Community Partnership Fund
The government is providing $20.7 million seed funding over four years to partly fund initiatives by partnerships that will improve people’s capability and skills to use ICT and develop digital content.
This information from the Digital Strategy website may change. Please check there for the latest information.
The Concept
The government is providing $20.7 million seed funding over four years to partly fund initiatives by partnerships that will improve people’s capability and skills to use ICT and develop digital content. Applicants for the Community Partnership Fund will contribute their own resources in addition to the funding to make their initiative happen.
Unlocking the Potential of Communities
ICT can be used to bring communities closer together, to build the capacity of individuals and groups, extend existing services to isolated communities or to those excluded from participating fully, and increase participation in the democratic process. We recognise we need a concerted approach to harness those skills, to map and build on the assets already within communities.
We also recognise this is not possible without content that is high quality and meaningful for New Zealand users, as outlined in the Content section of the Digital Strategy. The government is also providing funding to allow New Zealand to create and digitise distinctive and valuable New Zealand content and harness innovation in design and content.
The Community Partnership Fund will support grassroots ICT-related initiatives. The Community Partnership Fund is about innovation - we want to see your ideas for:
- building ICT skills and capability in regions and communities;
- mapping communities’ ICT assets and identifying priority gaps;
- strengthening community projects through the use of ICT;
- addressing issues of confidence, such as safety and security, in using ICT;
- Smart ways to digitise and link content and use technology applications across your community and New Zealand.
The Community Partnership Fund makes up one part of the Digital Strategy and focuses on improving "confidence" and enhancing access to and the creation of "content". The fund is complementary to The Broadband Challenge which will facilitate greater "connection" for New Zealanders.
Case Stories
This collection of case stories profiles five of the Community Partnership Fund initiatives.
Each story features background information on the Community Partnership Fund and the Digital Strategy, and also provides an overview of the project, its goals and partnerships.
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* These documents are in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. You need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can download a free version from the Adobe website.
The Process
There is scope for small-scale community initiatives, as well as for a limited number of more significant collaborations of national importance. The government is providing seed funding for the development of grassroots ICT-related initiatives that address needs identified at the local level.
Applications for the Community Partnership Fund will follow a two stage process.
- Expressions of interest stage: Applicants seeking funding must submit a preliminary application and outline supporting documents, to be received by 12th December 2005. The purpose of this stage is to determine which Applicants will be invited to submit a full application.
- Full application stage: In February, selected applicants will be invited to submit in April a full application and detailed supporting documents. The full applications will be assessed against the criteria and the level of funding (if any) will be determined at this stage.
The requirements for level and type of information required are detailed for the first stage, and outlined for the second, in the Application Pack for Expressions of Interest (see below for link).
Expressions of interest for the 2005/2006 Funding Round were called for in October 2005, and the fund officially launched on 1st November.
Further Information (on
www.digitalstrategy.govt.nz)
All figures quoted include GST.
This information was current on 3/11/2005. Please visit http://www.digitalstrategy.govt.nz/cpf for the latest information.