Youth Empowerment Fund 2025/2026

The purpose of the Youth Empowerment Fund is to empower young people to enact positive change within their local youth communities, wider Horowhenua Community, New Zealand or even on a global scale by assisting them in bringing their ambitious ideas to fruition.  Additionally, there are also grants to support young individuals in pursuing personal development opportunities and goals.

The Youth Empowerment Fund will make available an amount of $17,000 in the 2024-2025 financial year as follows: 

1. Round opens 1 February 2025 and closes 31 October 2025

Note the extended period the fund is open is to allow for continuous applications throughout the year in an effort to increase accessibility of the fund to young people. 

Grants of up to $2,000 are available for: 

• Projects intended to benefit the community. 

• Group applications for development opportunities. 

Grants of up to $500 are available for: 

• Individuals seeking funding for their own personal development opportunity or goal. 

Established in 2024, the fund grants up to $2,000 to young people aged between 13 and 24 who are leading or facilitating a youth-led community project; or group applications for development opportunities (a climate action group wanting to promote their activities & events etc). Individuals seeking funding for their own personal development goals can receive up to $500. Successful projects may be partnered with Horowhenua District Council staff, who will act as mentors in specialist areas. 

Applications will be assessed by the Horowhenua Community Funding and Recognition Committee, with 2-3 youth advisers appointed to assist the Committee. 

1. Applications must be submitted through SmartyGrants. 

1. Complete Your Application: Make sure you answer all the questions, upload your video and include copies of any necessary documents.  If something’s missing, explain why. If your application isn't complete, it might get rejected. Remember you can save the form and submit it later when you have all the information. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out by contacting us at community@horowhenua.govt.nz.  

1. After You Get the Grant: 

• You need to finish your project and fill out a report within 9 months. We can help you with this if you need it. 

• Keep your receipts for anything costing $250 or more and attach them to your report. 

• Reporting is important cause it’s part of the trust required when we grant people money. As this is money paid by the Community in the form of rates, we need to be able to tell them what we have spent it on. 

1. Project Changes: If you need to make big changes to your project, tell us right away. Due to budget, we might offer you less money than you asked for. You should tell us if it’s no longer possible to deliver the project.  

1. Shout outs: If you get the grant, mention that Horowhenua District Council helped, in any promotion of your project. That helps inform the Community of the work we support. 

1. What you need to include in your application: 

• A short video 

• A recent bank document showing your account (could be your school bank account) 

For more information or to talk to someone about your idea or project, email community@horowhenua.govt.nz