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Lottery Community Facilities provides grants:

  • to improve or build new community facilities, or
  • for feasibility studies to work out if plans to improve or build community facilities can be achieved and will benefit the community.

The aim is to get more people involved in community and social activities, and to strengthen communities and bring people together by helping to develop their community facilities.

Lottery Community Facilities is for projects where the total project cost is over $50,000.

Requests for funding of projects where the total cost is $50,000 or less should be made to Lottery Community.


Ngā kaupapa ka tautokona ā-pūtea / What we fund

The following may be funded:

  • projects to build new community buildings or facilities
  • projects to improve or enlarge existing community facilities
  • feasibility studies to work out if planned projects are needed, can be achieved and fit the long-term vision for the community
  • Seismic assessments.
  • building purchases (but only if this is a better and less costly option than building a new facility).

Building or renovation project costs may include:

  • earthquake strengthening or building extensions and new construction projects
  • lighting and fixed sport or recreational assets such as artificial multi-sport turf, goal posts, net fixtures
  • improving or adding kitchens and/or bathrooms, including ovens, fridges and dishwashers
  • professional fees for architecture, quantity surveying and/or for managing the project
  • professional fees for a suitably qualified project manager, who is not part of the decision-making group for the project.

Requests must show robust project planning has been done for the type of facility planned and its multi-purpose uses.

The Committee is more likely to fund requests that show the project:

  • has strong governance and financial management
  • involves tradespeople who are qualified or experienced to do the work
  • meets all of the regulations and requirements for building, health and safety
  • provides access for disabled people
  • provides essential services, such as plumbing, waste water and sewerage systems, and electricity and fire protection
  • has support from your community, such as people ready to work as volunteers.

The Committee will want to know that the person in charge of your project has the right qualifications and experience for the type of project you are planning. This may be a volunteer or a paid professional project manager who will regularly report to the project’s decision-making group. They must not be a member of the project’s decision-making group.

You also need to show how your project will meet the correct standards for building or renovating community facilities to make them fully functional, safe and meet any requirements.

Ngā Hua / Outcomes

Organisations receiving grants are expected to show how their community facility will help the community and:

  • increase the community’s strength and its ability to look after its own needs and achieve more
  • provide opportunities for people to join in social, recreational, civil or cultural activities
  • reduce or overcome barriers that prevent people taking part in those activities.

New or improved community facilities should help communities to achieve their outcomes, including:

  • providing more or better access to existing community services
  • creating more services, or making a bigger range of services available
  • improving the ability to respond to community needs
  • improving community links and networks.

Ngā kaupapa matua / Priorities

Grant decisions are made by the Lottery Community Facilities Committee. Grant requests should show how your project:

  • is community-led and well supported by your community
  • will meet a community need
  • is the right size for your community
  • will provide new opportunities for people to be involved with and connected with the community, especially:
    • rural and isolated communities
    • disadvantaged groups
    • people who can’t easily access similar or suitable community facilities.

Project feasibility studies

Funding requests for projects with a total cost of $250,000 or more must generally provide a study showing whether the project is feasible or not. 

A feasibility study may not be required if the project does not require any consents, permits, or is straightforward or the project has progressed to a point where a feasibility study would not add any value.

Please contact a Lottery Community Facilities Advisor to discuss whether or not your project requires a feasibility study.

A Lottery Community Facilities Fund Advisor can be contacted at: Lottery Community Facilities Fund email

Important dates for the Lottery Community Facilities Fund

The next important dates for the Lottery Community Facilities fund are linked below:

The Committee prefers requests for community facilities that will be used for more than one purpose and/or shared. It will want to know how easily people and other community groups will be able to access and use your facility.

The Committee also prefers requests that show the community is able to develop, run and look after the facility in the future, without needing more lottery grants.

Note that the Committee may consider funding a community facility for just one purpose, but only when the community considers this facility to be their biggest priority. The planned facility would need to greatly improve opportunities for people to participate in community activities, and must show wide community support.

Ngā kaupapa kāore e tautokona ā-pūtea / What we don't fund

Lottery grants may not be used for any of the following:

  • repaying or servicing debt
  • refinancing loans, deposits or underwriting projects
  • commercial, political and/or religious objectives, including employment and/or business initiatives, commercial enterprises, political advocacy or projects which seek to change legislation
  • fundraisers and projects which seek to raise funds in or for a specific sector, or are involved with the training or employment of fundraisers
  • projects which seek to redistribute funding to others
  • overseas aid or disaster relief
  • alcohol and drug treatment, education and support services
  • medical expenses, operations, treatments or the purchase of major items of health equipment
  • capital investment or trust funds
  • projects or activities completed (retrospective funding) or items bought before the request.

In addition to what may not be funded by any Lottery Committee, Lottery Community Facilities also does not fund:

  • building projects or equipment purchases where the total project cost is $50,000 or less (requests for minor capital works like these should be made to Lottery Community)
  • individual people
  • activities not directly related to building or improving a community facility, such as:
    • corporate boxes and hospitality suites
    • roading and car parks that are not on the community facility’s land
    • housing projects for individuals, including resthome projects
    • landscaping
    • routine maintenance and operating expenses, such as administration or staffing
    • equipment purchases that are not part of a larger capital works project, are not needed to make a facility functional, or do not contribute to finishing a capital works project (such as sports, computer or art equipment, or musical instruments)
  • purchases of bare land.

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