Iti Pounamu is a one-off funding round created by Te Mangai Paho added to the 2025/26 financial year to provide an opportunity for content creators to apply for funding or contribution toward a smaller scale project ahead of the next General Audience funding round.
They invite applicants with projects that are ready for production to apply for funding of up to $300,000 (ex. GST) by responding to the 2025/26 Iti Pounamu RFP.
Funding will be allocated in accordance with their investment framework which expects to direct 60% of all funding toward the creation of Fluent content (content containing 70-100% te reo Māori).
Applications should demonstrate that the project is ready for production. Any successful project will need to meet a high standard for te reo Māori, have a clear and achievable audience strategy and is scaled appropriately for this round.
18 September, 5:00pm - Round closes
17 October - Funding decisions