Youth Empowerment Fund

Grants of up to $2,000 are available for: 

• Projects intended to benefit the community. 
• Group applications for development opportunities. 

Grants of up to $500 are available for: 

• Individuals seeking funding for their own personal development opportunity or goal. 

The following criteria applies to both funds (both community projects and personal development funds): 

• Young people leading the project must be aged between 13-24, and live or attend school in the Horowhenua District (including Levin, Foxton, Shannon, Tokomaru, Manakau). 
• The application must include a timeline of when the money will be spent and any relevant key dates. 
• There must be a pre-determined fund-holder who is able to take the grant on your behalf (for example, a school or organisation). 
• Projects must be completed or up and running by the end of 2026

• Young people under the age of 13, or over the age of 24.
• Young people that live outside of the Horowhenua District.

Community Project Criteria: 

• Projects need to have a positive impact or aim to enact a positive change within their local youth communities, wider Horowhenua Community, New Zealand or even the world. 
• Projects that show or demonstrate that they are sustainable (i.e. can carry on in the future without funding) will be given higher priority. 
• The application must include any assistance they might require from the Horowhenua District Council (i.e. if wanting to start a community garden, then applicants may wish to utilise the knowledge from the Horowhenua District Council Parks and Property team). 
• Young people leading the project must live or attend school in the Horowhenua District (Levin, Foxton, Shannon, Tokomaru, Manakau). 
• Applicants, along with completing the application form must provide a short video that brings their project to life. 
• Any profits from the running of the project are not able to be kept. 
• Projects must not be religious in their purpose or content. 
• Consideration will be given to projects which have a political purpose or content, depending on the cause, but not those affiliated to a political party.   
• Projects must by a school, learning institution, or community group 
• Please call and check your idea with the Horowhenua Community Development team first before submitting an application.  Community@horowhenua.govt.nz or 06 366 0999. 
• Applicants should be willing to report back to the Funding and Recognition Committee about how the project went. 

Personal Development Criteria: 

• The funds must go towards a specific thing that will help the young person’s/people’s development (they will learn something, develop their skills, use their talents). 
• Members of a group cannot apply individually for something of which there is already a group application. 
• Funds can go towards National or International personal development opportunities. 
• Applicants must provide a short video that highlights what they are hoping to learn, new skills they hope to learn or develop and how they will use or apply what they have learn following the personal development opportunity. 
• The funding cannot be used for tertiary study or class-related activities.

Examples of Community Projects: 

• Holding a youth cultural event which celebrates the diverse cultures in Horowhenua. 
• A campaign to collect items for the community or a good cause and gives them a second life.  i.e. Boots for all – old football and rugby boots and collected, cleaned and then donated to other young people who want to play sports. 
• Holding an inclusive event for rainbow youth and allies. 
• Hold a swap event allowing students to exchange clothes or study books. 
• 100% youth owned and operated music festival.

Examples of Personal Development Opportunities/Goals: 

• Attend the Future Leaders Academy advanced leadership course 
• Representing Horowhenua in the Taekwon-do World Champs. 
• Representing your culture at a regional or national event. 
• Attending an entrepreneurial skills course to further develop your lawn mowing side-hustle. 
• Participating in a national or international school exchange programme. 

1. Applications must be submitted through SmartyGrants. 
2. Complete Your Application:
   Make sure you answer all the questions, upload your video and include copies of any necessary documents.  If something’s missing, explain why. If your application isn't complete, it might get rejected. Remember you can save the form and submit it later when you have all the information. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out by contacting us at community@horowhenua.govt.nz.  
3. After You Get the Grant: 

• You need to finish your project and fill out a report within 9 months. We can help you with this if you need it. 
• Keep your receipts for anything costing $250 or more and attach them to your report. 
• Reporting is important cause it’s part of the trust required when we grant people money. As this is money paid by the Community in the form of rates, we need to be able to tell them what we have spent it on. 

4. Project Changes: If you need to make big changes to your project, tell us right away. Due to budget, we might offer you less money than you asked for. You should tell us if it’s no longer possible to deliver the project.  
5. Shout outs: If you get the grant, mention that Horowhenua District Council helped, in any promotion of your project. That helps inform the Community of the work we support. 
6. What you need to include in your application: 

• A short video 
• A recent bank document showing your account (could be your school bank account) 

For more information or to talk to someone about your idea or project, email community@horowhenua.govt.nz 

1. Use the Grant Promptly: Spend the grant within nine (9) months of approval or as specified by Council. You won't receive more money until you've met all reporting requirements. 
2. Spending Limits: Use the grant only for the purposes approved by Council. If you don’t spend it all on those purposes, you must return the unused portion, including any GST paid. 
3. Record Keeping: Keep records of how you spend the grant for at least five (5) years after the agreement ends. 
4. Transparency: Make your project files available for inspection by Council within 10 working days if asked. 
5. Financial Reporting: Acknowledge the grant in your financial records as required by Council. 
6. Inform About Changes: Let Council know about any changes that might affect your ability to carry out the project. 
7. Notify About Issues: Inform Council if any grant money is stolen or misused. 
8. Public Disclosure: Agree that Council can announce the grant publicly. 
9. Request Changes Early: If you need to change your project’s purpose, term, or conditions, ask Council before you spend any money. 
10. Exclusions: Don’t spend the grant on anything Council has excluded. 
11. Consequences of Non-Compliance: If you don’t follow these rules or provide false information, Council might: 
12. Ask you to repay some or all of the grant. 
13. Hold back payments for this or future grants until issues are fixed. 
14. Add more rules before approving future funding. 
15. Recommend against giving you grants in the future. 
16. Information Sharing: Council may share or request information with other government agencies or organizations for funding purposes. 
17. Unallocated Funds: Council can move any unused grant money to future funding rounds. 
18. Official Information Act: Council might have to release information under the Official Information Act 1982, unless there’s a good reason not to.