Museum and heritage development fund

The Museum and Heritage Development Fund is designed to help projects or activities that showcase the rich heritage of our district, and build capacity and capability in the heritage sector.

Kāpiti has a rich and vibrant heritage, and we're committed to supporting those working to tell our stories.

Applications open

Applications for the 2023/24 fund are open! You can apply any time before 30 April 2024.

Purpose of the fund

The purpose of the fund is to support activities or projects that:

promote the Kāpiti Coast’s pre- and post-settlement history to the community and visitors
preserve and display narratives of our communities’ heritage, both past and for the future.

Timeline

The Museum and Heritage Development Fund is open year-round, and you can apply at any time. The following timelines apply for specific financial years.

Date
1 February 2023	Opening of applications.
5pm, 30 April 2023	Closing of applications for the 2022/23 financial year.
May–June	Allocation of funding for the 2022/23 financial year
1 May 2023–30 April 2024	Applications may be submitted at any time for funding in the 2023/24 financial year.

Funds available

There is $30,000 available each year in the Museums and Heritage Development Fund. Funding is available as either:

a one-off grant for a specific activity to support short-term projects of one to two years
seed funding for longer term initiatives, while ongoing viability and sustainability is developed.

Who can apply

The fund is open to:

museums operated locally by a trust or committee
heritage organisations with a focus on maintaining or preserving a heritage site or building, or a collective supporting heritage activity in the district
Iwi organisations, or other groups focusing on development of Māori heritage sites and initiatives.

Applications from Kāpiti museums and heritage sites not previously known to Council are welcomed.

Funding criteria

Applications must:

clearly describe how their project aligns with Council’s purpose for the Museums and Heritage Development Fund.
include a clear vision for the proposed programme or activity of any new initiatives (note that the application may be for funding to develop the business model for this activity or programme).

See Te Papa Tongarewa's Running a museum for information on museum development and writing a business case.

Projects and activities considered might include:

developing new resources or services that distinctly enhance access to the Kāpiti heritage story
building organisational capacity or capability
(excluding equipment, except where this is needed to enable this capability, for example, technology or software for managing collections)
helping a museum reach a high standard of presentation
developing strategic policies, such as for collection management or museum promotion
collection cataloguing
curation training.

How to apply

Before you complete or submit your application, email the Arts, Museums and Heritage team to discuss your project or application.

Applications are open now.

Reporting

Successful applicants will be expected to provide a summary report each year they are funded for, at dates agreed at the time the grant is awarded.

Recipients 2022/23

Grants were awarded to four recipients, totalling $54,900.

Recipient	Project	Year
Friends of the Ōtaki Rotunda	Supporting the Friends in their work with the Department of Conservation and Ngā Hapu to restore the Ōtaki Children’s Health Camp Rotunda as a visitor destination and venue for community events.	2022/23
Kāpiti US Marines Trust “Kāpiti Marines Trail”	Creating a unique US Marines trail in Kapiti, linking eight existing heritage sites in Paekākāriki, Queen Elizabeth Park & Whareroa Farm. The trail will enable visitors to learn about the New Zealand/American partnership in the Pacific War and share a fascinating slice of our local and national history.	2022/23
Otaki Museum IT development	A one-off contribution to Ōtaki Museum’s project to upgrade its technology and increase the participation of visitors to the museum through more interactive displays.	2022/23
Te Whare Taonga o Paekākāriki/Paekākāriki Station Precinct Trust	Funding to development projects that will improve and enhance the presence of the Station Museum, Ngati Haumia ki Paekākāriki and Paekākāriki Village including extending the Paekākāriki Arts Walk and History Trail, installing interpretation panels at Wainui Pa, creating an oral history of Paekākāriki residents and ex-residents, and working with Ngāti Haumia to document their history.	2022/23