COVID-19 Community Awareness and Preparedness Grant Fund
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COVID-19 Community Awareness and Preparedness Grant Fund
The Government announced $27 million new funding on 26 March 2020 so essential social services can keep delivering for communities through COVID-19.
As part of this, up to $4.8 million is now available for community grants to support innovative, community-led solutions that support local resilience.
What is the grant fund for and who can apply?
We recognise there are community groups and individuals doing critical work in the fight against COVID-19. This grant funding will allow them to keep supporting their communities and help them through any challenges they may face in the coming months.
The Community Awareness and Preparedness Grant fund is available to community groups providing essential community-led solutions that support local resilience and community wellbeing during COVID-19 restrictions.
Grants allocated from the fund will be one-off. Priority is being given to requests that support Maori, Pacific, older people, people with disabilities, people with current significant health considerations, migrant communities and people who are rurally isolated.
How much grant funding is available?
The fund has an initial cap of up to $5,000.00 (excluding GST) per request.
Requests that are more than this initial cap will be considered by exception and we may ask for further documentation.
A total budget of $4.8m (GST exclusive) is available for allocation from this fund.
How long will the grant fund be available?
The fund is available from 26 March 2020 until the fund is fully allocated.
Eligibility criteria
- Must be for use by a community-based group
- Applications must give details of:
- How the grant will contribute to essential community-led solutions that support local resilience and community wellbeing through COVID-19
- Total grant amount and how the amount has been calculated
- How the capability and capacity needed for the community-led solution can be met.
Some examples of initiatives are:
- Supporting communities to find and establish new ways of maintaining links and supporting each other, given social distancing and other possible needs
- Translation services for published information
- Developing and implementing local plans to get food and supplies to people who can’t access them, through fear of going out due to self-isolation concerns
- Preparing meals to be distributed from a central place, like a local marae
- Wider assistance with self-isolation and developing community outreach
What we will not fund:
- Salaries or administration costs, activities that intend to generate profit, the promotion of commercial, political, or religious objectives, or the purchase of alcohol
- Wage subsidies or direct financial assistance
- Major changes in service demand on current services
- Grants are not to be for the sole benefit of one individual
Monitoring and reporting
MSD will make follow up contact with successful recipients. Fund recipients need to provide a short story about their initiative including:
- What you did
- What impact the initiative had
- How the grant funds were spent
Grant fund application process
- To apply for a grant, community organisations need to send an email describing your initiative, attach an invoice with the costs itemised and bank account verification to CAPGF_2020@msd.govt.nz.
Please also let us know that you understand and can operate within COVID-19 restrictions. More information about the restrictions is on the Unite against COVID-19 website. - Send tax invoices to the Ministry of Social Development, PO Box 1556, Wellington, 6140.
- For organisations that are registered for GST, you need to include your GST number and show the GST component on your invoice
- For groups that are not GST registered, you need to state this on the Tax Invoice and do not need to show the GST component.
Download the Tax invoice template - Bank account verification can include, a pre-printed bank deposit slip, a letter from the bank, a copy of your bank statement showing your account name and account number only.
- These will be reviewed as they are received. For initiatives that meet the fund criteria you will be updated by email and payment will be made within five days.
- For initiatives that need clarification we will contact you to discuss this further.
Who should I contact with questions?
If you have any questions, please email: CAPGF_2020@msd.govt.nz
