Do you have a community project that’s all about the First 1,000 Days of a baby’s life? Does it need that extra bit of ‘umph’ and support?
If your community, or one you know, is doing bold new things around pre-conception, contraception, maternal mental health, pregnancy or baby’s first two years, we should talk.
Te Hiringa Hauora | Health Promotion Agency is offering one-off grants from $15,000 to $100,000 through an application process - especially for community driven solutions, that meet community and whānau need.
Registrations of interest closed on Friday 18 March 2022, 12 noon.
We want to help you amplify the community expertise you already have, especially if it’s a bit ‘out of the box’ and getting results. You don’t have to be flash, or big, or famous, or write long essays or have an office. You just have to know what works for, and with, your people.
We want to listen, we want to learn. We also want to make it as easy as possible to apply. We’ll even help you fill out any forms. Heoi, whakapā mai. So, get in touch: Paulien Fa'atafa, First1000days@hpa.org.nz, 021 539 775.
Grants will be awarded to innovative projects that support intergenerational change for pēpi, māma, pāpā and whānau involved in the First 1,000 Days of baby’s life (up to baby’s second birthday) - especially community driven solutions, that meet community and whānau need.


More information
Register your interest
Registrations closed on Friday 18 March 2022, 12 noon. Te Hiringa Hauora is currently making a short-list from the total registrations it received using the evaluation criteria (see below). Those who are short-listed will be invited to talanoa/kōrero/talk through your idea in more detail with us.
About the fund
Trusting communities to come up with their own solutions for their own wellbeing is important to us. We want to partner with those at the heart of whānau and community-led innovation and showcase what works for them in the First 1,000 Days.
These examples of community excellence will help to play an important part in influencing change nationwide and most importantly, for generations of whānau to come.
What Te Hiringa Hauora is looking for (our criteria)
Te Hiringa Hauora is looking for projects that are:
- related to pre-conception, contraception, pregnancy or baby’s first two years
- supporting community and whānau
- lead from ao Māori or Pasifika world views
- a community driven solution responding to a need in your community/whānau.
We’re especially interested in work that explores:
- health promotion initiatives in line with Te Hiringa Hauora First 1,000 Days focus areas; (pēpi, māma, whānau, wellbeing, hapū māma)
- community leadership and innovation
- parental mental wellbeing
- equitable access to contraception, in particular among Pasifika communites
- practical alternatives to the status quo, that work for whānau.
What type of projects have been funded before?
We have supported online communities, digital tools, culture change movements, reclamation of pre-Colonial era Māori birthing and parenting practices, mātauranga Māori antenatal wānanga, videos on maternal mental health and more.
You can see some of the projects funded by grants in 2021/2022 by visiting the ‘Community Partnerships and Innovation’ section on our First 1,000 Days page.
Key dates
Thursday 17 February 2022 |
|
Registrations of interest close |
Friday 18 March 2022, 12 noon |
Shortlist made. Anyone unsuccessful will be offered other funding opportunities if available |
Thursday 24 March 2022 |
Talanoa / kōrero / talk sessions held |
Monday 28 March – Friday 1 April |
Te Hiringa Hauora support applicants to complete paperwork |
Tuesday 19 April – Friday 22 April |
Funding paid out to successful applicants |
Thursday 5 May |
Contact
If you’ve got questions, want to see if your project might be eligible or want to chat about things further, please contact Paulien Fa'atafa, First1000days@hpa.org.nz, 021 539 775.
Preconditions to applying
1. |
Any grant recipients and their teams involved in the community as part of the initiative / project / activity or must be vaccinated against COVID-19, and comply with Government COVID-19 protection framework. Te Hiringa Hauora’s position statement on this outlines this in more detail. |
2. |
Your organisation is not a local council, a commercial organisation or an education setting, for example, a school, play centre, kindergarten, early childhood education (ECE) services. |
3. |
Your application is not for retrospective funding for a project that has been completed. |
4. |
Your organisation does not have any links to companies associated with the tobacco or alcohol industries, or food industries/products not aligned with the Ministry of Health Eating and Activity Guidelines. |
5. |
You are not applying for funding for capital expenditure, or capital improvements. |
6. |
Your application is related related to pre-conception, contraception, pregnancy or baby’s first two years |
Having met all of the preconditions, registrations of interest will be evaluated on their merits using the evaluation criteria described below.
Evaluation criteria
Applications will be shortlisted based on responses received on the registration of interest survey form.
Criterion |
Y / N |
Comments |
Is it related to: pre-conception, contraception, pregnancy, or the first two years of baby’s life? |
Y / N |
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Project/initiative/activity is not focused on research, youth or for specific chronic conditions |
Y / N |
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Could the funding request fit within our funding pool ($15,000 – $100,000)? |
Y / N |
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Alignment with priorities |
Weight /10 |
Comments |
How much does this support community and whānau? |
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How much does this lead from Te Ao Māori or a Pasifika worldview? |
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How much does this initiative show a community driven solution responding to a need in the applicant’s community / whānau? |
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How much does it relate to one of our key kaupapa (areas that align with F1000D strategic direction):
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How much does this show community leadership and innovation? |
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How much does this show practical alternatives to the status quo, that work for whānau? |
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The number of applicants that are chosen for the talanoa/kōrero will depend on the amount of funding requested from each organisation, and how it aligns with our total budget ($480,000). In the case of a tie, applicants will be chosen based on a geographical spread of initiatives through Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu, and/or making sure all of our priority areas are met.

