Fund details
Opens: Friday 4 July 2025
Closes: Thursday 31 July 2025
Decision date: Wednesday 3 September 2025
Priorities and outcomes
The purpose of this fund is to support our Aho Tini policy, which is designed to support the many strands of Wellington's creative and cultural talent, and weaves them into something that is stronger, more powerful and more sustaining than they are in isolation.
There are four focus areas that inform the priorities of the fund to bring the Aho Tini vision to life. Your application should deliver to at least one of the Aho Tini Strands.
- Aho Tangata / Our people - Our communities are connected by diverse arts and cultural expression.
- Aho Hononga / Partnership with mana whenua and Māori - We honour te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Council's partnership with mana whenua and Māori in the outcomes we deliver.
- Aho Whenua / Our places, spaces and venues - The city is alive with the possibility of art around every corner.
- Aho Mahi / Pathways - Wellington is an incredible place to create, live, learn and work.
Application process
Annual Stability Grants are offered by invitation to arts organisations that are already doing great work across Pōneke.
These groups help bring people together through creativity (Aho Tangata), work in partnership with mana whenua and Māori (Aho Hononga), fill our city’s places and spaces with art and culture (Aho Whenua), and support artists to live, learn, and make work here in Wellington (Aho Mahi).
They’ve shown they can manage funding well, connect with communities, audiences and deliver work that reflects our vision of Wellington as a vibrant, creative capital. Organisations will also have a designated Council relationship manager who monitors progress.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- be invited to apply
- have been receiving more than $5,000 annually through the past Arts and Culture rounds for several years
- actively deliver against two or more strands of Aho Tini – Arts, Culture and Creativity Strategy
- demonstrate awareness of and be increasing their level of engagement with mana whenua
- be recognised as a significant contributor to the annual calendar of arts events in Wellington
- have a track record of producing work in Wellington and be growing audiences and/or community.
What we don't fund
Applicants who receive this fund cannot:
- apply for any other Arts and Culture funding for the same contracted annual programme
- apply for any education related costs, for example tuition fees/course related costs or project related costs that contribute to gaining tertiary or secondary school qualifications or similar.
Supporting documentation
To strengthen your application please provide any relevant supporting documentation for your project as follows:
- A detailed budget which could include hours and rates of pay of personnel.
- Support letters from key people in the sector or community which reference the benefits and potential impact of the project.
- Confirmation of participation and availability from key artists/performers/personnel.
- A production timeline for key tasks and dates.
- Marketing or promotional plan including online/social media, posters, flyers, e-newsletters and any distribution networks you might utilise.
Funding timeframes
Successful allocations will be based on a pattern of Council funding. Decisions are made by Pītau Pūmanawa | Grants sub-committee and communicated within 4–6 weeks after closing date.
Monitoring and reporting
All funded organisations must report on key matters, including health and safety incidents or notifiable events.
The Council’s relationship management framework includes:
- Criteria-based engagement levels between the Council and funded organisations.
- Consistent monitoring and reporting requirements.
- A clear escalation process if/when issues arise.
Higher levels of monitoring apply to organisations that:
- provide social services or work with children and young people
- receive more than $250,000 in annual Council funding
- Have been identified as strategic partners or requiring additional support.
Assessing a contract’s health
All organisations with multi-year contracts will have their performance managed. The Council uses a RAG (Red, Amber, Green) assessment system.
- Red: Significant issues are impacting the contract or service delivery agreements.
- Amber: Some concerns exist, but the contract remains manageable.
- Green: No concerns or only minor issues.
These assessments consider events that could impact an organisation’s ability to deliver key agreed services, including:
- service reductions or cancellations
- declining participation or user engagement
- serious health, safety, or property issues
- performance against agreed outcomes
- financial accountability for Council funds
- changes in other funding streams
- governance or staffing challenges.
RAG assessments help the Council identify where targeted support may be needed to ensure service continuity and accountability.
Contact us
Not sure if this is the right fund? Contact us for guidance.
Funding Team
Email: funding@wcc.govt.nz