Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund application guidelines

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The Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund is now closed. 

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On this page:

• Purpose
• Matariki principles
• Matariki themes
• Three funding streams
• Funding stream information
• Eligibility
• Application timelines 
• Assessment of funding
• Reporting
• Communications
• General terms and conditions / Privacy statement
• Declaration
• Frequently asked questions
• Application checklist

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Purpose

The purpose of Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund is to celebrate and support the regeneration of mātauranga associated with Te Kāhui o Matariki. The contestable funding components of the 2023 initiative are designed to support Māori communities in leading the delivery of Te Kāhui o Matariki focused initiatives that regenerate mātauranga Matariki and align with the celebration of the public holiday.

Matariki Ahunga Nui 2023 Application Guidelines (PDF 284 KB) 

Matariki principles

Applications are being asked to align their kaupapa with a set of principles related to Te Kāhui o Matariki. Applicants need to demonstrate how their kaupapa will achieve the principles outlined in the Te Ture mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki/Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022.

It indicates that Matariki is guided by the following 3 major principles:

• Remembrance: honouring those who have passed since the last rising of Matariki.

The re-appearance of Matariki in the morning sky during mid-winter coincided with a traditional ceremony called ‘whāngai i te hautapu.’ During this ceremony food was cooked and offered to the different stars of Matariki while karakia (incantations) were conducted.

• Celebrating the present: gathering together with family and friends.

Following on from the formal ‘whāngai i te hautapu’ ceremony, Matariki was a period of celebration and festivities. Mid-winter was a time of rest and relaxation for Māori. The food storage pits and houses were full, and the busy harvest season was over. Communities and whānau would gather to give thanks for all the blessings of the past year, and to reconnect with one another.

Food and feasting were central elements in Matariki, and people came together to share the fruits of the harvest. Other forms of celebration included music, dance, art and spending time with one another.

• Looking to the future: looking forward to the promise of a new year.

Matariki was a time where communities and whānau would come together to plan for the impending season. They discussed at length their hopes and desires, concerns and fears and they decided how they would approach various activities in the new year. It was a time of learning, sharing, discussion and decision making. One of the key points of discussion during Matariki was the environment, especially the health of the environment. Māori understood that lives depended on maintaining a strong connection to the physical world and caring for nature.

Matariki themes

The themes have been developed by Professor Rangi Mātāmua, to guide the narrative around celebrations connected to Te Kāhui o Matariki.

Considering the main principles of Matariki listed above, the following themes align to those principles and can be applied to the launch of the holiday and its wider celebration.

• Matariki Hunga Nui: Matariki hunga nui means the many people of Matariki.

It speaks to how Matariki calls people to gather together, return home, remember loved ones and celebrate with whānau and friends. It is hoped that people use Matariki as an opportunity to return to the places they call home, and to reaffirm bonds they have with their whānau, friends and communities.

• Matariki Ahunga Nui: this phrase means the great food piles of Matariki.

Food and feasting are a central element of the Matariki period, and people come together to feast. Matariki is an opportunity to promote, celebrate and eat our local produce. It is a time where we can prepare our favourite dishes, come together to share a meal, and support local restaurants and food producers.

• Matariki Manako Nui: ‘Manako’ are wishes and desires, and traditionally Māori would send their hopes and dreams into the stars during Matariki.

These desires are similar to New Year resolutions and are focused on the promise of a bountiful year to come. Many of the wishes of the ancestors were connected to the wellbeing of both people and the environment. The different stars of Matariki are associated with different environmental domains. Matariki is a time where wishes and resolutions are made that are not centred on individual wants but on the wider environment.

