Museum and Heritage Development Fund

Submissions are now being accepted. Submissions close at 5:00PM 27 April 2025 (NZST).

About this fund

Council wants to:

  • support the delivery of heritage projects in Kāpiti Coast District (the District)
  • support the development and long-term sustainability of local museums and heritage sites.

Funding is available as a one-off grant for a specific activity, to support short term projects (1-2 years) or for longer term initiatives where seed funding is required as ongoing sustainability is being developed.

How to apply

Applications are now open. You can apply at any time.

Applications for funding in the 2022/23 financial year must be received by 23 April 2023.

The best way to submit your application is through this online form. Please contact us if you need help with this.

If this is your first time using this system, it will require that you create an account – this will allow you to save your draft application, and complete it at a time that suits you. It will also allow you to track all your previous submissions.

If you need any help with the tool – you can visit ‘Technical help guide for applications’

It will take up to two weeks to process your application.

Before you spend time on/submit your proposal:

  • please read the Guidelines below about eligibility and funding criteria to ensure you are applying for the right fund.
  • please contact Rosie Salas, Arts, Culture and Heritage advisor and or the Manager, Libraries and Cultural Services to discuss your proposal for funding and for advice on how to complete your application at Artsadmin@kapiticoast.govt.nz or +64-4 296 4700.
  • we recommend you refer to the excellent guidance on museum development and writing a business case provided by Te Paerangi at Te Papa Tongarewa (see Running a museum | Te Papa)

Guidelines

Who is eligible?

  • Museums: (refers to local museums operated by a trust or committee.)
  • Heritage organisations: (refers to organisations that focus on maintaining or preserving a heritage site or building, or a collective that supports heritage activities in the district.
  • Iwi organisations, or other groups focusing on development of Māori Heritage sites and initiatives.

Museums and heritage sites in the district that may not be known to Council are welcome to apply.

Criteria

Priority will be given to those activities or projects that:

  • promote Kapiti’s pre- and post-settlement history to the community and wider New Zealand.
  • preserve and display narratives of our communities’ heritage, both past and for the future.

Applicants will need to clearly articulate how Council funding will support their alignment with Council’s purpose for this fund.

Applications for new initiatives will include a clear vision for the proposed programme or activity (but may be seeking to develop the business model for this activity/ programme).

Projects and activities considered include:

  • developing new resources, services that will distinctly enhance the accessibility to the district’s heritage story;
  • building and strengthening capability (not equipment except where this is needed to enable this capability e.g. suitable technology or software for collection management;
  • helping museums reach a high standard of presentation;

May include the following:

  • developing strategic policies such as for collection management, museum promotion,
  • collection cataloguing,
  • curation training