Business Grants
Business grant applications are now open via Te Kopa Ora grants portal. You will need your whakapapa registration number to log in to the portal.
Applications will remain open until 5th December and will reopen again in the new year on 19th January 2026.
We expect there will be a high number of applications from pakihi for these first few funding rounds on the new system so it may take us longer than usual to process applications. We appreciate your ongoing understanding as we work through these as quickly as we can.
There have been some changes to the grant criteria and supporting documentation needed to apply so we recommend that you read through the relevant fund guide before applying to be sure you have everything we need to process your application.
You can find templates and examples to help you with the application process in our new Resource Kete.
If you have a pātai, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Available Grants
There are three kinds of grants available: Kickstart Grants, Stay up Grants and Growth Grants. The purpose of the grants is to support the long-term sustainability and development of Ngāi Tahu pākihi.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for a business grant through Puna Pākihi, you need to:
· Be a registered Ngāi Tahu whānau member
· Be at least 18 years old
· Have a business that is already trading and has a New Zealand Business Number
· Have sent us all reporting and receipts from any previous grants and had these approved
The business must have at least 50% Ngāi Tahu ownership. Co-owned entities where ownership is split and not fully controlled by the applicant are not eligible.
Charitable trusts and businesses that are not yet trading are not eligible.
Limits
· Whānau members can apply for one grant every 12 months and can receive a maximum of two Kickstart Grants per whānau member.
· For Stay Up Grants and Growth Grants, there is a limit of two of each type of grant per business.
Examples of what the pūtea can be used for:
· Business capability development, for example strategic planning
· Training and upskilling, for example upskilling in a new beauty treatment, procurement training
· Professional business mentoring or coaching
· Systems or tools that improve productivity/efficiency, for example software, automation tools
· Marketing strategy development (does not include the costs of doing the marketing).
· Digital enablement such as a new booking system
· Specialty equipment such as a 3D printer, commercial appliances, landscaping tools, automotive diagnostic equipment.
Examples of what the pūtea cannot be used for:
· Salaries or wages
· Rent, utilities, or bills
· Vehicle purchase, repairs or petrol
· Computers, laptops or mobile devices
· Raw materials or stock
· Marketing costs (for example Facebook ads, flyers)
· Equipment leasing or hire
· Travel costs – unless directly linked to capability development
· Personal debt repayments
· Routine business expenses (such as accounting fees, insurance)
· Retrospective costs (spending already incurred)
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