National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund

Before you apply

The eligibility rule is the opposite of what people expect and it decides everything. If your entity can apply to the Lottery Grants Board, you cannot apply here. That makes this the fund for whānau, individuals and non-charitable owners rather than for a trust — and the trust goes to the Lottery Fund instead.

Conservation and preservation of sites of significance to Māori has been a stated funding priority. It also covers professional services — research, condition reports, conservation plans, engineer reports, work specifications, management plans and supervision of work — which is often the cost that stops a project before it starts.

Not funded: new buildings or structures that do not preserve heritage values, additions and extensions, reconstructions or replicas of missing structures, removal or relocation or demolition, and any work that has already received Crown funding.

Heritage New Zealand also offer advice and endorsements for lottery heritage applications, which is free help worth taking. They list other heritage funders too — Kānoa for regional economic development including Māori economic development, Foundation North for Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau, several Perpetual Guardian trusts including the Stout Trust, and Four Regions Trust for Rangitīkei, Ruapehu, South Taranaki and Whanganui.