Sport NZ has announced a $25 million package to provide further short-term relief for organisations at all levels of the play, active recreation and sport sector. The funds have been made available through the reprioritisation of Sport NZ’s work programme in the wake of COVID-19, as well as the drawing down on cash reserves.

This additional $25 million builds on the initial Sport NZ package of investment support announced by Minister for Sport Grant Robertson on 3 April 2020.

That initial round of support was for Sport NZ and High Performance Sport NZ’s investment partners and confirmed that current levels of funding would be rolled over to the end of June 2021, with flexibility on how these funds could be used to reflect the challenging circumstances created by COVID-19.

Following that announcement Sport NZ looked at how COVID-19 would continue to affect our work programme for 2020-2021. This has led to us identifying $25 million in reprioritised budget and cash reserves.

The key feature of the relief package is the $15 million Community Resilience Fund to help struggling local and regional sport and recreation organisations. These organisations are the heartbeat of local play, active recreation and sport and have been hit hard due to the significant reduction in revenue from sources such as Class 4 Gaming. This Fund will be administered and distributed by New Zealand’s 14 Regional Sports Trusts, and will open for applications on 11 May 2020 at 10am.

Also included in Sport NZ’s $25 million relief package are:

• A partner support fund ($6 million) to help Sport NZ and HPSNZ investment partners maintain critical business functions which are at risk due to COVID-19
• An exceptional system support fund ($1 million) to help maintain critical business functions of national organisations who are not normally in receipt of Sport NZ investment
• A physical activity fund ($3 million) to promote play, active recreation and sport opportunities to those who most need it (e.g. people who are less active, disabled or live in high deprivation areas)

Further details on these funds will be announced during June 2020 and more details will become available at the top of this page.

If you have any questions, please email our team at CRF@sportnz.org.nz.