The Community Matters is seeking applications for its Lottery Significant Projects Fund to provide grants for projects to purchase, create or improve capital assets of regional or national significance that help make communities stronger.

The Lottery Significant Projects Committee decides which requests it will fund. The Committee aims to invest in projects that will help build closer and stronger communities by increasing people’s participation and social interaction at a regional or national level.

Fund Priorities

• Requests must show that the project:
  • is well designed and planned, and will be professionally managed
  • is almost ready to start
  • is well supported by others, such as central government or local government, Iwi, or Maori organisations
  • is proposed by an organisation that has the ability to:
    • successfully develop and deliver a project of this size and scope, and
    • manage and maintain the asset in the future, without needing more Lottery grants
• If applicants are planning to request a grant from the Lottery Significant Projects Fund, note that:
  • projects that are almost ready to go are given priority
  • projects that are mostly intended to make profits or gain will not be funded
  • requests are more likely to be successful when there is a strong need for the project

Outcomes

Organisations requesting grants must show how their project will:

• provide opportunities for people to take part in social, recreational, civil or cultural activities at a regional or national level;
• reduce or overcome barriers that prevent people taking part in those activities, and/or
• increase a region’s ability to look after its own needs and grow stronger.

Funding Information

It provides grants for such capital expenditure projects with a total cost of $3 million or more.

Eligibility Criteria

• The planned project must:
  • be for a community purpose for public use in New Zealand
  • have a total cost of $3 million or more, and
  • show how the finished project will provide regional or national benefits or outcomes in:
    • the arts, culture or heritage;
    • sport or recreation;
    • conservation or the environment;
    • community wellbeing and resilience;
    • economic development; and/or
    • visitor services and tourism.
• The Committee prefers requests that show robust project planning has been done to support the scope of the project and type of regional or national asset that is planned.
• The following are examples of what may be funded:
  • projects to construct new facilities, outdoor spaces or buildings that will benefit regional or national communities;
  • projects to redevelop, extend or improve an existing facility or building to improve its capacity to meet regional or national needs, or broaden its range of uses;
  • the renovation, refurbishment and/or earthquake strengthening of regional or national facilities or buildings used for community purposes; and/or
  • large scale, community-based environmental projects, with regional or national significance, that promote, protect and keep New Zealand’s native plants (flora) or animals (fauna) safe from harm.
• Lottery Significant Projects Fund does not fund:
  • projects that are not for community purposes or will not provide a public benefit
  • the purchase of land
  • requests from individuals
  • requests for assets that anticipate ongoing support from the Lottery Grants Board
  • requests for feasibility studies, conservation plans or seismic assessment reports (these may be funded by other Lottery committees).

For more information, visit Community Matters.