Strategic Priority Grants

Strategic Priority Grants provide three years of funding for community-led projects, activities or services, starting from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028. These grants are designed to encourage community leadership of solutions.

Applications are open now

We fund community organisations whose outcomes directly contribute to Council's vision: Small city benefits, big city ambition.

Our funding outcomes are based on Council's goals for Palmy to be a creative and exciting city, a safe and connected community, and a sustainable and resilient city.

In your application, we recommend choosing the funding outcomes that best align with your core purpose.

How to apply

Applications are open on Monday 9 September and close at 4pm, Monday 4 November 2024.

Applications are open to not-for-profit organisations operating in Palmerston North. Social enterprises can also apply, but will need to show a social, cultural or environmental purpose and that all profits are reinvested in fulfilling that purpose.

Apply online using the link below, which will open a page on our SmartyGrants community funding website.

Apply now

For more information, please check the guidelines and questions and answers below.

Strategic Priority Grants Guidelines(PDF, 511KB)

Watch video: Outputs and outcomes for Strategic Priority Grants

Questions and answers

What is the “proportionality principle”?

Council is committed to working in a way that acknowledges the integrity of community organisations, while balancing its statutory responsibility to ensure the lawful and prudent expenditure of public funds. Council’s expectations will be proportionate to the scale of what is being proposed or funded.

Has the application process been streamlined?

We are requesting significantly less information initially, and the information requested is tailored to the organisation. We will not require you to submit information that is publicly available, e.g. via Charities Services.

We will need less initial information about your capability, capacity, and experience if you have a proven track record or existing relationship with Council.

Assessors will have an opportunity to ask you specific questions as part of the assessment process. This avoids applicants having to spend time submitting initial information that isn’t needed to assess the application.

Applications are also submitted online, saving time, and reducing our environmental impact.

Why do we have to apply online?

We are currently using online grant system SmartyGrants for all of our community funding. It saves both Council and grant recipients time and resources, allowing us to focus on getting the best outcomes for our community. We also recommend you register your organisation profile on SmartyFile. This free data store helps your organisation’s members share information, submit reports and save your information for future applications.

Please see more information about SmartyFile or contact with us.

Can our organisation be funded for more than one outcome?

Proposals can be for multiple outcomes.

Strong applications will clearly show how your proposed project, activity or service directly contributes to the selected Council outcomes. It is recommended that you select only the funding outcomes that align most closely with your core purpose.

Can a social enterprise apply for funding?

Council welcomes funding applications from social enterprises delivering outcomes for our communities. There are a variety of legal structures which social enterprises can adopt. To be classed as a social enterprise you need to demonstrate three elements:

  • a social, cultural or environmental mission;
  • a substantial portion of its income derived from trade; and
  • the majority of its profits/surplus is reinvested in the fulfilment of its mission.

What is Results Based AccountabilityTM?

Results Based AccountabilityTM (RBA) is a simple evaluation framework that balances accountability with flexibility, and data collection with real-life outcomes. It will already be familiar to many community organisations, especially if they receive a central government grant or if they received a Strategic Priority Grant in 2022.

RBA allows funded organisations to see how their work is contributing to Council’s goals and shows that the reporting is both useful and being used. It forms the basis of a mutual understanding of the outcomes we are both working towards.

We will provide training and use simple, co-designed measures that align with what organisations are already measuring.

Can we make joint applications?

Yes.

The Council is seeking to maximise the resources available across the community sector where groups with common interests and goals are working effectively together. Collaborative proposals can be through a single application that includes a breakdown of costs for each partner to deliver the proposed service.

How will the allocation decisions be made?

Council officers will make the funding decisions. The decisions are based on the assessment criteria outlined in the Support and Funding Policy 2022(PDF, 860KB).

An organisation may fit the criteria for funding; however, decisions will be affected by budget constraints. The available funding may be awarded to one organisation or split between several. Programmes will be judged on merit and against each other.

Council also reserves the right to negotiate with an organisation where programmes are identified as having merit, but Council wishes the scale to be larger or smaller.

Council officers are required to adhere to the Council’s policy pertaining to conflicts of interest.

Can we apply if we already have a Strategic Priority Grants agreement with Council?

 Yes, existing Strategic Priority Grants providers can apply for a Strategic Priority Grant. If successful, the grant will begin at the end of your existing Strategic Priority Grants agreement.

Can Council-controlled organisations (CCOs) apply?

 Council-controlled organisations are funded separately by Council, so are not eligible for this funding. They also may not act as umbrella organisations for unregistered groups.

How often will we need to report progress?

 Accountability requirements will be dependent on the amount of funding received, the expected outcomes and the level of risk that the project carries.

The level and types of reporting will be agreed as part of the funding agreement. We currently ask our Strategic Priority Grant groups to submit a report every 6 months. Ongoing engagement with Council staff will form part of the agreement.

Is other external funding essential?

In most cases, Council will be one of several sources of funding for the project, activity, or service rather than the sole funder, and this should be reflected in the budget.

What about organisations delivering services regionally?

This is Palmerston North ratepayer funding, so the proposals must demonstrate benefits to these ratepayers through contributing to the Council outcomes.

For more details, you can visit Our vision and goals page.

Who can I talk to before submitting my application?

You can attend one of our drop-in sessions, or contact Community Development Advisor – Funding, Cindy Nguyen on 06 356 8199 or email communityfunding@pncc.govt.nz.

Strategic Priority Grants 2022-25 results

In 2021 we invited applications from not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises that have a social, cultural or environmental mission.

Forty-three applicants were successful in receiving funding. Council will partner with them over the next three years to further improve outcomes for our city. The value of the awarded grants is $1.44 million a year for three years, starting on 1 July 2022.

A full list of successful organisations and the value of each grant is available below.

Funding decisions were based on the assessment criteria outlined in Council's Community Funding Policy.

Strategic Priority Grants recipients(PDF, 126KB)