Frequently asked questions

Your organisation must be a non-profit entity, such as a registered charity, incorporated society or a school.

We will consider applications from organisations who are in the process of applying for charitable status. In some circumstances we may consider applications from groups that operate independently but come under the umbrella of a qualifying organisation.

You do not need to be a TECT Consumer Trust beneficiary to apply for our funding.

This depends on the total project cost or operating budget and which fund you are applying to. Please talk to our team about what would be a realistic expectation. You can give us a call on 07 578 5094 or email us at info@tect.org.nz.

Looking at what we have previously funded will also give you an idea of the types of organisations and projects we fund, and the level of funding that is realistic. You can find a list of who we’ve funded on our website, visit www.tect.org.nz / who we’ve funded

Community Facilities: Funding in this category is targeted towards the build of a new facility or the purchase/significant upgrade of an existing facility. The facility must have significant community benefit. Examples include new buildings, halls, sports centres, playgrounds.

Community Development: Funding is targeted towards supporting the work of community organisations, projects and programmes that have a positive impact on the Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga communities. Examples include capital equipment, operating costs, one-off projects, and programmes. 

Community Events: Funding aims to support community events that provide social and economic benefits to the community. low are the ways we fund events. Please contact our team if you are unsure which fund suits your event best.

• TECT Community Events Fund - For events of national or international significance.

• Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund - Designed for small to medium community-led events that are community-driven and enrich our communities through active participation and inclusion.

• Kaupapa Māori Event Fund - This fund supports iwi and hapū-led events that celebrate tangata whenua and tikanga Māori, while raising awareness of events of historical and cultural significance across our rohe. Examples include Matariki and Waitangi Day celebrations.

Before you begin your application, please ensure you have the following ready:

• Know which fund you are applying for

• How much funding you are applying for

• The purpose of your grant

• How it aligns with TECTs strategic plan and focus areas

• About your organisations core purpose and activities

• Know your numbers - the number of staff, volunteers, clients, members, etc

• Charities or incorporated society number (if applicable)

• Financial statements

• GST number

• Bank account information

• Quotes (two quotes are needed for items over $5,000 for equipment or facility grants)

• Budget

To ensure you receive a timely response, we recommend you apply at least three months prior to when you need a funding decision. Please note that there is no funding round in January, so November 1st is the cutoff date for pre-Christmas decisions.

You can apply for our funding online at www.tect.org.nz/applyforfunding

We use the SmartyGrants online system for our application process. It’s easy to register online and if you need any support with your application, please contact our team on 07 578 5094.

Once your application has been submitted online, you will receive an email confirming that we have received it.

Generally, only one application per organisation will be approved in any 12-month period, however an additional application may be accepted for a one-off project (eg: facility development) which is outside the normal course of operations.-

Our team are very happy to work through the application with you. Please give us a call on 07 578 5094 or email us at info@tect.org.nz

A full list of our exclusions, can be found here

There are numerous other funding sources available read more here

• Community Facilities – 1st April and 1st September. Applications for less than $50K can be submitted in any month.

• Community Development – first of every month.

• Community Events – first of every month

• Tauranga Western Bay Event Fund – there are four funding rounds per year, for more information visit www.communityeventfund.nz

• Kaupapa Maori Event Fund – visit https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/news-and-events/events/event-funding/kaupapa-m%C4%81ori-event-fund

• Please note there is no decision meeting in January – applications submitted in the 1st December funding round will be considered by trustees in February.

Decisions are made by our trustees at our monthly board meetings. This is generally 7-8 weeks after the funding round closes. You receive a call from one of our team within a couple of days to let you know if application has been successful or not.

If your funding is approved, you will be sent a funding agreement which confirms the amount of the grant, the period the grant covers, other funding conditions you will need to meet, and how it will be paid.  Generally, TECT does not pay out the approved funding immediately – please contact our team if you require clarification.

For equipment / capital purchases - Pay and claim – of receipt of evidence of expenditure

For events - Up to 50% up front, and the remainder on receipt of the event report.

