Community Funding

Creative Communities Scheme

The Creative Communities Scheme helps to fund local arts projects. Each year Creative New Zealand provides funding to councils to distribute. Carterton District Council has 2 rounds of CCS funding each year.
To get funding through CCS your arts project must do at least one of the following:

Participation
Create opportunities for local communities to engage with, and participate in local arts activities, for example:

• Performances by community choirs, hip-hop groups, theatre companies, musicians or poets
• Workshops on printmaking, writing or dancing
• Creation of new tukutuku, whakairo or kowhaiwhai for a local marae

Diversity
Support the diverse artistic cultural traditions of local communities, for example:

• Workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions in Māori or Pasifika heritage or contemporary art forms
• Workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions by local migrant communities
• Workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions by groups with experience of disability or mental illness

Young people
Enable young people (under 18 years) to engage with, and participate in the arts, for example:

• A group of young people working with an artist to create a mural or street art
• A group of young people creating a film about an issue that is important to them
• Printing a collection of writing by young people
• Music workshops for young people
• An exhibition of visual art work by young people

Waste Minimisation Grant

The fund, which provides practical support for innovative solutions that reduce waste, is supported by money raised by the national waste levy and awarded through Council.

Funding is available for community groups, not-for-profit organisations, schools/educational institutions, Iwi/Māori organisations, neighbourhood groups of at least five households.

Applicants must be based in and running their proposed activity in the Carterton District.

Rapid Fund

Applications to the Rapid Fund will be considered monthly as they are received for the 2025 – 2026 financial year.

Up to $2,000 is available for each individual project/application.

Please apply at least 6 weeks prior to project’s start date. This ensures application is processed in time. An assessment and decision will be made within four weeks of your application.

Annual Contestable Fund

The annual contestable fund is for medium and large projects over $2000.

How to apply

Smarty Grants is a user-friendly platform which enables you (or your organisation members) to enter your application details, save and exit, then add more at a later date, upload supporting documents and review previous applications or funds awarded.

Community Grants Fund

Carterton District Council facilitate two community grant funds, our Local Community Grants Fund, and a Wairarapa Wide Regional Grants Fund.

The Council’s Long-Term Plan sets the funding available for community support through grants, this is reviewed and renewed at each Annual Plan.

Our Grants Policy provides the framework for allocating grants to groups and organisations that benefit the people of Carterton. Download the Policy here.

How to apply

Smarty Grants is a user-friendly platform which enables you (or your organisation members) to enter your application details, save and exit, then add more at a later date, upload supporting documents and review previous applications or funds awarded.

Are you ELIGIBLE?

• Take a look at our Carterton District Council Policy [PDF]

Sport New Zealand Rural Travel Fund

This grant provides support for rural sports clubs and rural school teams with young people aged between 5 and 19 years who require subsidies to assist with transport expenses to local sporting competitions. There is one funding round per year held in February.

For more information, contact grants@cdc.govt.nz or 06 379 4081.

Carterton & Districts Returned & Services Memorial Trust Tertiary Grant

This grant provides a Tertiary fund for residents of the Carterton District who are direct descendants of veterans and servicemen.

The grants are provided by the Trust to students under 25 years of age to assist with expenses related to their tertiary education. There is one funding round per year held in February.

For more information, contact grants@cdc.govt.nz or 06 379 4081.