Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa (Tū Manawa) is an activation fund that supports tamariki (5-11yrs) and rangatahi (12-18yrs), particularly those that are less active, to access quality play, active recreation, or sport opportunities of their choice in their community or school and kura.
The meaning behind Tū Manawa means:
Tū - ‘to stand’ and
Manawa – ‘breath’.
In the context of play, active recreation and sport the name calls to all New Zealanders to live Sport NZ’s vision - 'Every Body Active'.
The fund is managed, on Sport NZ’s behalf, by Regional Sports Trusts (RSTs) and is designed to ensure it reaches the communities that need it most.
A wide range of organisations that provide physical activity opportunities for tamariki and rangatahi are encouraged to apply, particularly those supporting the following target groups that are known to be less active:
Young women and girls (5-18yrs)
Disabled tamariki and rangatahi (5-18yrs and including those in schools up to the age of 21)
We also welcome applications supporting less active participants outside of these target groups.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Tū Manawa Funding in 2025/26
At this stage, while we are reviewing the Tū Manawa funding processes, there is currently no funding rounds available. However, we encourage you to begin preparing your project to ensure it aligns with the fund’s priorities and is ready when funding becomes available.
Please consider the following steps:
We welcome applications from the following organisation types (please note, funded entities must have legal status):
Hapū, iwi, marae, Māori organisations
Incorporated clubs or societies
Charitable Trusts
Regional or local councils
For-profit businesses/commercial organisations and social enterprises
Education settings:
- Primary/Intermediate schools/Kura
- Secondary schools/Wharekura
Where an organisation or group wishes to apply but has no legal status, we recommend you consider partnering with a qualifying (legal) entity.
Where a project or programme is to be delivered in a school/kura setting during class time and involving external provision the application needs to show evidence that the school or kura has been involved in the design of the project/programme, that it is based on participant wants and needs, and that it addresses the barriers to access for the students within that school or kura.
In this case the Implementation in a school/kura settings template must be attached to your application – this should be read in conjunction with the Working Together for Tamariki support document on the Sport NZ website.
The following are not eligible to apply:
This is an activation fund that is intended to address barriers that tamariki and rangatahi face in accessing quality physical activity opportunities. A clear idea of what those barriers are, along with evidence that you have ensured your initiative is wanted and needed by participants, must be included in your application.
This includes costs of (among others):
Project or programme delivery (for example, venue or equipment hire, transport to event),
Equipment (only when it is needed as part of a project, activation, or programme),
Officials and coaches, where these are required for delivery of the programme,
Staff that will deliver the programme, where they are not already funded from other sources.
The fund does not cover:
Costs of retrospective programmes or events (those that have already been completed or held)
Costs associated with representative teams (including uniforms, travel, accommodation etc), academies, professional athletes, or professional sports teams,
Capital infrastructure (for example, facility development, or playgrounds)
Administration and on-going costs (for example, rent, internet, or power)
Wages or annual salaries of existing funded staff or staff who are not involved in the delivery of the project or programme.
Medals, prizes, giveaways, and spot prizes
Food
Sports Uniforms
Storage for activity equipment
Tū Manawa is unable to meet all the demand so has a specific focus on the costs of delivering an activity opportunity. Your Regional Sport Trust may be able to help identify funding avenues for other areas, or you could check Sport NZ's searchable funding opportunities here:
Sports Grants NZ | Funding | Sport New Zealand - Ihi Aotearoa (sportnz.org.nz)
Looking Ahead: Changes to the application process for 2025/26 applications.
We are working on upcoming changes to the application process and available funding—designed to better reflect and support the evolving needs of our communities.
We will share more details as soon as they’re available, including key dates, updated criteria, and guidance to help you prepare a strong application.
Please review the Community Guidelines for a Tū Manawa project before applying.
Tū Manawa Community Guidelines 2024-2028
Tū Manawa Community Guidelines 2024-2028 (Te Reo)