Assessment of round one applications underway

March 2025

Thirty-one applicants sought about $23m in the first grant round which closed on March 16.

Applications are now being checked for eligibility and completeness. A Grants Assessment Panel with representatives from the eight eligible workforces will then assess them, prior to the Board making funding decisions.

Executive Officer Sue McCabe said the fund had about $15m to spend down over the next three years, therefore there was significant oversubscription for the funds in round one.

“The Board will make sure that there are sufficient funds remaining for future grant rounds. We will publish details of funded projects and amounts after we have informed all applicants in mid June.

“We asked all potential applicants to talk with us prior to submitting an application. This was important as it’s our first funding round for this quite specific fund, and we do not have tangible examples of successful projects to share as guidance.

“These conversations helped in a number of ways. Some organisations realised they weren't eligible or had low chances of success, which saved them time and resources. Others decided to wait for our second round, scheduled to open in August 2025.”

Sue said the discussions generated valuable feedback on the process and communications to support changes for the second application round.

“It was humbling to speak with just over 100 organisations seeking to support their workforces who deliver critical services for New Zealanders. The applications show strong commitment to community wellbeing through innovative approaches to workforce development that could have large scale impact.”

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