Grant-Seeking Capability Pilot

The Grant-Seeking Capability Pilot is a collaborative programme between Kāpiti Coast District Council and Kāpiti Impact Trust. The pilot programme is designed to help strengthen the Kāpiti community and social sector by providing opportunities to develop grant-seeking skills and access to additional funding opportunities.  

The Grant-Seeking Capability Pilot programme offers participants access to a twelve-month subscription to GEM Local, a tailored database of available grants, as well as skill-building and problem-solving workshops.   

The pilot is available for up to 50 community organisations. Organisations that are not selected to be part of the pilot are welcome to attend some of the additional skill-building workshops. Community organisations interested in participating in the pilot will need to complete a simple expression of interest form.  

Access to Grants Database: GEM Local  

The pilot provides selected organisations with access to GEM Local.  

GEM Local (Grants Expertise Management system) is a grants database designed to help New Zealand community groups find the right grants for them. This helps community organisations find relevant grant opportunities tailored to their needs, grant preparation tools, and training. The aim is to build organisations’ capability and increase their access to funding. 

Problem-solving sessions 

The Kāpiti Impact Trust will offer problem-solving sessions to support participants in the Grant-Seeking Capability Pilot programme. These sessions are specifically designed to support people using GEM Local. The quarterly sessions will cover any problems, or stumbling blocks you are having with the system so  we can figure out next steps together. 

Skill-building Workshops 

These workshops are open to programme participants as well as the wider community sector. Two workshops will be offered; late 2025 and early 2026, to develop in-depth skills. The first workshop, Putting Good Practice into Practice is just that – doing the right things, consistently to help strengthen your grant-seeking work. The second workshop focus will be confirmed based on feedback. 

Selection criteria for to join the Grant-Seeking Capability Pilot 

In order to be eligible to take part in the Grant-Seeking Capability Pilot, including access to GEM Local, organisations must: 

• be not-for-profit and community and social sector focused 

• deliver projects in any of the Kāpiti communities from Paekākāriki to Ōtaki 

• have an annual revenue under $1.5 million 

• not be a local branch of a national organisation operating under a head office centralised grants strategy 

• be active grant-seekers 

• complete a short participation survey annually. 

• organisations must be committed to the active participation in the other Grant-Seeking Capability activities in the pilot (such as skill-building workshops) 

Want to register your organisation’s interest in taking part in the pilot? 

You can express interest by filling out the Grant-Seeking Capability pilot form. A member of the Connected Communities Team will be in touch with you following your completed EoI form.  

Please note that there are limited places available in the pilot, and expressions of interest will be assessed according to the selection criteria.  

Questions? 

You can contact [email protected]