities reflect the ASC’s ongoing work to ensure sport is a place where women feel supported and empowered to lead. They also align with broader national efforts to prevent violence against women, strengthen gender equality, and ensure equitable opportunities for all women — including First Nations women, women with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse women, LGBTIQ+ women, and women in regional and remote communities.

Through the WLIS Organisation Grants, the ASC continues to champion a sport system that not only welcomes women, but actively supports their leadership, amplifies their contributions, and recognises the critical role they play in shaping the future of Australian sport.

Program Objectives:

• Support sport organisations to develop and/or enhance policies, practices, systems and behaviours that lead to a sector that is more equitable and inclusive, particularly in the promotion and advancement of women leaders.
• Provide education and training opportunities for eligible organisations to advance their progress towards their gender equity goals and commitments. These opportunities should be grounded in an understanding of how people’s intersecting identities shape their experiences, including how power and privilege influences those experiences.
• Provide education and training opportunities that help eligible organisations progress their gender equity goals. All education and training should be grounded in intersectional principles, recognising how different identities affect women’s experiences and access to opportunities.
• Address systemic and cultural barriers to inclusion within the sport sector.

To be eligible you must satisfy all of the following criteria:

• Be a national sporting organisation, a national sporting organisation for people with disability, or be a state/territory sporting organisation of a national body that is recognised by the ASC, the Australian Olympic Committee or Commonwealth Games Association.
• Have the commitment of, and a letter of support from the Chair or CEO
• Organisation has no overdue WLIS acquittal or reporting requirements with the ASC
• Have not received a WLIS Organisation Grant through the WLIS program within the last 12 months (Please note: this does not include WLIS Executive Program)
• Organisation is not named on the Workplace Gender Equity Equality Agency website as declined to join or are unresponsive to the scheme.
• Organisation is not named by the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse on its list of Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme.