Community Matching Fund

The 2026 Community Matching Fund opens on 1 July 2026 and closes on 31 July 2026.

All applications must be submitted through our online system, SmartyGrants. If you do not already have a SmartyGrants account, you will be prompted to make one before beginning your application. Click 'Apply Here' to get started.

The SmartyGrants application portal will only be available during the funding window. Applicants will be able to access and submit the online application form from 1 July 2026, and the portal will close on 31 July 2026. Applications cannot be submitted through the portal before it opens. Only applications submitted through the portal will be considered for funding.

Applicants should apply to either the General Fund or the Environmental Fund, depending on the main purpose of the project.

The General Fund is for applications that will provide a benefit to our communities socially, culturally, sustainably or economically.

Examples of uses for the General Fund include:

• assistance for new projects or services,
• community information and communication networks and coordination,
• equipment and materials,
• sustainability projects such as community gardens or solar power, and
• projects that help organisations or individuals improve their organisational and operational skills.

The Environmental Fund is for applications that will benefit the indigenous biodiversity of the district. Sustainability projects, such as solar power or community gardens, should apply to the General Fund.

Examples of uses for the Environmental Fund include:

• native plantings, including associated weed control costs and minor earthworks,
• environmental education programmes,
• signage,
• pamphlets,
• newsletters,
• biodiversity-associated structures such as fish passage structures, bird hides, and footbridges,
• ecological monitoring and monitoring equipment such as tracking tunnels, tags, contractor costs, and associated costs, and
• animal pest control programmes, including traps, poisons, or contractor fees.

You can apply for an amount that matches the value of your own groups contribution, up to the level available in the fund. Most grants are usually between $1,000 and $10,000. For example, if your total project cost is $4,000, you could ask Council for $2,000 and provide $2,000 as your match. If your total project cost is $12,000, you could ask Council for $6,000 and provide $6,000 as your match.

Your match contribution can be made up of volunteer labour, donated professional services, donated materials, fundraising, or cash contributions.

Your funding must be spent by 30 June 2027.

Applicants must declare whether they are GST registered and must use the same GST basis consistently across the full application budget.

If your organisation is GST registered, all costs in your application must be provided excluding GST. This is because GST-registered organisations can generally claim GST back from Inland Revenue and GST is therefore not considered an eligible project cost for funding purposes. For example, if an equipment purchase costs $10,000 excluding GST, it would typically have GST of $1,500 added to it and a total cost of $11,500, the applicant should apply for $10,000 as the $1,500 of GST would be claimed back from Inland Revenue by the GST registered applicant entity. The organisiation would be paid $11,500.

If your organisation is not GST registered, all costs in your application must be provided including GST. This is because non-GST-registered organisations cannot claim back the GST from Inland Revenue and as such GST then forms part of the actual cost of delivering the project for the applicant. Using the equipment purchase example above, the applicant should apply for $11,500 (the GST inclusive amount). The organisiation would be paid $11,500.

For GST-registered applicants, funding requests must be based on GST-exclusive costs.

For non-GST-registered applicants, funding requests must be based on GST-inclusive costs.

Applicants must notify Council if their GST registration status changes after submitting an application or receiving funding.

Matching means Council can contribute up to 50% of the total project cost, and your group must match or contribute at least the other 50%. Your match can include:

• volunteer labour,
• donated professional services,
• donated materials,
• cash already raised, and
• donations from supporters or sponsors.

For the purposes of the application, volunteer labour should be valued at the $28.95 hourly rate, and donated professional services should be valued at $65 per hour. All matching contributions should be clearly explained in your application and be directly related to the project.

Your matching contribution should also be based on your GST registration status.

Note: should you be successful, purchases over $500 will require receipts.

Projects are typically funded where they meet the following criteria:

• fulfil an existing or emerging community need that can be demonstrated,
• provide benefits to the public,
• contribute to positive social, recreational, cultural or environmental outcomes for residents of the Western Bay of Plenty District, and
• demonstrate a commitment to matching at least half of the total project value through financial or in-kind support from the applicant’s own efforts.

Depending on the project, eligible costs may include:

• materials and supplies,
• equipment hire,
• printing and promotion,
• volunteer mileage or transport costs directly related to the project,
• contractor or facilitator costs, and
• minor project delivery costs.

