Deadline: 30-Jun-23
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is inviting applications to support construction projects at public performing arts venues, galleries, museums, whare taonga, and heritage properties housing important collections.
Purpose of the RCHF
- While open to applicants from throughout New Zealand, the RCHF’s primary focus is to support capital projects outside the main centres (Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch).
- The RCHF enables central government to make strategic one-off grants to assist the completion of major regional arts, culture and heritage capital projects.
- Grants will be for the purpose of renovating, restoring, adding to, and constructing buildings in which cultural and/or heritage activities take place through grants for infrastructural work and permanent fittings.
- The focus of the RCHF is on improving existing building stock and adding new buildings to their nation’s network of arts, cultural and heritage facilities.
Funding Information
- Subject to the calibre of applications, up to $13 million is available.
What types of capital work qualify within the scope of the RCHF?
- Grants will be for the construction of new buildings and basic infrastructural redevelopment work to existing buildings which may include permanent/long-lived specialist fittings such as computerised plant and fixed audio-visual equipment to operate lighting and sound shows, energy-saving measures, security alarms, fire suppression, and environmental controls.
- Museums, Galleries and Theatres are places were crowds gather and things of value are housed.
- Seismic strengthening proposals to achieve higher than minimum standards will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Note the recommendations in the New Building Standards for public buildings assigned Importance Level 3 to such structures.
What is out-of-scope for RCHF funding?
- Other educational facilities located in schools and universities; libraries, archives, and science centres (which are not intrinsically embedded parts of the facilities for which this fund was created); churches, where the primary purpose is religious, but cultural activities are also hosted; and community centres.
- The focus of this new fund is on improving existing building stock and adding new buildings to their nation’s network of arts, cultural and heritage facilities. General deferred maintenance costs will normally be considered the responsibility of the building owner.
- Operational costs and activities such as performances and exhibitions will not be funded.
Eligibility Criteria
- While open to applicants from throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, the RCHF’s primary focus is to support capital projects outside the main centres of Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. Projects in those major centres will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Some entities and activities are excluded under this Fund’s criteria. They recommend all intending applicants discuss their eligibility first before committing to the expense of preparing an application.
Which institutions can apply?
- Grants can only be made to legal entities (e.g. incorporated societies, charitable trusts and companies with charitable status). If the organisation making the application is not the land/or building owner, they must provide a letter from the legal owner(s) stating that they support the project and that the general public will have ongoing access to the building as described in the building application.
- The intended use of the building and the associated cultural outcomes will be the key determining factors as to whether an application is eligible to be considered.
- To be eligible for consideration the primary function of a building will be to:
- provide a performing arts venue for high quality and/or professional performing arts; and/or
- provide an arts, culture and heritage exhibition venue (e.g. art galleries, museums, whare taonga); and/or
- house collections of demonstrated importance to the region (e.g. art galleries, museums, whare taonga, heritage buildings or buildings at heritage sites where collections will be housed and exhibited).
- This fund is not intended for institutions established by a government department.
For more information, visit Regional Culture and Heritage Fund.