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About the Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund

The new Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund will provide $10 million over two years to support innovative time-limited projects and initiatives aimed at improving mental health outcomes in New Zealand.

The Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund is open to any providers / organisations that may include (but is not limited to): non-government organisations (NGOs) and community mental health and addiction providers (including iwi-based and other Kaupapa Māori providers) so they are able to access Government funding for innovative approaches to improve mental health and addiction outcomes for New Zealanders.

To be eligible for the Innovation Fund, providers need to demonstrate in their proposals that the proposed time-limited initiative can meet all of the criteria listed below:

  • increases access to mental health and addiction support  
  • protects public specialist mental health and addiction services by reducing demand 
  • develops capacity in the mental health and addiction workforce 
  • uses technology to drive productivity 
  • delivers scalable solutions for unmet need 
  • returns positive social return on investment (with evidence) 
  • achieves positive outcomes for target population groups that have evidence of poorer mental health outcomes than other groups 
  • will be co-funded on a dollar-for-dollar matched funding basis (noting the matched funding allocated through the Innovation Fund cannot be used for overheads or administration costs).  

The Innovation Fund operates on a dollar-for-dollar matched funding basis with existing investment from organisations matched by Health NZ from a minimum amount of $100,000 per annum per initiative and to a maximum amount of $1 million per annum initiative.

How to apply

A Request for Proposal (RFP) for the The Innovation Fund is published on the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS) website so providers can submit proposals as part of a contestable procurement process. Applications for the first round of funding closed on 29 August 2024 with final allocations now nearly complete. 

The second funding round will open in May 2025 with a RFP published on GETS. Applicants should note that the minimum dollar-for-dollar investment criteria for providers has reduced from $250,000 to $100,000 for round two applications.

A notice of Future Procurement Opportunity is available on the GETS website with further information.

Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund Round 2 — GETS (external link)

As part of the FPO process, Health New Zealand will publish Q&A information clarifying the Social Return on Investment report requirements. 

FIrst round funding recipients

The following 6 successful recipients of first round funding have been announced.

Youthline

Funding to expand its Counselling Your Way Programme, an 8 session structured intervention programme for young people aged 16 to 24 years experiencing low mood, depression and/or anxiety symptoms.

The Sir John Kirwan Foundation

Funding to scale-up Mitey, a free, early intervention, preventative initiative that trains teachers to support children aged 5 to 13 years to learn the skills to recognise and respond to their own and others’ mental health .

MATES in Construction

Funding for its community workplace-based programme to enhance the wellbeing of construction industry workers and build resilience within the industry. The extra funding will help it to expand its programme from the main centres and into smaller regions around New Zealand.

Mental Health Foundation

Funding for Project Wakapuāwai, an initiative to digitise mental health resources to enable faster access to information about mental health and wellbeing, suicide prevention, and mental distress for all New Zealanders.

Rotorua Community Youth Centre Trust

Funding to scale up some services as well as deliver a range of courses and workshops that upskill people in the community to support young people in Rotorua with mental health and addiction needs.

Wellington City Mission

Funding for their Whakamaru Crisis Café, a peer-delivered service that provides a safe, relaxed, non-clinical setting to support people in distress related to mental health and/or addiction issues.

Further announcements about additional successful recipients from the first funding round are expected in the near future.

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