Grants & Funding

Community Waste Minimisation Fund

Applications are closed

This fund is administered by WasteNet on behalf of Gore District Council, Invercargill City Council & Southland District Council and aims to support those in Southland who are helping our region move towards zero waste.

For questions or more information please email WasteNet [email protected]

Guidelines & Criteria

Application Form

Creative Communities Scheme

Applications are open for projects taking place between August and January next year.

In partnership with Creative New Zealand, we aim to promote, support and increase participation in community arts and cultural activities within the Gore District.

Any group, organisation or individual that meets the grant criteria can apply. For example, performances by community choirs, hip-hop groups, theatre companies, or art projects that bring together groups from a range of different communities and enables young people (under 18 years) to engage with and participate in the arts.

Applications close on Friday 25 September.

Application Form

Pioneer Women's Memorial Trust Scholarships

We look after these scholarships for the Trust. Each year the Trust offers three educational bursaries, valued at $1000 each, to students who are contemplating tertiary education or a trade apprenticeship.

They are available to pupils who live in the catchment area and are attending the schools listed below:

• Māruawai College,
• St Peter's College,
• Blue Mountain College, and
• Menzies College.

To learn more about the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Trust and its origins, please see the history and story outlined in the Restroom Saga.

Restroom Saga

Apply here

Applications are close 27 October 2026.

Coster Fund

This fund was created from a bequest by a Mataura resident Claude Coster. Under the funding guidelines the money has to be spent in Mataura on projects that will benefit its people. Only not-for-profit organisations can apply and the maximum grant available is for 50 per cent of a project's total cost.

Applications can be submitted at any time. If you have a project in mind that is seeking funding, complete the application form and submit to: [email protected]

Application Form

Rural Special Fund

This fund was established from money paid to the Council by the Southland County Council as a result of local government amalgamation in 1989. It was used for grants and loans, as well as subsidising rural rates, for a number of years before being set aside to rebuild. There are no plans in the foreseeable future to resume dispensing money from this fund.

Gore Health Scholarship 2026

Investing in the future of healthcare in our community

Gore Health is proud to support the next generation of health professionals by offering a $2,500 scholarship to assist a tertiary student pursuing a career in medicine or an associated health field.

The scholarship is intended to support a student who is passionate about their chosen health profession and committed to contributing to the future of healthcare in our community.

If you are planning to study medicine or an associated health field at tertiary level, we encourage you to apply.

Applications:
Complete the application form available or by clicking this handy link: Gore Health Scholarship | Gore Health

Apply here