Latest updateRound 8 of the RCHF closed on Friday 30 June 2023. Grants worth a combined total of $16.5 million were awarded to two South Island projects.Regional culture and heritage fund provides $16.5m for South Island cultural institutionsThe government will decide on the timing for the next round.Register for updatesIf you would like to know when annual RCHF grant rounds are called, register with us for RCHF funding alerts. Email us at [email protected].Please include a contact name, phone number, and a brief description of your project.Fund overviewThe Regional Culture and Heritage Fund is a contestable fund that helps communities meet their genuine fundraising shortfalls for a range of capital construction projects. Rounds are usually held annually, but the timing and frequency of rounds can vary so check in with us. Eligible projects must be at publicly-owned and accessible relating to arts, culture and heritage public facilities:performing arts venuesart galleriesmuseumsiwi museums and/or whare taongaheritage buildings that house significant collections.Some entities and activities are excluded under this Fund’s criteria. We recommend all intending applicants contact us to discuss their eligibility first before committing to the expense of preparing an application.The level of funding available varies annually. Most rounds are oversubscribed so projects should not be developed on the assumption that RCHF funding can and will be made available. This means that the Fund is focussed towards projects that best meet RCHF criteria and have genuine fundraising shortfalls indicating that the project could not proceed without government assistance.Main criteria for projectsThe Fund’s key measurement criteria and exclusions are discussed in detail in the following document:Strong applications will be for well-documented, construction-ready projects which best meet the Fund’s purpose and criteria. When assessing applications, we aim to achieve an appropriate balance between national and regional accountabilities and a project’s significance to its local community. This fund gives priority to projects that are located outside of the main metropolitan centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Projects within these major centres may be considered on a case-by-case basis.Examples of eligible projectsProjects that we may consider funding will be focused on constructing, renovating, restoring and adding to arts, culture and heritage buildings. For example, projects involving:new buildings or extensions for growing entitiesseismic-strengthening or modernising of existing buildings and their plantenergy and resource efficiency projects as part of a sustainability upgradeprojects to improve health, safety, security, and/or accessibility.Strong applications will: be eligible construction-ready projectshave unencumbered resource consentsprovide developed or detailed-stage architectural drawings and Quantity Surveyor costings and a corresponding progress charting fundraising plandemonstrate that reasonable efforts have been made to fundraise within communities from known sources such as Lotteries, Community Trusts, and Philanthropy, before applying to the RCHF as a fund of last resortclearly demonstrate a strong regional support and impact, addressing a demonstrated need, which benefits significant section(s) of the regional and wider communitycontribute to a national network of high-quality cultural heritage facilitiesprotect and conserve moveable cultural collections that are important to their communitymake collections available to communities of interest and the general publictake into account our evolving climate risks.Projects that are not eligibleThe funding is not available for capital projects involving the following types of institutions:privately owned properties and/or collectionseducational facilities, e.g. located on school, university, or wananga campuses and intended for their predominant uselibraries, archives and science centreschurches that host cultural activitiesartist/practitioner spaces and dealer galleriescommunity centres.Excluded costsThe RCHF is not intended to cover:a buildings’ deferred maintenance costs as these are the responsibility of the building ownerland or building purchase costsoperational costs, including: temporary accommodation and relocation costs, staff salaries, and consultant, legal, and planning costsperformances and exhibition costs.How to applyBefore submitting your application, you should read the fund’s policy criteria and checklist and refer to the checklist which lists the types of project documentation you need to provide. Keyword: RCHF policy, criteria, and checklist 211.86 