In this section

The Fund's purpose is to support areas of strategic priority that enable Council to achieve the community outcomes in the Long-Term Plan through a funding commitment.

2026 Expressions of Interest

The Strategic Partnerships Fund is seeking Expressions of Interest from organisations whose work aligns with and contributes to Council's strategic priorities and community outcomes.

Through the Annual Plan 2026/27 process, Council allocated $20,000 to support one or more new Strategic Partners. The Community Funding Assessment Panel has identified the following priority areas for this funding:

  • Social: Youth
  • Social: Older Persons

The Strategic Partnerships Fund provides funding to community organisations that work alongside Council to achieve shared goals and deliver community outcomes that are important to Council.

For this funding round, priority will be given to organisations that strengthen youth or older persons' wellbeing and build social connections. Organisations are expected to have a demonstrated track record of delivering services or programmes in their chosen priority area.

Expression of Interest Dates

  • Applications open: Monday 10 August 2026
  • Applications close: Monday 31 August 2026, 9pm

Terms and Conditions

Expressions of Interest will be assessed by the Community Funding Assessment Panel, which will make funding recommendations to Council. Council will make the final decision on the organisation(s) that will receive funding.

The available funding may be allocated to a single organisation or distributed across multiple organisations, depending on the quality of the applications received.

Funding approved through this Expression of Interest process applies to the 2026/27 financial year only.

Organisations should not assume that funding will continue beyond this period. Any future Strategic Partnership funding opportunities will be considered as part of Council's next Long-Term Plan process.

Outcomes – what we will see through the initiatives funded by this fund

  • Initiatives are delivered that enhance the Council’s environmental, social, cultural and economic community outcomes and strategic priorities.
  • The Council benefits from the partnerships through shared communication and insights gained from the organisations working at the coal face of community.
  • The District benefits from the expertise and contributions of community organisations and groups who are strategic partners.
  • Relationships and trust are built with community that enable the achievement of community outcomes.

If you have any questions, please contact the funding team at funding@selwyn.govt.nz