TECT Community Trust (TECT) Trustees have signed off their largest ever Annual Distribution, approving a total distribution of $42 million planned for the 2026/2027 year – the biggest in TECT’s history.
Of the total distribution, approximately $3 million is allocated to operating expenditure, with the remaining $39 million available for community grants. This represents the largest pool of grant funding ever made available by TECT for Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty.
TECT Chief Executive Wayne Werder says the decision marks a major milestone for both the Trust and the region.
“Approving a total distribution of $42 million is a significant moment for TECT and our communities,” says Wayne.
“This outcome reflects deliberate decisions made in previous years to protect capital and restructure the Trust, which are now allowing the Trust to deliver greater impact through increased funding back into the community. It means more funding than ever before is going directly back into the region to support community initiatives, facilities and events that improve quality of life today and deliver long-term benefits for future generations.”
TECT’s Annual Distribution Plan sets out how funding will be allocated through its grants programme, supporting a wide range of activity – from grassroots initiatives and events through to major facilities that deliver regional and intergenerational impact. The relatively modest operating expenditure ensures the vast majority of funds are directed toward community outcomes.
Under the proposed 2026/2027 plan, funding allocations include:
$5.9 million for Community Facilities
$1.97 million to support Community Events
$7.86 million for Community Development initiatives
$17.7 million for Facilities of Regional Significance
$5.9 million through the Catalyst for Change Fund
Wayne says the scale of the distribution creates momentum and opportunity across the region.
“This level of funding allows us to support both the smaller, local initiatives that make a day-to-day difference and the larger projects that will shape the future of our region.”
While the record distribution is a milestone worth celebrating, TECT is emphasising the importance of community input before the plan is finalised.
“We may have the biggest funding pot we’ve ever had, but it’s essential that we listen carefully to our community,” says Wayne.
“Community feedback helps ensure this funding is directed to the areas that matter most, and that it delivers meaningful, long-term benefits across the region.”
TECT is inviting community feedback on the proposed funding allocations, updates to its Funding Framework, and significant regional facilities currently under consideration for funding, including a Badminton and Multisport Community Centre and a Cancer Lodge.
Community feedback is open until 4:00pm, Wednesday 18 March 2026. All submissions will be considered before the final Annual Distribution Plan is adopted later in March, guiding funding decisions from 1 April 2026.
More information, including the full Draft Annual Distribution Plan and details on how to provide feedback, is available at www.tect.org.nz.
