Māori Economic Development Grants Fund

“Me heke tātou ki te wai e rarapa ana, he moana tuatua, e rite ana ki a Hawaiki-Kai”
— Nā Te Rauparaha

Establishing the wealth and prosperity of our people has always been a priority, and even our migration to this region in the early 19th century, can be linked to this. Te Rauparaha, one of the leading chiefs of Ngāti Toarangatira, urged the people to migrate to the Kāpiti region, to make the most of the opportunities of plenty of land and resources, and greater trade with Pākehā.

Tāngata whenua have collaborated with Council to develop a Māori Economic Development and wellbeing in Kāpiti strategy, launched in 2013. Under this strategy, funds are allocated annually to selected applicants who meet the criteria. This year, 2020/21, marks the eighth year of implementation.

The 2020/21 allocation is now closed. Dates for the 2021/22 round will be announced later in the year.

Māori economic development

Māori economic development is important both for Māori, and for New Zealand’s overall economic performance. In Kāpiti, tangata whenua are making a strong economic, environmental, social and cultural contribution at all levels.

As Iwi settle historic grievances through the Treaty settlement process, we are poised to become powerful leaders in the economic future of the whānau, hapū and iwi groups on this coast.

For Māori, economic wellbeing is individual, whānau/hapū, and Iwi based. It is holistic – not just about business, but including health and wellbeing. It encompasses land, water, forests, coastal, and moana, as well as existing businesses, knowledge transfer and mentorship.

Māori economic wellbeing builds opportunities for all Māori. It links tangata whenua to the district, contributes to the wider community, and may provide opportunities to explore partnerships post-Treaty settlement.

Find out more in the Strategy for Māori Economic Development and Wellbeing in Kāpiti.

The Fund

The Fund helps whānau, hapū, Iwi, mātāwaka and Māori business in Kāpiti with the costs of ongoing development of Māori economic activity. A total of $60,000 is available for projects that align to the Māori Economic Development strategy.

Timeframes

Applications for Māori Economic Development Grants for 2020/21 were open 11 January–5 February 2021.
The Grant panel announced allocations for 2020/21 on 29 March 2021.
The timeframe for the 2021/22 round will be announced later in the year.

Criteria

Applications must fall into one of three categories to be eligible:

manaakitangata – leveraging the potential of rangatahi and building whānau capacity
includes helping rangatahi participate in training courses, preparing rangatahi for career choices and apprenticeships, and helping whānau and hapū develop their own plans for economic development
kaitiakitanga – whatungarongaro te tangata toi tū te whenua – working with the whenua
exploring sustainable land uses, such as working with Iwi to increase the use of under-developed and/or degraded Māori-owned land to maximise the value produced from it; for example, surveying potential use of land for biofuel crops
kotahitanga – supporting whānau to achieve economic wellbeing – capacity, collaboration, innovation and Māori business
includes growing opportunities for involvement in business.

Projects must:

show clear links to the strategic priorities of the Māori Economic Development Strategy
show clear economic benefit for Māori
be able to be monitored and evaluated through Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti
be completed by 30 June 2022, unless otherwise specified and agreed in the application/application approval
provide an accountability report on the activity and outcomes within six weeks of the completion of the project.

Further information

Other points to remember include:

Grants may be awarded with conditions.
Regular reporting on the use of grant money will be required. A requirement for quarterly reporting requirements is not unusual.
Projects may be excluded if they have received significant funding from other Council sources.
Preference may be given to events that:

attract visitors to Kāpiti Coast District in the off season (late March to October)
can demonstrate successful external financial support
show potential to be self-sustaining without council funding after three years.

How to apply

Applicants should view and familiarise themselves with the criteria and Māori Economic Development Strategy before applying for the Grants Fund.

If you have any questions about completing your application or the application criteria, please email us at [email protected], attention: Iwi Partnership Team Programme Advisor, or call us on 0800 486 486 and ask to speak to the Iwi Partnership Team Programme Advisor.

Recipients 2021

Recipient	Project	Year
Ōtaki Manuka Growers Ltd	Infrastructure development at a Manuka Plant Nursery	2020/21
Wai Ata	Establishment of a youth-focused training provider - film-making	2020/21
The Hori Gallery Ltd	Development of a destination art studio, gallery, café and community space	2020/21
Waka Kāpiti Ltd	Development of a Māori Eco tour venture	2020/21
Toi Tangata Studio Gallery Ltd	Establishment of an inclusive art and community space in Ōtaki	2020/21

Previous recipients

Recipient	Project	Year
Ōtaki Manuka Growers Limited	Commercial manuka-growing project	2018/19
Papara Contracting Limited	Development of Wharepaku project	2018/19
Māoriland Charitable Trust	Toi Matarau Gallery Project to develop a permanent physical and online Māori-focused high-end retail Art gallery	2018/19
Āti Awa Ki Whakarongotai	E tū ngā Rangatira Project, to provide an opportunity for rangatahi to be introduced to business and enterprise	2018/19
Kāpiti Island Nature Tours	Establishing: glamping on Kāpiti Island beehives for Kāpiti Island honey
Māoriland Film Festival	Seed funding to establish the festival
Kāpiti Tours Ltd	Funding to develop a business marketing plan