Fund details
Opens: To be confirmed
Closes: To be confirmed
Decision date: 3 December – To be confirmed
Funding range: up to $540,000 annually
About the fund
The fund supports projects from planning through to construction and aligns with the outcomes of Te Awe Māpara – Community Facilities Plan and the Council’s strategic priorities. It encourages strong partnerships between community groups, mana whenua, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality, evidence-based, and sustainable facilities.
Given the scale and complexity of many proposals, early conversations with Council officers are encouraged at any time during the year. This helps ensure that projects are well-developed, strategically aligned, and ready when formal applications open.
If you’re considering a facility project—whether you're still at the idea stage or preparing to build—get in touch early so we can support you through the process.
What we fund
The fund provides up to $540,000 annually to support:
Planning and feasibility
- Community needs assessments.
- Feasibility studies and business cases.
- Governance planning and resource consent investigations.
- Preliminary design and planning work.
Construction and capital projects
- Building renewals – upgrades that extend the life of a facility or improve functionality (e.g. structural work, modernisation).
- Accessibility improvements – ensuring inclusive access (e.g. ramps, lifts, sensory design, universal access features).
Eligible costs
- Consultant fees (planning and feasibility)
- Construction materials, labour, and equipment
- Capital improvements tied to accessibility or renewals.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria.
1. Applicant status
Applicants must:
- be a legally constituted not-for-profit organisation (e.g. Incorporated Society, Charitable Trust)
- demonstrate sound financial management and long-term sustainability
- commit to co-funding (typically 50%, although this is a guideline).
2. Project type
Projects must:
- focus on sport and recreation infrastructure
- support new multi-use facilities, renewals, or accessibility improvements
- align with Te Awe Māpara and regional/national strategies (e.g. Nuku Ora, Sport NZ).
3. Council-Owned assets
- While focused on non-Council assets, the fund can support upgrades to Council-owned facilities used by community groups (e.g. leased assets), where a community benefit is clear.
4. Partnerships
Applicants must:
- demonstrate collaboration with mana whenua, sports clubs, schools, and funding partners
- for capital projects, show long-term sustainability without ongoing Council funding.
5. Community need
Applicants must:
- provide strong evidence of demand through assessments or usage data
- address facility gaps or inequities across the city.
Assessment criteria
Applications will be prioritised based on the following measures, with weighting applied at the Council’s discretion:
- Community benefit and wellbeing
- Accessibility and equity
- Partnership and funding viability
- Sustainability and adaptability
- Evidence-based decision-making
- Strategic and regional alignment
- Beneficiaries and transparency
- Legislative and practical feasibility
- Community support and access
- Timelines and deliverability
Funding conditions
Allocations dispersed under this fund are subject to the following:
- Disbursement: May be staged based on agreed project milestones.
- Funding Agreement: A signed funding agreement, outlining shared objectives, reporting and conditions (e.g. Council oversight).
- Follow-Up:
- Feasibility projects must report on progress within 18 months.
- Construction projects must report within 12 months of completion.
What we don’t fund
To ensure impact and alignment, the fund does not support:
- Operational costs (e.g. salaries, utilities unrelated to capital works).
- Retrospective costs (e.g. work or expenses incurred before the decision date/approval).
- Non-sport/recreation projects (e.g. halls without a sport function).
- Speculative proposals lacking evidence of demand or feasibility.
- Commercial entities without a not-for-profit partner.
- Minor repairs (e.g. patching, painting).
- Duplication of existing underutilised facilities.
- Non-capital equipment (e.g. sports gear, furniture).
Apply for the fund
All applicants of this fund are required to first meet with Council Staff to discuss your project further. During this meeting we will help to determine the level of significance of the project. In some cases, where projects are regionally significant you may be directed to Nuku Ora (formally Sport Wellington).
To arrange a meeting, please email Sanjay Patel, Sports and Club Partnership Lead: sanjay.patel@wcc.govt.nz.
Contact us
Sport and Club Partnership Team
Email: sanjay.patel@wcc.govt.nz
Funding Team
Email: funding@wcc.govt.nz