New fund for development partnerships

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced the establishment of a new contestable partnerships fund for New Zealand organisations carrying out development work off-shore.

“The government is looking to fund projects that will make the biggest difference to the lives of people in developing countries, particularly in the Pacific,” Mr McCully says.

“The New Zealand Partnerships for International Development Fund will make up to $32 million per year available for New Zealand agencies across all sectors - NGO, state and private.

“The fund draws on the policy settings and parameters of the previous Sustainable Development Fund (SDF), but it is broader and more flexible, giving a variety of organisations access to aid programme funding in a new way.

“It will also open up opportunities to engage the diverse expertise and skills of the private sector, particularly in achieving economic development outcomes,” Mr McCully says.

The fund includes a ‘matched funding’ model where applicants are required to co-invest in the activity, promoting joint ownership and partnership.

Funding recommendations will be made by the International Development Advisory and Selection Panel, an independent group that provides advice on the New Zealand Aid Programme’s direction, priorities, and approaches to development.

Information on the New Zealand Partnerships for International Development Fund is available at www.aid.govt.nz

Applications close 16 November 2012.