Tū Manawa – Active Aotearoa
Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa is a Sport New Zealand fund that SGT administer on behalf of our region.
SGT operate two pathways for this fund: a Large Fund application for projects that request $10,000-$30,000 from Tū Manawa and a Fast Fund application for projects that request less than $10,000.
The Fast Fund has no closing date and is open until the funds are exhausted. It is currently open.
The Large Fund will accept applications between 15 August – 15 September 2023. The Large Fund will suit projects that will begin after 15 November 2023.
The TMAA Community Guidelines/Ngā Aratohu Hapori, which detail the purpose and criteria for this national fund, can be found here:
We’re here to help you
Kaimahi at Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti are well-versed in the ins and outs of the fund. We will consult with you, in person or by phone, to help you understand if your fund fits the criteria before you apply. If your project (or parts of it) align with Tū Manawa funding, we will help you access the fund. Below, please find some common questions.
What does this fund support?
Tū Manawa supports costs for projects that activate young people who have barriers to being active. Who’s missing out on Play, Active Recreation, or Sport? This fund supports projects for them!
The fund’s priority groups are
- young people (ages 5-18) in high deprivation communities
- young people living with disabilities
- girls and young women (age 5-26)
- Projects that are specifically tailored to breaking down barriers for young people in these priority groups are given higher priority when being assessed.
What do you mean by “a project”?
A project is a number of sessions that engage a group of young people in an activity. Projects look totally different from one another and are guided by the specific aspirations of the young people you’re engaging and their barriers. As a successful applicant, you’ll agree to report on the positive change your project makes through these engagement sessions. You’ll need to be able to track the attendance of these sessions and be able to speak to the overall highlights and learnings you had at the end of the project.
If you’re purchasing items, it’s likely that those items will have a long life of use. Your project doesn’t have to include every time your equipment gets used… ever. That would be a lot to report on! Instead, you might shrink the project down to a reasonable number of sessions that you can deliver, will have positive change in the young people, and you can report on at the end.
What if my group just needs equipment and we don’t run sessions?
It’s possible that Tū Manawa isn’t the right fund for what you want to do. That’s okay. There are quite a few funders out there that fund purchases or other costs, without the need for engagement sessions. Just sing out to our team. We can help you determine if the Tū Manawa is the right avenue. If not, we can support you to apply elsewhere.
What makes a successful application?
To align to the fund’s youth-driven purpose, a successful application shows that the project is built from what young people tell you they want (not necessarily what adults think is good) or even better, that the project itself is designed by young people. (If you’re a provider, you’ll need to show that the specific group of young people want this activity. Previous delivery to other young people is not evidence of a project being youth-driven.)
And to align to the fund’s desire to remove inequity, successful applicants show that they are listening to young people missing out to understand the barriers they face, and then have designed a project to break down those barriers.
What if the applicant is a group of young people?
It doesn’t get more youth-driven than that! We will help you apply. Sing out to us!
Do you have the capability to understand my project for whānau, hapū, iwi, hapori and kura?
We have kaimahi for whom Te Ao Maori is their identity and way of life. We are here to support your Kaupapa Māori projects. Our staff is bi-cultural so when your Kaupapa Māori project is submitted, it will always be assessed by Māori.
Ki te hiahia koe, ka taea e koe te tukuna mai i tāu tono i roto i Te Reo Māori.
What kind of costs does the fund cover?
Look at the costs for your project – separate from your operating costs, if you have them. What would you need to purchase or pay for to make this project happen? For example, do you need to purchase equipment, pay for wages for delivery, venue hire, transportation costs to get your participants to the activity/the activity to your participants, kai, etc. If the costs are connected to the activity that is being provided to these young people, then it probably fits the fund.
How much can I apply for?
If you’re applying for the Fast Fund, your request must be $10,000 or less. If you’re applying for the Large Fund, your request must be between $10,000 and $30,000.
