Development West Coast Community Resilience and Vibrancy Fund
Fund details:
Round One opened: Friday, 9 October 2026
Closes: Tuesday, 3 November 2026
Decisions will be made: Monday, 23 November 2026
Who can apply?
- West Coast-based not-for-profit organisations
- Charitable organisations
- Community organisations with a clear community purpose and appropriate governance structure
- Local authorities where the project is beyond normal business-as-usual responsibility
Core eligibility requirements
Projects must:
- be located in and primarily benefit the West Coast Region
- align with the Objects of DWC’s Deed of Trust and deliver sustainable economic and/or community benefit
- demonstrate clear community need, support, expected use and project readiness
- have a realistic budget, project plan, timeframe, approvals pathway and delivery capability
- demonstrate how any funded asset will be maintained and funded after completion
- avoid material negative impacts on existing West Coast businesses or community facilities
- disclose actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest
What will not be funded?
- ongoing operating costs, wages, debt repayment or working capital
- retrospective project costs committed or incurred before approval
- routine maintenance or normal council asset renewals
- feasibility-only, investigation-only, marketing-only or planning-only projects
- projects creating more than incidental private benefit
- projects that are primarily commercial, political, private-member benefit or religious worship in nature
- projects without credible budgets, governance or delivery arrangements
How applications will be assessed
Criterion | Weighting | Assessment focus |
Strategic and Deed alignment | Pass/Fail | Fit with DWC Objects, regional benefit and no more than incidental private benefit. |
Community need and readiness | 25% | Need, use, support, permissions, readiness, governance and delivery capability. |
Economic and community benefit | 30% | Employment, local spend, visitor appeal, resilience, liveability, participation and social outcomes. |
Sustainability and ongoing viability | 25% | Maintenance, future funding, governance and ability to sustain benefits. |
Co-funding, leverage and value for money | 20% | Applicant contribution, third-party funding, proportional cost and expected benefit. |
Application process
- Complete the application form and attach all required supporting information.
- Submit the completed application to the relevant district council.
- The council will review and submit applications to DWC and may provide recommendations and local insights.
- DWC will undertake eligibility checks, due diligence and assessment against DWC’s Deed of Trust and the CRV Funding Policy.
- The DWC Board of Trustees will make the final funding decisions.
- Successful applicants must enter into a funding agreement with DWC, including milestones, reporting and accountability requirements.
Multi-district projects
In the rare circumstance where a project may cross over more than one district, applicants should engage with the relevant councils and endeavour to obtain a letter of support from those councils.
Expression of Interest
If your project is not ready for a full application, you can submit an Expression of Interest. This may suit projects that still require scoping, quotes, approvals, co-funding or governance decisions. An Expression of Interest helps councils and DWC understand the project pipeline and possible development needs. It is not a funding application or a guarantee of funding.
Please find the Expression of Interest form at the front of the application pack.
