Powerco Community Fund
Round 2 is opening soon! Check back on Friday 31 July
Helping communities bring local ideas to life is at the heart of the Powerco Community Fund. We’re committed to supporting projects that are meaningful to our customers and make a positive difference in their lives.
Through our Powerco Community Fund, we provide support of up to $5000 for one-off projects that help connect and strengthen the communities within our electricity network footprint.
Please read the guidelines carefully to see if your project fits within one or more of our focus areas.
Important information for the 2026 Powerco Community Fund round 2
- Applications close Monday 31 August 2026
- We will be in touch with successful applicants before the end of September
- Payments for funding will be made 20 October 2026, provided all paperwork is completed within the timeframe outlined
- Projects need to take place between October 2026 and May 2027
- Projects need to take place on our electricity network footprint
- Have a project that takes place after May 2027? We will have another round of Community Funding opening up early next year
As part of this fund, we do not fund:
- Individuals or sports teams
- Religious, political or divisive organisations
- Events or costs outside of our electricity network area
- Completed or late projects
- Repeat recipients (must be at least two years since you last received funding)
- Operational costs eg wages or rent
- Schools, playcentres
- Events or projects happening outside of the delivery period outlined above.
If you have any questions, please email community@powerco.co.nz.
Community Fund recipients
Here are a few stories from some of the very worthy recipients of the Powerco Community Fund in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.Good Neighbours
Good Neighbours used the Powerco Community Funding in 2024 to supply firewood to 22 households in the Western Bay of Plenty. Find out more about how they used their funding to make a real difference in the community.
The Socialink Volunteer Hop
The Socialink Volunteer Hop, held in Te Puke and Katikati in February 2026, brought local volunteer organisations together to showcase the incredible work they do and inspire more people to get involved. Through a fun and interactive community event, participants had the opportunity to meet local groups, learn about a wide range of volunteering opportunities, and discover how they could make a difference. The event also strengthened connections between volunteer organisations, fostering collaboration while raising awareness of the vital role volunteers play in creating strong, connected communities.
Whiritoa Lifeguard Service – Team UP team build day
Whirtoa is a small beach town in the Coromandel with 200 permanent residents and predominantly holiday homes. The surf clubs mission is to provide a safe, fun and adventurous environment where their members, families and friends can participate in all areas of club activities. They used funding to help run an event aimed at furthering the bonds between their lifeguard team, and to encourage more family members to consider lifeguarding as a worthy volunteer role.
Kura Kai Christmas drive
Kura Kai core mission is to donate freezers and cooked meals to partnered secondary schools, providing essential relief in times of need and engaging students through their Kua Kai Rangatahi initiative. Powerco Community Fund allowed to purchase grocery vouchers to support 7 schools in Tauranga, South Waikato, Wairarapa and Taranaki.
Youth Voices Action
YVA is dedicated to empowering young people and creating innovative youth development. Their mission is to deliver youth-centred opportunities that transform communities by placing young voices at the heart of decision making. They used their funding to help create a community clean-up event to engage the Tauranga community and preserve the environment.
Tu Mai Digital
Tu Mai Digital aim to provide equitable access to digital inclusion to communities across the Bay of Plenty. The Powerco Community Fund allowed them to deliver multiple workshops across the region to various community groups to help increase digital literacy.
Tangata Marae - skills sharing workshops
“The funding had a positive impact on our whānau, hapū and iwi by contributing to our wānanga. The wānanga allowed for sharing of skills, such as karanga and whaikorero, and transmission of cultural knowledge and tikanga while bringing our community together, fostering a sense of belonging and unity.”Manchester House Social Services
“I have been regularly attending the low impact classes at the Feilding Senior Hub for many years now. I absolutely love the camaraderie and being a part of something. The new bikes are far better on my knees and hips and I am finding the strength in my lower legs is finally increasing. The circulation boosters are also fantastic to keep the blood flow in my legs and I have gained feeling back in my feet.”Te Aroha – Day at the Domain
A Day at the Domain is a fun and affordable family day out in the beautiful Te Aroha Hot Springs Domain. With free entry and entertainment throughout the day, local crafters and artisans, coffee, food trucks, there is something to delight the young and old and everyone in between.Sustainable Backyards events – Western Bay of Plenty
Sustainable Backyards is a series of events that were delivered during the month of March across the Bay of Plenty, with events ranging from beach clean-ups, movie nights and workshops.
Digital seniors
Digital Seniors, who provide free technical support to upskill and empower seniors, have used the Powerco Community Fund to help establish rural hubs in Wairarapa, expanding their reach to isolated seniors who currently lack access to their services. As the world increasingly becomes more digitised, improved digital capability can lead to greater independence and improved access to services and social activity.
Booktown
From speakers to performers and workshops to book signings, the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival has something for everyone. Bringing people together over a shared love of books and stories, the festival connects readers to authors and storywriters to storytellers. More than a series of literary events, festival organisers hope to get more people reading, writing and telling their stories to build community and connection, which is a sentiment we can really get behind.
Colville Public Hall revitalisation project
Colville Public Hall used their funding to help improve the accessibility and aesthetics of the hall’s outdoor space, making it safer and more welcoming for all. The hall was first established in 1931, and remains a vital rural community facility, hosting various local events, meetings, gathering and activities for the entire community.
Hauraki reuse centre
The Hauraki reuse centre mission is to enable and encourage people to reuse and repurpose e-waste rather than sending it to landfill. They used their funding to save e-waste from going to the landfill by recycling and repairing items in their workshop. All products are tested and tagged to ensure they are safe and sold for affordable prices to provide low cost access to household goods.
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