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Pacific Languages Community Fund (closed)

Pacific Languages Community Fund (closed)

Pacific Languages Community Fund Round 2

The Pacific Languages Community Fund is now closed

As part of the Pacific Languages Strategy, the Pacific Languages Community Fund was established to support Pacific communities to drive and lead solutions to retain and revitalise Pacific languages in Aotearoa.

Our Pacific languages matter because they tell the story of who we are. Language, culture, and identity are essential to the wellbeing and long-time success of Pacific people in Aotearoa.

Comparisons from Census 2013 to Census 2018 data shows that the proportion of speakers of Pacific languages in Aotearoa has declined across the board.

The Pacific Language Community Funding is aimed at initiatives that align with the Pacific Languages Strategy key objectives, which help revitalise, maintain, and increase the number of speakers of Pacific languages, strengthening their identities and cultural confidence.

The Pacific Languages Community Fund aims to support community-led initiatives that:

  • raise the value of Pacific languages across Aotearoa 
  • strengthen pathways and resources for learning Pacific languages and learning in Pacific languages 
  • create environments for Pacific languages to be used more often, and in more spaces.

Applicants could apply for up to $50,000 excl. GST.

If you have any further questions about the fund, please email [email protected]

About the fund

The Pacific Languages Community Fund aims to support community-led initiatives that align to the following objectives:

  • raise the value of Pacific languages across Aotearoa 
  • strengthen pathways and resources for learning Pacific languages and learning in Pacific languages 
  • create environments for Pacific languages to be used more often, and in more spaces

Applicants could apply for up to $50,000.

The Pacific Languages Community Fund opened on Friday 23 June 2023 at 12.30pm.

Applications closed on Monday 7 August 2023 at 12.30pm.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application from October 2023.

Successful applicants will receive funding from mid-October 2023.

Successful applicants must complete their initiative between 1 November 2023 to 30 November 2024.

Pacific Languages Community Fund Online Workshops 2023

We held a series of online funding workshops to support applicants on their journey and equip them with all the information they needed to successfully apply for this funding.

Dates and times of workshops held:

  • Wednesday 5 July 6pm-7pm
  • Wednesday 12 July 6pm-7pm
  • Wednesday 19 July 6pm-7pm
  • Wednesday 26 July 6pm-7pm
  • Wednesday 2 August 6pm-7pm

To be eligible, applicants needed to:

  • be a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand
  • be of Pacific descent, or serve a Pacific audience
  • represent an unregistered or registered Pacific community group 
  • represent a Pacific owned and/or operated group or organisation
  • be able to deliver an initiative targeted at Pacific communities within the timeframe and allocated funding
  • have an initiative with clear outcomes aligned to Lalanga Fou Goal 1 (Thriving Pacific Languages, Cultures and Identities) and the objectives of this fund
  • have the capacity to administer and deliver Pacific language learning initiatives
  • have the commitment to provide an evaluation of the initiative after it has been delivered.

Pacific Languages Community Funding was available for initiatives that were aligned to (but not limited to):

  • targeted at Pacific communities
  • teaching and sharing Pacific languages through different mediums such as music, dance, church resources, cultural arts and craft, sports, cultural knowledge, digital resources etc.
  • helping grow the number of speakers of Pacific languages in Aotearoa
  • targeted at Pacific languages indigenous to the Pacific
  • promoted the value and use of Pacific languages
  • created and developed resources for language learning purposes
  • could deliver the initiative for 12 weeks or more
  • could be successfully delivered from 1 November 2023 to 30 November 2024.

The Pacific Languages Community Fund was not available for:

  • individuals
  • academic research and other academic activities
  • business, for-profit activities and limited liability
  • education institutions including Early Learning, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary providers, and university student associations (funding that sits in other sectors)
  • government or local government agencies
  • programmes and activities delivered overseas, including the New Zealand realm countries
  • debt repayment or debt servicing
  • all direct transportation costs, accommodation, or fact-finding tours
  • initiatives delivered during Language Weeks
  • kava powder, wages, salaries, allowances, utilities, homeware or whiteware and music, building or gardening equipment.

The Pacific Languages Community Fund is now closed.

Applicants could apply by submitting a costed proposal of up to $50,000.

If you need more information about the Pacific Languages Community Fund, please email [email protected].