Second grant round opening
July 2025
Six projects benefitting workers are being funded after a successful first round of the Workforce Futures Fund | Tahua Rāngamahi Anamata. The second application round opens on August 12.
Board Chair Jane Wrightson said the first round was a market test of the fund’s strategy, policies and systems. Applications opened in February, closed in March and the Board made decisions in late May.
The fund supports innovation in workforce development and demonstrates the value of strategic investment through enabling: greater use of technology; collaboration across workforces; and projects that amplify workforce capacity/capability. It seeks initiatives that will have large impact across one or more of the eligible workforces.
“All 31 applications we received were for valuable projects that would enhance workforce development. We’re looking forward to seeing the significant impacts of the projects we are funding.”
As funding agreements are finalised with the successful applicants, they will be posted to the website.
Jane acknowledged the collective effort to achieve a successful first round.
“We’d like to thank the peak bodies for the eligible sectors, Careerforce, the relevant Workforce Development Councils, and other networks who promoted the fund’s availability to potential applicants.
“The eight Grants Assessment Panel members, one from each of the eligible industries, made a significant difference with their evaluation of applications and advice to the Board.’
Jane said while the first round went well, the Board had commissioned an independent evaluation that sought feedback from applicants and key stakeholders, to identify improvements for round two.
“We are mindful of the significant work that goes into applications, and the challenge for assessors of evaluating a diverse range of projects. Our evaluation highlighted operational improvements we can make to better guide organisations to know whether to apply; to provide more help for applicants; and better support those assessing applications.
“The evaluation showed strong support for our fundamental approach, which includes a relational approach to talk with all potential applicants pre-application. In round one, our Executive Officer talked with just over 100 potential applicants, which reduced the number of applications to 31. Our applicant survey showed that organisations spent at least 40 hours on an application, which is unsurprising given we fund comparatively large amounts which require a reasonable level of detail.
“This data highlights the value of prioritising engagement upfront to minimise the resource required. After our round one experiences and the evaluation, we’re even better positioned to support the efficiency and effectiveness of this fund for all involved.”
The fund has about $15m to distribute over three years. It will run at least two more distribution rounds, in August 2025 and February 2026, and more if unallocated funding justifies them.