Three funding streams

The current funding initiative comprises of three public funding streams:

Manahau	Events and or resources that are jubilant and engaged by various communities across the country that recognise Te Kāhui o Matariki and align with celebrations of the inaugural Matariki public holiday.	$5,000	Applications open: 1 May 2023 Close: 21 May 2023
Mārama	Events and or resources that perpetuate general teachings of Te Kāhui o Matariki and align with celebrations of the inaugural Matariki public holiday.	$20,000	Applications open: 1 May 2023 Close: 21 May 2023
Mātau	Events and resources that explore, discuss, practice, and teach about Te Kāhui o Matariki and align with celebrations of the inaugural Matariki public holiday	$100,000	Applications open: 1 May 2023 Close: 21 May 2023

Funding stream information

Manahau

Mārama

Mātau

Eligibility

Applications are sought from Māori groups (who are legal entities as defined below) that:

1. involve their local community
2. deliver within the required timeframes (14 June 2023 through to 14 August 2023)
3. access Te Kāhui o Matariki teachings (appropriate to the level of the relevant funding stream)
4. agree to engage with Manatū Taonga evaluators to support the development of an evaluation report if required,
5. agree to promote their initiative (see Communications Section for further information about this), and
6. complete a final report highlighting what was achieved by the kaupapa.

For the purposes of Matariki Ahunga Nui a legal entity can be a:

• Charitable trust
• Māori Committee
• Cooperative Society
• Māori Trust Board
• Discretionary Family Trust
• Rūnanga Incorporated
• Incorporated society
• Marae Entity
• Limited Liability Company
• Whānau Trust

Any of the following evidence will be accepted as proof of legal status and will need to be uploaded into the application portal:

1. a current constitution or trust deed and certificate of incorporation; or
2. a letter from your district Māori Council/appropriate iwi authority; or
3. a copy of a Māori Land Court Order; or
4. a bank account details (see below); or
5. a proof of organisational structure and/or copies of minutes of meetings/annual general meetings.

Application timelines

1 May 2023	Applications for all streams open in portal
21 May 2023	Applications for all streams close
26 May 2023	Applications accessed and considered by Chief Advisor
1 June 2023	Applicants informed of outcome Contracting
June 2023	Funding begins
September 2023	Close out reports due

Assessment of Funding

Manatū Taonga will assess funding applications received based on:

1. meeting the eligibility criteria
2. the level of mātauranga Matariki that is incorporated within the kaupapa and how this will be engaged
3. receiving a sound and robust proposal demonstrating how the kaupapa will be developed and implemented
4. coverage across the country, and
5. how the kaupapa supports the local community.

Submitted applications will be evaluated by a panel administered by Manatū Taonga. The Panel will evaluate the application against the criteria and a recommendation will then be made to the Chief Advisor, Mātauranga Matariki for review and approval.

The outcome of your application will be communicated by email through the funding portal.

If your application is successful, you’ll be invited to enter into a funding agreement with Manatū Taonga. You should note that the Panel may recommend awarding a different level of funding to the amount that was sought. If this happens, and it means your event is not feasible to deliver, you do not have to accept the offer of funding.

Reporting

Successful applicants may be published on our website, and in our Annual Report – published information includes:

• the name of your group, collective or organisation
• the name of your event
• a short description of your event
• the location of your event
• the amount awarded.

In addition, to support the design of future funding programmes, we may also contact you to participate in an evaluation of your kaupapa or initiative. Manatū Taonga will cover expenses associated with the evaluation. In such cases, we may ask you to consider evaluation methods which ascertain the success of the kaupapa.

Communications

A key driver for this funding initiative is supporting iwi Māori to regenerate and celebrate their traditional knowledge and mātauranga relating to Matariki.

Manatū Taonga will work with successful applicants to support the promotion of the kaupapa or initiatives supported by this funding. This will primarily include agreeing what promotional messaging relating to their kaupapa can be shared by Manatū Taonga. Promoting these kaupapa profiles what is occurring around the country to inform or educate the wider society about Matariki.

Please note that kaimahi from Manatū Taonga will talk with successful providers about how we can share in promoting the importance of Matariki through this initiative.

Accessing the funds

The funding will be managed by Manatū Taonga.

Legal entities are required to submit their GST number (if registered) in the application form portal. Successful applicants will be required to provide proof of their bank account details with their first invoice. Any of the following bank account evidence will be accepted by Manatū Taonga:

1. A pre-printed deposit slip which includes the full bank account number (bank, branch, account number and suffix) and the account holder’s name.
2. A bank statement which includes the full bank account number (bank, branch, account number and suffix) and the account holder’s name.
3. A letter from the bank which includes the full bank account number (bank, branch, account number and suffix) and the account holder’s name. This must be signed and stamped by the bank.
4. An internet printout which includes the full bank account number (bank, branch, account number and suffix) and the account holder’s name and the web address along the top or bottom of the page. This does not need to be signed and stamped by the bank unless all of the above is not provided on the printout.
5. ATM printout must show the bank logo and the full bank account number (bank, branch, account number and suffix) and the account holder’s full name.
6. Hand-written bank account evidence as long as it includes the full bank account number (bank, branch, account number and suffix) and the account holder’s name. This must be signed and stamped by the bank.

