Protecting, enhancing, utilising and maintaining mahinga kai areas, resources and species and the rights of Ngāi Tahu to access these is the basis of the Mahinga Kai Enhancement Fund.
Our natural environment – whenua, waters, coasts, oceans, flora and fauna and how we engage with it, is crucial to Ngāi Tahu identity, our sense of unique culture and our on-going ability to keep our tikanga and mahinga kai practices alive.
It includes our commemoration of the places our tūpuna moved through in Te Waipounamu, and the particular mahinga kai resources and practices we used to maintain our ahi kā anchoring our whakapapa to the landscape.
Mahinga kai, wāhi tapu and other taonga are of paramount importance, being the cornerstone of the spiritual, historical, cultural, social and economic well-being of Ngāi Tahu.
Eligibility
Legal entities with a significant Ngāi Tahu association may apply.
Level of funding available
Applications will be assessed case by case.
Open/Close Dates
There is one funding round per year. This opens on 1 January and close 31 March.
How to apply
If you have an organisational log in you can apply on Te Kopa Ora by logging in via the Invitational Login (you can find this on the bottom left of the Te Kopa Ora website).
If your Organisation has not used the portal before, please contact the Ngāi Tahu Grants team to set up your Log In at [email protected].
Note on timeframes
Applications will be reviewed by the Ngāi Tahu Fund Committee in May, with decisions and payments made thereafter.
Strategic Objectives of the Fund
- To protect, enhance, utilise and maintain mahinga kai areas and resources
- To provide the opportunity for Ngāi Tahu to exercise their rights to access and use mahinga kai
- To revitalise the relationship between Ngāi Tahu and mahinga kai
- To identify and work to establish protected areas for mahinga kai in the rohe of each Papatipu Rūnanga
Mahinga Kai Enhancement Fund Outcomes
- Mahinga kai areas are adequately and appropriately managed and protected according to Ngāi Tahu values and interests.
- The abundance of and access to mahinga kai is increased for customary use
- Ngāi Tahu whānui value and have opportunities to learn and participate in mahinga kai practices
Types of costs that may be funded include:
- Capacity/ Human Resource
- Capability Development
- General Operations
Types of projects/costs that will not be funded include:
- Projects outside of the Ngāi Tahu rohe
- Retrospective funding- funding for projects already underway or virtually completed before the MKE Fund closing date
- Repayment of debt
- Projects which duplicate existing projects or programmes, unless there is a good reason for both to exist
- Travel outside of the Ngāi Tahu rohe unless in exceptional circumstances
- Infrastructure unless in exceptional circumstances
- Major capital works and/ or major capital items
- Projects that give benefit to only a small number of people
Where possible, we encourage applicants to contribute to the project. This can be via external funding, supporting the project with your own funds or in-kind contributions.
Calculating ‘in-kind’ contributions
Voluntary time and effort is the backbone of the iwi and we often rely on voluntary time and effort to achieve our aspirations. By putting a value on this we are showing that we acknowledge the effort our people give. It is legitimate to calculate any voluntary contribution in a Fund project as what can be called an “in-kind contribution”.
Multi-year funding may be considered for projects that contain:
- Strong governance and management structures.
- Sound financial forecasting abilities.
- Willingness and capacity to develop strong financial self-sustainability including, evidence that external funding has been sought, for example, grants, partnerships and/ or sponsorship.
The following outline the key criteria by which applications to the Fund will be assessed:
- Charitable Purposes – the MKE Fund only funds projects / activities that have a charitable purpose as determined in accordance with relevant New Zealand laws.
- Ngāi Tahu Statutory Authority- projects undertaken in areas where Ngāi Tahu maintain statutory authority, control, ownership and influence over mahinga kai places and species will be favoured and preferred.
- Tribal Significance of Place or Species- projects that are representative of tribally significant mahinga kai places and species will be favoured and preferred.
- Customary Use – the degree to which the project will provide for the protection of customary use rights and enhancement of opportunities to exercise such rights will be considered.
- Appropriate Local Drivers- projects must have the support of local kaitiaki rūnanga/whānau to be eligible for funding.
- Project Sustainability and Self Sufficiency- projects displaying evidence of a collaborative approach to resourcing and funding with sources of funding outside the MKE Fund will be favourably considered; this is on the basis that external / other sources of funding for projects will increase their long-term viability and sustainability.
- Culturally Appropriate Management Frameworks - projects providing opportunities for management and implementation according to Ngāi Tahu tikanga (e.g., customary area management tools) will be favoured and preferred.
- Current Knowledge, Research and Advocacy- the ability of projects to demonstrate benefits related to knowledge, research and advocacy will be considered.
- State and Health of the Mahinga Kai Area or Species –consideration will be given to the overall health and wellbeing of the mahinga kai area or species in terms of priority for action.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Fund please get in touch with our Grants Team.
Email [email protected]
Phone 0800 524 8248
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