KB PDF RCHF policy, criteria, and checklist Keyword: RCHF: Applicant agreement and coversheet form 134.91 KB PDF RCHF: Applicant agreement and coversheet form We expect a high standard of robust, verifiable evidence and needs analysis from all applicants. This includes an independently authored Feasibility Studies for any capital projects with a total project cost of $250,000 or more.We recommend you discuss your project and eligibility with our staff before applying:Phone: (04) 496 6175Email: [email protected]Note: The RCHF uses an Applicant Declaration Coversheet instead of a funding application form because RCHF projects are very varied. It is important for all applicants to appreciate that this form is only the ‘coversheet’ for your application. Applicants choose how best to structure and write their applications and how to reference the accompanying supporting documentation.Who makes funding decisions?We assess the applications and provide our recommendations to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage (or their delegated Associate Minister) who makes the final decision on which projects will receive funding. Previous recipients of RCHF grantsThe tables below list the recipients of Regional Cultural Heritage Fund grants since it was established in 2016. This includes any extraordinary grant decisions made by the fund officials on behalf of ministers.The total amount expended on sector capital projects since the fund was established is $68,232,226.Round 7, 2022-2023ProjectRCHF Grant*Hawke’s Bay Collection Storage, Research and Archive Centre, Hastings$9,000,000Court Theatre, Christchurch$3,000,000* (+/- any adjustments to quantum)Round 6, 2021-2022ProjectRCHF Grant*Te Pou Theatre, Auckland$1,170,356Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre, Rotorua$632,000* (+/- any adjustments to quantum)Round 5, 2020-2021ProjectRCHF Grant*Museum of South Taranaki, Patea $164,030Mahara Gallery, Waikanae, Kāpiti Coast $2,165,000Pātaka Art+Museum, Porirua $279,234Hokitika Museum, West Coast $794,830Chatham Islands Museum $202,170Waikato Regional Theatre, Hamilton $3,000,000Arts Centre, Christchurch (Declined as ineligible under RCHF. Then granted residual Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust (CEAT) funds from the wind of that source. The supply of funds was administered through the RCHF baseline until an appropriate project was identified. Therefore, it is shown as an extraordinary decision here). $1,250,000* (+/- any adjustments to quantum)Round 4, 2019-2020ProjectRCHF Grant*Raiātea Whare Taonga Resource and Archive Centre, Hokianga$300,000Rotorua Museum, Rotorua$5,000,000Expressions Whirinaki Arts Centre, Upper Hutt$1,280,164The Loons Theatre, Lyttelton$981,000* (+/- any adjustments to quantum)Round 3, 2018-2019ProjectRCHF Grant*Lawson Field Theatre Seismic Strengthening, Gisborne$417,513* (+/- any adjustments to quantum)Round 2, 2017-2018ProjectRCHF Grant*Hawke's Bay Opera House Seismic Strengthening, Hastings$4,000,000Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, Foxton$1,026,450Anderson Studio Theatre, ASB Theatre, Marlborough*$900,000Rakiura Heritage Centre, Steward Island$1,088,595The Woolshed Heritage Centre, Masterton$22,884* (+/- any adjustments to quantum)Round 1, 2016-2017ProjectRCHF Grant*Arts Centre, Muka Studio Wing, Gore$110,000Nelson Centre of Performing Arts, Nelson$1,500,000Whakatāne Museum and Research Centre, Whakatāne$1,500,000Whanganui Museum Redevelopment, Whanganui$400,000The Meteor Theatre Redevelopment, Hamilton$368,000Main Auditorium, ASB Theatre Blenheim, Marlborough*$1,000,000Sarjeant Gallery Queens Park Redevelopment, Whanganui$10,000,000Hillary Hut Conservation, Antarctica (extraordinary decision to address fundraising shortfall to complete urgent works)$180,000* (+/- any adjustments to quantum)Other financial assistanceSources for feasibility study fundingMost capital funding sources will need you to provide a robust, independently authored feasibility study with your application. Your council, regional tourism entity or local Business Round Table may be able to help you with funding and/or expertise in developing feasibility studies. If your project is community-based, you could also seek funding from Lottery Environment and Heritage.Te Papa’s outreach service team, National Services Te Paerangi, has a range of free how-to guides including one on fundraising for museums, galleries and iwi groups.National Services Te Paerangi guides (Te Papa)Other funding sources for capital projectsAs well as contacting your council and local philanthropists, see our list of other funding sources, both government and non-government on this webpage:Other sources of funding