The payment schedule for the 2023 funding stream includes:

Manahau funds ($5,000)	100% of funding on signing contract
Mārama funds ($20,000)	60% of funding on signing contract 30% of funding on midpoint deliverable 10% of funding on receipt of close out report
Mātau funds ($100,000)	20% of funding on signing contract 20% of funding on milestone deliverable 1 50% of funding on milestone deliverable 2 10% of funding on receipt of close out report

General terms and conditions / Privacy statement

This privacy statement tells users of the Manatū Taonga online application portal, supplied by Tahua Solutions Limited at www.matarikifunding.maori.nz (Portal), how we use the personal information that we collect. We will only use or disclose personal information collected through the Portal for the purposes of administering the Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund and any grants made under it.

What information will be collected and how it will be used

Personal information

Personal information is collected in the Portal when you:

• register and create an account.
• apply for funding.
• login or communicate with Manatū Taonga about a funding opportunity or application, and
• submit report(s) against your funding agreement.

We collect personal information for the purposes of the grant funding process, to:

• communicate with you.
• assess applications, eg information relating to the proposal and professional experience. This may be captured in a completed uploaded budget template, uploaded documents in support of the application or in individual fields within the Portal.
• evaluate performance and impact of funded applications or proposal, eg information collected during the delivery of the funded project such as an individual’s role in the outputs of the research, and
• promote broad, fair or equitable representation in the events where events are a feature of your application.

We require information that is necessary to evaluate your application. Failure to provide complete information for evaluators and decision-makers to make an informed decision might mean that your application cannot be assessed.

Statistical Information

In addition, we may collect some diversity information, such as gender, age, ethnicity and geographical location as part of the application process.

This information may be collected for use in aggregated statistical or research works to identify trends and gaps in regional or national capability, activity, or expertise. This ensures government services are continually enhanced over time. This information may or may not be mandatory, subject to the relevant funds' eligibility criteria. Where mandatory, failure to provide this information may mean that an application cannot be assessed in full. Where this information is not mandatory during the application process, it will hold no bearing on your application. In either case, information will be anonymised prior to use in statistical or research reporting.

How the information will be stored

Personal information will be stored in the Portal and may also be disclosed to a third party contracted to deliver or provide administration services or for related events or contestable funds management on a confidential basis and in accordance with that third party’s privacy policy. If information is to be disclosed to a third party, Manatū Taonga will anonymise the personal information where possible.

Who can see your personal information?

• Authorised staff, or agents, of Manatū Taonga, who are responsible for administrating the Portal and managing the grant and funding agreement process, will have access to view applicants’ personal information for the purpose of administration.
• Registered users or staff in an applicant(s) organisation will be able to access information you submit using your account. The access to information provided as part of the application process may be restricted, depending on who requests the information.
• Information shared via the Portal as part of the application process and in response to requests for further information or other application-related enquiries, may be made available to authorised Manatū Taonga personnel involved in and for the purpose of management, monitoring, reporting and evaluation activities.
• Personal information in the application form will be used to assess eligibility and capability of the relevant applicant including key people cited in the application and will be shared with contracted evaluation panel and decision makers, who will be subject to confidentiality obligations.
• Personal information that is professional by nature such as name, affiliation, role in proposal and outputs of the proposal or project may be publicly available through the Manatū Taonga website as part of a broader list of recipients to funding rounds, however exceptions can be discussed, and
• We will not share personal private information collected in the Portal unless it is necessary for the purposes outlined in this statement or otherwise permitted by law. We might be required to disclose information under the Official Information Act 1982 or to a Parliamentary Select Committee or Parliament in response to a Parliamentary Question.

How long we will keep the information

We will keep your personal information for lawful business purposes, such as processing the applications made by your organisation or completing analysis.

