Touch Football ACT, a major benefactor of the funding increase, intends to start an inaugural women's tournament to run in conjunction with a men's rugby league competition, the George Tooke Shield.

Of the 56 community sporting organisations to receive $1.67 million in operational funding as part of the program, ACT Ice Skating is the only organisation to lose funding (down from $5000 to $3500) because it received a bonus grant last year.

The big winners are Pedal Power ACT (up from $22,000 to $90,000), Touch Football ACT and Netball ACT (both up from $38,000 to $70,000).

The program totals $2.7 million, including a new $400,000 funding pool for repairs and maintenance of community facilities. Hockey ACT ($150,000) and the Weston Creek Tennis Club ($90,000) will take the biggest chunks of that funding.

Rugby league and touch football announced a national partnership in August, but the two sports are aiming to come closer together in the Canberra region in 2014. They will meet next week to progress plans to introduce a women's touch football competition aligned with the second division George Tooke Shield.

The shield comprises eight regional teams from Canberra, Binalong, Boorowa, Yass, Harden, Bungendore, Crookwell and Goulburn.

''Hopefully each of those clubs will form a women's touch team and we'll have a competition,'' said Touch Football ACT business manager Rod Wise.

''We're talking about participation growth and focusing on women's touch, so this is a great vehicle.''

At least five of the shield clubs have already expressed interest.

The general manager of Netball ACT, Adam Horner, said the extra funding would enable it to maintain a full-time development officer. School participation numbers increased from about 1500 to more than 5000 last year.

''We took a risk and put on a full-time development officer last year,'' he said. ''We funded that ourselves but [this funding] means we can continue that role with some security.''