Ngāi Tahu Fund
In 2005, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu established the Ngāi Tahu Fund to ensure whānau have the ability to access resources to strengthen Ngāi Tahu cultural excellence through sustainability, innovation and tenacity.
The Ngāi Tahu Fund Application Guide is a practical tool to help you complete the application form
on Te Kopa Ora – The Ngāi Tahu Grants Portal.
Registered tribal members and Ngāi Tahu associated groups can apply for funding for projects designed to meet specific cultural objectives, including building cultural knowledge, encouraging cultural practices and leadership. The growth of tribal cultural capacity is essential to protect and preserve our culture for the future.
The Ngāi Tahu Funds Committee, which is comprised of Ngāi Tahu leaders and funding experts has approved over 1,500 projects and more than $15 million to Ngāi Tahu individuals, whānau, hapū and Papatipu Rūnanga in Te Waipounamu and Taurahere Rōpū in the North Island and Australia.
This includes people wanting to investigate their whānau whakapapa and history, groups hosting workshops on traditional arts like weaving and carving, and projects that dive deep into our traditional mahinga kai practices.
Funding Allocations
Details around the projects that have received funding to date are available below; simply click on the links to download/view the PDF.
Pillars of Ngāitahutanga
The following areas are key priority areas of the Ngāi Tahu Fund, as identified in the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Strategy.
- Whakapapa - kinship
- Tikanga - protocols and customs
- Te Reo - Language
- Mahi Toi - creative expression
- Whenua - landscape, place and locality
- Mahinga Kai - Food gathering practices
- Ngā Uara - Values and beliefs
- Ā kāinga, Ā Hapū, Ā Iwi - community engagement and participation
- Mana Tangata - Self-determination, self-confidence, self-purpose, self-transcendence.
The Fund will consider projects that support at least one of the Fund’s three strategic goals.
Link to Cultural Summit Key Priorities
When assessing applications, the Fund will take into account these key priorities identified at the Puketeraki Cultural Summit held October 2005:
- Whakapapa
- Te Reo me ōna Tikanga
- Mahi Toi
- Whānau Development
- Whenua Development
- Māhinga Kai
Three Levels of Funding
1. Small Projects – up to $5,000
- To support smaller local initiatives
- No legal entity required
- Individuals may apply
2. Medium Projects – $5,000 to $30,000
- To support local, regional and national initiatives
- Legal entity required
- Individuals cannot apply for this funding
- Multiple year funding considered
3. Expressions of Interest for Large Projects – $30,000 and over
- Legal entity required
- Individuals cannot apply for this funding
- Multiple year funding considered
- A staged application process- expression of interest, then if approved by the
- Committee followed by full application.
- If you need any help or have any questions please contact the Ngāi Tahu Funds Team by calling 0800 524 8248 or by email [email protected]
Types of projects/costs that will not be funded include:
- Retrospective funding for projects that are already underway or almost completed before the Committee make decisions. For the March round, the Committee meets in mid-May, and for the September round, the Committee meets in mid-November.
- Repayment of debt.
- Koha as this should be the responsibility of the applicant.
- Projects where the main purpose or focus is:
- political sectarian or religious advocacy
- social service delivery
- the core business of an organisation or general operational/administration function
- major building works, equipment or vehicles
- capital items
- IT Hardware.
- Projects which duplicate existing projects or programmes, unless there is a justifiable reason.
- Where other sources of funding can be sought.
- Travel outside of the Ngāi Tahu rohe unless in exceptional circumstances.
- Projects that give benefit to only a small number of people.
How to Apply
To apply, you will need to complete one of three forms. Before completing the online application, please ensure you have all of the required documents. If you are the individual applying for funding, you must know both yours and your project sponsor’s whakapapa registration numbers (please ring our contact centre to obtain this information: 0800 KAI TAHU).
Our online form has a ‘Save Draft’ function which allows you to save and exit your application at any time, however please ensure your application is submitted to us by the closing date.
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