For funding of operating costs - The size of your grant and how long we have been a funding partner for, determines how we pay an operating costs grant. We may choose to use any of the following methods:

• Pay and Claim (likely for all new funding recipients)

• Full amount up front (high trust organisations that have a long history with TECT)

• Half upfront, half six months later with an interim financial report (Profit & Loss statement)

• Grants less than $10k, full amount up front.

For facilities grants - Depending on the size of your project, the grant amount and other income sources, payment may be one of the following:

• Pay and claim – on receipt of evidence of expenditure

• Part Payment in advance – on receive of a progress claim from the construction company

We love sharing news about your mahi and the impact our funding has in the community. We would appreciate if you can recognise TECT in your marketing and communications, such as on your website, social media, signage and newsletters. 

For ways you can acknowledge our support, including our logo files and TECT branded display equipment available to use, free of charge, visit www.tect.org.nz/recognising your grant

If you would like any assistance putting your TECT branded collateral together, please get in touch with our Communications Coordinator.

You can see a list of all our funding recipients and what they received funding for here. Read more about some of their stories here.

For equipment purchases, we will only fund up to 50% of the total costs, up to the value of your grant.  Any unused portion of funding will be returned to the funding pool.

If there is any change to what was proposed in your application, or the timeline in which you will use your funding, please contact us to discuss how this affects your grant. You must use approved TECT funding for the purpose it was given and meet any conditions trustees decide on. Funds are generally non-transferable to other events or projects. We may be able to consider an extension to allow you more time, or invite you to reapply at a later date.  Please note, TECT reserves the right to terminate any funding where it considers the terms of the Funding Agreement have been breached. In this event, part or all of the funds may have to be repaid to us.

Your funding agreement will outline the financial and written reporting required.  This will be determined by the type of grant and amount of funding you receive. 

For capital purchases (equipment), proof of purchase is the only financial requirement and no written report is required.

For general operating and project grants we require financial and written reporting. You also have the option to provide us with photos and videos to show the impact of your mahi.

For events we require financial and event outcomes reports as well as photos and videos.

Our team can guide you on what TECT requires with funding applications, and we can refer you to other funders to talk to about your mahi.  We recommend contacting SociaLink for a broader range of support.  Their services are free, and their Organisational Advisors can help with:

• Governance and management best practice

• Reporting requirements

• Finance and budgets

• Fundraising plans and tracking grants

• Data collection and measuring impact

Visit the SociaLink website

TECT does not fund the core business of schools, early childhood educators or other educational providers.  Our funding may contribute to programmes that benefit a number of schools and programmes that reduce barriers or inequities.  TECT will only fund facilities on school grounds if there is clear evidence of wider community use and need; with a higher priority going to schools that are impacted by isolation or other barriers to community participation.

If you need to update the contact person or contact details for you submitted application, please contact the team on 07 578 5094 or email us at info@tect.org.nz

We do not provide funding for the following:

• Individuals, with the exception of any TECT funded scholarship schemes

• High performance or elite sports or arts activities. Kapa Haka events are not subject to this exclusion.

• Seeding investments for businesses

• Advocacy, lobbying, or campaigns where this is the primary purpose of the organisation

• Political organisations, residents associations or lobby groups

• Projects where local or central government would be the natural source of funding

• Commercial organisations or commercial events

• Informal groups

• Sponsorships

• Business case or feasibility studies for any projects

• Equipment and IT infrastructure where there is no community benefit

• Maintenance of facilities and equipment

• Repayment of debt

• Third party funding, where the funds will be passed on to another organisation

• Sports uniforms or uniforms in general.

• Travel but may make an exception for travel to events of national/international significance.

• International travel

• overseas aid

• Core business of Councils and Council Controlled Organisations

• Core education & health provision

• Funders or fundraising events/activities or building endowments (i.e. to build capital bases).

• Retrospective funding applications (As at the date the funding round closes)

• Social business initiatives that create direct competition with other businesses.

• Projects that support the spiritual activity of religious organisations

• Fund research except where the cost may legitimately be part of a project or programme evaluation.