Growing a Diverse and Resilient Social Sector - Budget 2023

Helping strengthen the capability, resilience and diversity of the social sector by funding community, provider and sector groups - Wellbeing Budget 2023.

This initiative will enable communities and providers, especially Māori, Pacific and Ethnic communities, to develop their ability to support the wellbeing of their people and whānau.

This Government is investing $5.3 million over two years (2023/34 to 2024/25) in contestable funds to help strengthen the capability, resilience, and diversity of the social sector by funding community, provider, and sector groups, especially those that work with Māori, Pacific and Ethnic communities.

This initiative includes three main components: investment in community capability (for example, skill development, IT systems); boosting capability of social sector workforce (including working towards accreditation); and supporting peak bodies and networks to enable participation in Social Sector Commissioning. 

• Growing the diversity and resilience of the social sector enables all people and whānau to access a range of high-quality social services and supports that meet their needs.
• This funding builds on previous short-term investment in communities and providers which supported locally-led responses to COVID-19 and 2023 North Island Weather Events. Previous investment for communities included funding for projects and community infrastructure (such as community gardens) that supported the wellbeing of people and whānau. For providers, investment included supporting organisations to gain accreditation, and to purchase essential IT equipment and systems.
• This funding will help community organisations and providers to invest in the skills, knowledge and organisational systems they need to deliver high quality supports and services for their communities. Funding will be allocated based on the needs identified by applicants.
• This investment will also support peak bodies and sector collectives to participate in social sector commissioning which could include the development of frameworks and tools to support providers to grow capability.
• This funding will ensure that communities and providers serving priority groups (such as Māori, Pacific People and youth) can continue to develop the skills, systems, and infrastructure required to address community needs:
  • $2.58 million will be allocated to the Community Capability Fund
  • $1.72 million will be allocated to the Provider Capability Fund, some of which will support peak bodies and sector collectives to participate in social sector commissioning
  • $0.8 million is for programme administration with an additional $0.2 million for evaluation.