When can I apply to the Large Fund?
Applications will be accepted between 15 August – 15 September 2023. As detailed below, we want to learn about your project and the aspirations of your group. If there’s overlap with the priorities of Tū Manawa, we’ll start the online application with you. (See “How does my group apply?” below.) Sing out to our staff when the fund is open to schedule a consult (kanohi ki te kanohi, or by phone or zoom). In the meantime, listen to the young people you’re working with, understand what kind of project they’d like, and then begin listing the things you’d need to pay for to achieve this project.
If the Large Fund is exhausted after this round, the next Large Fund will be held after July 2024, when we receive our next investment from Sport NZ. If there is funding left over, we will run another Large Fund round in Feb/March of 2024.
How long does it take to process the Large Fund?
The assessment process is done by 2 panels, therefore it takes time for successful projects to receive their funding. For that reason, this round suits projects that will start after 15 November or in 2024. Please note that Tū Manawa cannot fund retrospectively, (i.e.) costs you’ve already paid for or events you’ve already delivered.
When can I apply to the Fast Fund?
The Fast Fund doesn’t close, which means that you work at your own pace. Seek out our kaimahi for support, listen to the young people you’re working with, take your time to line up the logistics and supporting materials and apply when you’re ready. The Fast Fund is processed as we receive applications. When we’ve exhausted the Sport NZ investment for the year, we will close the fund until the next investment period.
How often can I apply?We’re keen to support as many groups as possible to access this fund. Therefore, your group can apply only twice in a 12-month period. The second application can only be submitted once you have begun delivering your first project and you have invited us to visit your project in action.
What does the fund not support?
Being a relatively small fund, it can’t fund infrastructure build or repair. It doesn’t build playgrounds; it doesn’t repair roofs, etc. Additionally, it can’t fund a group’s operating expenses or wages for existing roles (unless the project you’re applying for adds to that person’s deliverables). Please see the Community Guidelines/Ngā Aratohu Hapori (link above) for more detailed lists.
And because the fund focuses on those missing out, the fund doesn’t provide more or better activities for young people already engaged. While traveling to tournaments or training camps, or bespoke coaching is valuable to our young sportspeople, that doesn’t sit within the scope of the Tū Manawa fund. Thankfully, other funders support these costs.
But didn’t you fund travel costs for Rep teams after Cyclone Gabrielle?
You’re right. Immediately after the cyclone, Sport NZ allowed us and our friends down in Hawkes Bay, to widen the purpose of the fund to support things it doesn’t cover in normal circumstances. We are proud to say that in the 4 months after Cyclone Gabrielle, and in collaboration with other funders (Trust Tairāwhiti, Dept of Internal Affairs, Eastern and Central Community Trust, Mātai, The Sunrise Foundation, and extra investment from Sport NZ), we distributed over $300K to groups around our region to support their immediate sport, active recreation and play needs. We supported a wide range of items and activities, from replacing damaged gear for whānau to play and be active to supporting clubs with the extra costs they faced to travel to tournaments, due to cyclone-related road closures and detours.
As of 1 July, Sport New Zealand will return to our regional Tū Manawa fund to its original purpose of activating those missing out on play, active recreation, and sport.
How does my group apply?
We follow a kanohi ki te kanohi / face-to-face approach to supporting groups. Reach out to any of our kaimahi. There are six kaimahi listed below with different specialty work areas. But if you are familiar with another kaimahi (look on the “Our People” page) please sing out to them. We want to hear about your group’s aspirations and how you want to break down barriers for young people who are missing out. If your project, or part of it, aligns to Tū Manawa, we’ll start the application with you.
What if my group isn’t a “Physical Activity” group but we’re using being active to achieve what we want to achieve? Then Tū Manawa can still be for you! You might have cultural goals or goals to improve the confidence or resilience of young people. If your sessions involve being active, Tū Manawa might be able to support you.
Who has been funded in the past?
