To be eligible, all projects and events must be located in the Ashburton District, be available to the wider community, and be organised or run by a non-profit organisation. Individuals can only apply for the Biodiversity and Heritage grants. Creative Communities Scheme also accepts individuals.
We only fund a maximum of 50% of the total project cost; however, voluntary contributions count towards the total – so make sure you explain these well.
The Creative Communities Scheme, Community Events and the Heritage Grants are currently open for applications until 31 August 2020.
Please see below for a brief description of each grant, eligibility criteria and application form.
Arts & Culture
Community Library Grant
The community library grant is for independently operated community libraries, specifically, Methven, Mt Somers, and Rakaia libraries. These three libraries can apply for funding to go towards the purchase or preservation of reading material.
Creative Communities Scheme - open now
Individuals and groups can apply for funding towards their art projects. This includes projects that relate to craft/object art, literature, visual arts, dance, music, film, theatre, Ngā toi Māori, and Pacific arts. The project can be in the form of an exhibition, performance, workshop or simply about creation.
Projects / events must not start before 1 October and be complete within 12 months.
Community Development
Community Agencies Grant
Any community organisation can apply for funding towards operational costs, including rent or salaries. Please contact
grants@adc.govt.nz for further information.
The next round will open in February 2021.
Community Project Grant
The project grant is for funding towards a specific one-off project.
The next round will open in February 2021.
Economic Development
Community Events Grant - open now
The events grant is to support new events and / or to build the capacity of existing events in the district. For an event to be eligible, the event must be smoke-free, promote sun-smart initiatives, and be working towards zero-waste.
Events must not start before 1 October and be complete within 12 months.
Council funding can only be used for promoting the event, traffic management plans, and waste management measures.
Natural & Built Environment
Biodiversity Grant
The biodiversity grant is for projects that aim to protect, maintain or restore biodiversity.
The grant is open twice a year; in February along with the other Community grants, and then again in August.
The next round will open in February 2021.
Community Infrastructure Grant
The community infrastructure grant is for the development or maintenance of infrastructure available for community use. Eligible infrastructure includes memorial halls, community halls, reserve boards, and community pools.
The next round will open in February 2021.
Heritage Grant - open now
The heritage grant is for buildings or items scheduled in Group A or Group B of the Ashburton District Plan. The funding must be used for specialised maintenance such as replacing cladding or fittings that preserve or restore the heritage state of the building or item.
Projects must not start before 1 October and be complete within 12 months.
The grant is open twice a year; in February along with the other Community grants, and then again in August.
The next round is now open
Sport & Recreation
School Holiday Programme Grant
To be eligible, the school holiday programme must cater for children aged between 5 and 14 years.
The next round will open in February 2021.
Sport Development Grant
The sport development grant is for any community organisation who aims to increase participation in sports activities across the Ashburton District. Funds can go towards operational costs, including rent or salaries.
Projects, such as improvements to sports clubrooms, should apply under the Community Project grant.
Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund
We administer this grant on behalf of Sport New Zealand.
The purpose of the fund is to help subsidise travel for junior teams participating in local sports competitions. Sports clubs and school teams with young people aged between 5 and 19 years can apply.
Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund is closed, with funding opening again in March 2021.
Other funding options
If your project doesn’t fit our categories or criteria, or you are in need of more funding, givUS provides access to more than 1200 different grants for community organisations covering a wide range of project types from over 700 different funders across New Zealand.
Council provides free access to Generosity New Zealand's givUs database, a computer database of information about funding sources for community groups in New Zealand. You can access it at home through the library page of our website (requires membership login) or at the following locations:
- Ashburton Public Library
- Community House Mid Canterbury
- Methven i-SITE
Other financial assistance
Extraordinary grant funding
Council may consider providing grant funding outside the schemes detailed above to assist with community projects considered to be of significant value to the Ashburton District community. These are dealt with on a case by case basis.
Loans and guarantees
Council may consider requests for bridging finance or the guaranteeing of loans from community organisations undertaking projects of significant community benefit.
When applying you will need to include:
- The project's contribution to the achievement of the Council's community outcomes
- The project's cost-effectiveness
- The reasons why other sources of funding are unavailable
- Prudent fiscal history of the person or organisation making the application
- The ability of the person/organisation applying to repay the loan(s)
Any applications will be analysed by a Council senior financial advisor and / or suitable advisor. The analysis may include the following:
- The financial viability of the project
- The financial position of the person/organisation making the application
- Risks to the Council in supporting the project and how these could be managed
- Recommended compulsory conditions
Any bridging finance will be charged interest and any loans or guarantees Council provides may require a personal guarantee.
For further information on Council grants and funding, contact Council by email or phone (03) 307 7700.