The Manaaki Fund

The Manaaki Fund is MFAT's annual contestable grant for registered New Zealand NGOs working with local civil society partners in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. It sits within the Partnering for Impact umbrella under New Zealand's International Development Cooperation programme and focuses on vulnerable, marginalised, and hard-to-reach communities. Approved activities run from NZD 100,000 to NZD 1.25 million. The fund has allocated NZD 36.7 million across 45 activities through Rounds 1-7 and a Climate Round, with recent rounds showing a mix of Pacific, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Laos, and climate-focused work. Round Eight opened on 28 January 2026 and closed on 28 April 2026, and applicants first submit a Concept Note before moving to a detailed proposal. Applicants need to be registered legal entities in New Zealand, align their proposals with partner-country priorities and New Zealand IDC priorities, and work through local partners rather than acting alone. The process also requires matched funding declarations and MERL reporting, so the strongest submissions are those with clear delivery partners, a defined development outcome, and a credible monitoring plan.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.