The Support for Energy Education in Communities Programme (SEEC) is part of a suite of new government initiatives focused on lifting people out of energy hardship and is being administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (the Ministry). The primary component of the programme is the SEEC Fund, which provides funding to expand the capacity of existing energy hardship initiatives, for new pilot schemes, or for related training services. The funding is also for initiatives that build the capability of those who can directly help households in energy hardship. The fund is not available for start-up costs. The SEEC Fund is the Programmer’s primary funding pool. Eligible groups, businesses and organizations can apply for funding from the SEEC Fund for up to $300,000 per funding round to expand the capacity of existing energy hardship initiatives, pilot a new scheme, or deliver related training. It is not intended to fund existing initiatives or cover start-up costs for the creation of new organizations. Examples of initiatives that will be considered for the SEEC Fund are: Preparing and delivering education material Hui to provide advice and resources to groups Training community-level advisors Providing personalized advice in-home or over the phone. Funding Information Across both funds, there is total of up to $1.26 million available in the first funding round. Applications for this funding round are open and close on 9 February, 2021. Up to $6.65 million of funding will be available through further funding rounds over the following three years until 2024. The maximum amount that can be sought for any one application in this first funding round is $300,000. Eligibility Criteria The SEEC Fund is open to organizations, groups and businesses that can work closely with households experiencing energy hardship or expand their services to do so. Applicants to the SEEC Fund can apply for funding from the SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund at the same time. Eligible groups can include: community service providers, training organizations, social enterprises, iwi support services, NGOs, businesses, community groups and budget advisory bodies. There are five key eligibility criteria that must be met to apply for the SEEC Fund and SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund. Applicants must be: Trusted – able to provide credible, independent, electricity-specific advice and support services, ideally personalized to the household. Connected – able to effectively reach eligible households, especially those that are hard to reach and unaware help is available. Integrated – able to connect with other relevant services and, where possible, leverage additional non-government funding. Initiatives must be: Targeted – focused on helping households in energy hardship, including renters and owner-occupiers, and involve the account holder where possible. Measurable – able to measure and monitor initiatives to show results. For more information, visit Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.