Use our Helping Hands Grant to get materials, services, and information for your museum or gallery – as a whole, or to support specific projects.

Maximum funding request: $2,000 including GST

July 2020: Please note as part of our response to COVID-19 National Services Te Paerangi has increased the maximum funding for the Helping Hands Grant to $2,000 including GST until 30th April 2023. In addition NSTP has also relaxed the criteria for the Helping Hands Grant to include operational or ongoing costs. This will mean you can apply to cover a bill payment, rent, or leases. Both changes will be in place until 30 April 2023. 

Eligibility

Your organisation is eligible if it:

• is a museum, gallery, or iwi group
• relies solely, or in part, on volunteers to operate
• does not receive substantial operational funding from local government.

Your organisation can make one application per financial year (1 July – 30 June).

The grant can fund:

• conservation materials (e.g. gloves, acid-free boxes)
• equipment or capital items (dehumidifiers, photocopiers, computers, etc.) 
• professional advice on a range of museum matters (e.g. exhibition design, interpretation, conservation advice), but cannot be used to pay salaries
• solutions to address issues raised when undertaking the New Zealand Museums Standards Scheme (e.g. collection care improvements)
• the services of tradespeople (e.g. lighting experts, plumbers, builders)
• rental agreements (e.g. for dehumidifiers, monitors)
• the development of marketing materials (e.g. for brochures)
• pest extermination or fumigation
• construction materials (e.g. paint, wood, tools)
• office equipment repairs

The grant cannot fund:

• national and international travel for professional development (see our Travel Subsidy Grant and Professional Development Grant instead)
• salaried staff
• items that have already been purchased
• items for projects that have already been completed
• items for projects that do not adhere to current museum best practice. 
• ongoing operational costs (wages, rent, bills, etc).

How to apply

Apply by 30 April if you wish to receive a grant in the same financial year (1 July – 30 June).

Download and complete the application form below, then send it with your supporting documentation by email to: NSTPGrants@tepapa.govt.nz

We will contact you with the outcome of your application within 15 working days of receipt. All decisions made by our assessment panel are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Contact us

Phone: 0508 678 743
Email: NSTPGrants@tepapa.govt.nz

Payment of an approved grant

If your grant is approved you will be sent invoicing instructions, including a purchase order number, to enable your organisation to uplift the funds. The invoice must be from your organisation as we are unable to pay suppliers directly.

Once you have purchase the items it is important that you send us copies of the relevant receipts or invoices for us to keep on file.

Standard Te Papa terms are payment 20th of the month following the invoice date.

Required acknowledgement

As a grant recipient, you are required to acknowledge the support received from National Services Te Paerangi, for example, in your organisation’s newsletter or website. We can provide a logo and usage guidelines.

Any publicity materials directly funded by a Helping Hands Grant must acknowledge National Services Te Paerangi. The acknowledgement must be viewed and approved by us before the materials are made public.