General Fund activities may include:

• assistance for new projects or services,
• community information and communication networks and coordination,
• equipment and materials,
• sustainability projects such as community gardens or solar power, and
• projects that help organisations or individuals improve their organisational and operational skills.

Environmental Fund activities may include:

• native plantings, including associated weed control costs and minor earthworks,
• environmental education programmes, including signage, pamphlets, newsletters, ,
• biodiversity-associated structures such as fish passage structures, bird hides, and footbridges,
• ecological monitoring and monitoring equipment such as tracking tunnels, tags, contractor costs, and associated costs, and
• animal pest control programmes, including traps, poisons, or contractor fees.

The fund does not support:

• individuals or for-profit organisations,
• projects better suited to another funding source,
• retrospective funding for activities already completed,
• land or property purchases,
• salaries, wages or rent,
• routine building maintenance,
• projects on private land where there is no wider public benefit,
• projects without required approvals in place,
• activities promoting political or religious purposes,
• or core services that are the responsibility of central government.

If your organisation is not formally registered yet, please contact us at communitymatchingfund@westernbay.govt.nz before applying. We can discuss your circumstances and whether there is an appropriate pathway for your project to be considered.

Sometimes, but only where the costs are directly related to delivering the project or activity. Examples of project-related operational costs that may be considered include:

• volunteer mileage directly related to project delivery,
• transport costs for delivering the activity,
• printing and communications,
• venue hire,
• contractor or facilitator fees, and
• small consumables needed to run the project.

Costs that are generally not funded include ongoing organisational overheads, ongoing salaries or wages not directly tied to the project, rent, debt servicing, and routine administration not connected to the funded activity.

Yes, mileage may be considered where it is a genuine and reasonable cost directly related to delivering the project. This may include volunteer travel to deliver project activities, transport of project materials, or travel needed to support community participation or project delivery. Mileage should be clearly explained in the budget and linked to the project.

No. Routine building maintenance is not funded. This includes general upkeep, repairs, or maintenance of buildings or facilities. However, if a project includes a small, clearly defined improvement that is part of a wider eligible community project, applicants should discuss this with Council before applying.

Yes. If your project needs resource consent, building consent, permit, licenses, landowner approval (including for projects/activities on Council land), or other formal authorisation, these should be confirmed at the time of application. Applications should not rely on approvals that are still uncertain. If approvals are needed, evidence should be included with the application.

Applications must be submitted online during the funding round, from 1 July 2026 to 31 July 2026, and include all required supporting information. The online application portal will not be available before the opening date. The portal will open on 1 July 2026 and close on 31 July 2026. Applicants are responsible for completing the online form, providing a clear budget, showing how the match will be met, and attaching any required approvals or supporting documents.

Please check which ward your project relates to for your application, refer the district map here: Snapshot of the Western Bay – Map of our District Wards.

If your application is successful, we encourage you to acknowledge Council’s support and use Council branding where appropriate to help promote your project and share your good work with the community.

Please refer to the Brand Guidelines and Logos information provided through the Community Matching Fund page for guidance on how to use Council’s logo and brand assets correctly.

You will be notified of your success and the exact funding amount approved. At this time, your organisation will invoice us for your approved amount. This will then be paid to your nominated bank account.

It is a requirement to complete an Evaluation Form at the completion of your project which outlines what you have achieved, budget expenditure, good news stories, people and or groups helped by your project, photos, media, reports, strategies or plans created, and lessons learnt. Any expenditure over $500 must be accompanied by copies of receipts.

Organisations may wish to apply for more than one project, however we request you contact us communitymatchingfund@westernbay.govt.nz and discuss the details before submitting more than one application.

Submitting more than one application does not guarantee that more than one project will be funded. Priority will be given to applications that best demonstrate community benefit, readiness, value for money, and alignment with the purpose of the fund.

If your organisation applies for more than one project, you will need to clearly show how each project is distinct and demonstrate that your organisation has the capacity to deliver both projects successfully.

Drop in Q&A sessions will run the week of 13 to 17 July, each 90 minutes starting at 11:30 a.m. as follows:

If you need advice about which fund your project should apply to, please contact communitymatchingfund@westernbay.govt.nz before continuing with your application.

2025 successful recipients

2024 successful recipients

2023 successful recipients

2022 successful recipients

2021 successful recipients

2019 successful recipients

2018 successful recipients