The Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund supported 99 events in 2024 and 2025, boosting accessible, vibrant experiences for locals.

The 2024 and 2025 funding year for the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund (TWBCEF) brought almost 100 events to the region. Organisers received a combined total of $966,461, with individual grants ranging between $1600 and $35,000.

The Western Bay hosted 31 events while Tauranga held 68, reflecting the fund’s wide regional reach. The average grant awarded was $9762, with strong volunteer support keeping costs low and access high.

TECT community impact manager Paula Hudson said the fund had enabled a diverse array of events to flourish during the year.

“We are proud to have supported close to 100 events. Seeing communities turn up and enjoy them shows the real value of this funding,” Hudson said.

Created in 2022, the TWBCEF offers a simplified application process by allowing event organisers to apply to one fund rather than multiple. The fund is a joint initiative between Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, Tauranga City Council, TECT and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

Arts and Culture Programme lead Rebecca Chambers of the Western Bay of Plenty District Council said more than half of the previous year’s applicants were new.

“We are thrilled to see more first-time applicants. In the Western Bay alone, we saw a 72% increase in events funded,” Chambers said.

In the fifth and final funding round for the year, the panel supported 11 events. These included the Te Puke A&P Lifestyle Show, Tauranga Musica’s Trio Madeleine, and Matariki ki Katikati.

The fund prioritises free or low-cost events with cultural and historical significance. All decisions are made by a panel made up of representatives from the partnering organisations.

Applications for round two of the 2025/26 funding year opened on April 16 and will close on July 15. Organisers will receive decisions by August 20.

Event organisers can find more information and apply through the official website: www.communityeventfund.nz.

The fund encourages early applications, ideally at least four months before the planned event date.