If your information relates to successful applications, your information will be retained by Manatū Taonga for 10 years and securely transferred to Archives New Zealand as required by the Public Records Act 2005.

If your information relates to an unsuccessful application, your information will be retained by Manatū Taonga for 5 years and securely destroyed under the Public Records Act 2005.

How you can access your personal information

You have the right to:

• find out from us whether we hold personal information about you.
• access that information, and
• request corrections to that information, if applicable.

In accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, we reserve the right to refuse your request if we have a good reason. In the event we refuse your request, you are entitled to request a statement to explain why. The Act also requires Manatū Taonga to keep a record of the requested correction alongside the information.

If you wish to check personal information held about you, contact the Investment and Outcomes Team at [email protected] or write to:

Attention: Matariki Funding Team
Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Level 1 (Reception)
Old Public Trust Building
131 Lambton Quay
Wellington 6011

For more information on the privacy laws in New Zealand and contact details for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, please visit the Privacy Commissioner's website.

Use of cookies in the Portal

Cookies are small text files that are placed in your browser by the websites you visit. They are widely used to help users navigate websites efficiently, to perform certain functions on the sites, and/or to provide site owners with information about how their sites are used.

We use cookies in the Portal as part of security for login and authentication purposes to secure user sessions eg, if you are a logged in user, to allow you to remain logged in whilst you complete certain tasks. If the use of these cookies is blocked or disabled by the user/web browser, the use of the Portal maybe revoked by Tahua Solutions Limited or Manatū Taonga for security reasons.

Web analytics cookies

Web analytics are used across Manatū Taonga websites. We use tracking cookies with the Google Analytics web analytics tool to analyse non-identifiable web traffic data to improve our services. This data is aggregated and cannot personally identify you. Our web analytics will also respect any “do not track” setting that you might have set on your browser.

Google Analytics or other “tracking cookies” are not used by the Portal.

To disable all cookies

Most web browsers will allow you to set some control over cookies in your browser settings. This includes deleting them from your browser or disabling them altogether.
If you do choose to set your browser to disable all cookies, this may affect your ability to use features on our site and the Portal.

(Privacy Statement version 2.0 dated 11 April 2023)

Declaration

Applicants will be asked to confirm the following:

The details that have been given in all sections of this funding proposal are true and correct to the best of our knowledge. We have the authority to commit our organisation to this funding proposal and we understand and will meet the requirements of the funding programme and guidelines. We agree to provide updated information if the information in this funding proposal changes whilst Manatū Taonga is considering our proposal.

In signing this form, and if this funding proposal is successful, we agree to provide Manatū Taonga with a revised budget of actual expenditure and commentary to explain key differences between the original budget and actual.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for funding from more than one funding stream?

Yes. If you are making more than one application, then each application needs to be for a different kaupapa.

What is mātauranga Matariki?

For Matariki funding, mātauranga Matariki includes traditional practices, teachings, ceremonies, and belief systems about te Kāhui o Matariki (and including other tribal variations).

Why can only Māori apply?

We ask for applications from Māori to keep the mātauranga authentic and Māori leading kaupapa about Matariki.

Applicants still need to be a legal entity (see above for what constitutes a legal entity under Matariki Ahunga Nui) and have the capacity to deliver within the timeframes.

Why does mātauranga Matariki have to feature in applications?

The establishment of the Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund is to enable the celebration and regeneration of mātauranga - te Kāhui o Matariki.

Can we apply if our region celebrates other stars in the Matariki cluster?

Yes. The fund supports mātauranga about te Kāhui o Matariki – the Matariki cluster of whetū (stars). We encourage regional variations, for example celebrations of the rising of Puanga.

Is there a date on which we must deliver our kaupapa?

For the purpose of this fund, kaupapa or initiatives are being supported to be delivered between 14 June 2023 to 14 August 2023.

Application Checklist

The following identifies all necessary components of the applications for all streams.

• Online form (through application portal) that asks for:
  • Registration:outlining details of the organisation and appropriate contacts.
  • Kaupapa details: summarising the components of the kaupapa.
  • Mātauranga Matariki: describing the teachings and or practices the kaupapa will engage.
  • Budget: highlighting the proposed associated costs.
  • Declarations: seeking your approval of general terms and conditions.

• Uploading evidence
  • Proof of entity status (see above)