Tikanga Ora Reo Ora (TORO) Grant

The Waikato-Tainui Tikanga Ora, Reo Ora grant is a contestable fund available for Marae and/or Trust organisations affiliated to the 68 Waikato-Tainui Raupatu marae. Successful applications will enable tribal members and marae to build capacity in te reo Maaori me ngaa Tikanga. Total contestable fund $400,000.00. Decision matrix based on Tikanga Ora, Reo Ora Strategy, Marae endorsement, external funding and tribal reach.

Te Whakakitenga o Waikato Incorporated ("we" or "us" or "Waikato-Tainui")

The Waikato-Tainui Tikanga Ora, Reo Ora (TORO) grant is a contestable fund available for Marae and/or Trust organisations affiliated to the 68 Waikato-Tainui Raupatu marae.

Successful applications will enable tribal members and marae to build capacity in te reo Maaori me ngaa Tikanga. The total contestable fund is $400,000.

Priority Areas

Ngaa Waituhi: Research to inform strategic direction for te reo and tikanga
Ngaa Tiwha: Promoting reo and tikanga through multiple mediums of communication
Ngaa Tukutuku: Knowledge transfer initiatives to sustain unique reo, tikanga and maatauranga Maaori
Ngaa Whakairo: Supporting opportunities for tribal members to engage in waananga reo, tikanga and maatauranga Maaori
Ngaa Takarangi: Evaluating and appraising outcomes of reo and tikanga strategies

Applications $10,000 or less are assessed on an ongoing basis. Applications over $10,000 open 1st April 2026 and close 30th September 2026.

Terms and Conditions

Must be a registered Waikato-Tainui tribal member and permanently residing in Aotearoa

Charitable status where an applicant is a trust or organisation

Alignment to the Tikanga Ora Reo Ora (TORO) Strategy and priority areas

Experience and knowledge in implementing reo, tikanga and maatauranga projects and/or initiatives

Completed application form in full

Only one grant application is available per applicant in any financial year period.

Sole discretion to accept, withdraw or defer a grant application that does not meet criteria rests with us. Decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into. Incomplete applications will be withdrawn after 60 days and a new application form needs to be completed.

Most grant application payments take up to 8 weeks for processing, approval and payment (if approved). Payment is due on the 21st of each month.

Grant Application

"*" indicates required fields

1Verify

2Applicant details

3Supporting documents

Applicant full name*

First name Middle name(s) Last name

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Tribal Registry Number

Date of birth*

Your email*

Your mobile number*

Your physical address*

Street Address Address Line 2 Town or City Region Post Code Country

Rural delivery number

If relevant

On behalf of an organisation, marae or trust?

Yes – a Waikato-Tainui affiliated marae (or marae trust)

Yes – another marae, organisation or trust

Marae*

Marae, organisation or trust name*

Marae, organisation or trust email address

GST number (if applicable)

Please include in this format 999-999-999. Include the number 0 at the start, if applicable.

Supporting documents

Please attach document(s) for each of these four sections. If you require support in providing any of the below, contact the Grants team on aawhina@tainui.co.nz or 0800 824 684.

#1 Project / initiative overview

Ngaa Waituhi
‘Kia rangahaua ngaa tohu o te mana o te reo me ngaa tikanga hei aarahi i te anga whakamuatanga.’ Grants to assist and enable robust research to be undertaken on kaupapa to inform strategic direction. Examples include; researching the state of te reo among marae, Kaahui marae and/or hapuu; consultation; data collation to develop strategic planning; language revitalisation techniques and methods; innovation in the advancement of te reo, tikanga and/or Maatauranga Maaori specific to your marae, hapuu and/or iwi.

Ngaa Tiwha
‘Kia whakatairangatia te kitenge, te paanuitanga, te rongotanga, te koorerotanga o te reo me ngaa tikanga i ngaa waahi katoa e whai paanga ai a Waikato-Tainui.’ Waikato-Tainui recognises the need to support Marae/Hapu to promote reo and tikanga through multiple mediums of communication to increase the use of te reo, tikanga and Maatauranga Maaori in their daily activities and settings. Examples include; marae signage, marae online profiles, webinars, reo promotion, etc.

Ngaa Tukutuku
‘Kia whakakotahingia ngaa maramara maatauranga o Waikato-Tainui hei taonga tuku iho. Waikato-Tainui recognises that marae, hapuu and whanau collectives hold unique and substantial knowledge of their own reo, tikanga and Maatauranga Maaori. This fund will support these collectives to provide knowledge transfer initiatives to ensure this unique knowledge and language is sustained. Examples include; mana whenua storytelling, kaumaatua interviews, transcribing, short films, etc.

Ngaa Whakairo
 ‘Kia whakairohia te reo me ngaa tikanga ki te ngaakau o te iwi.’ Waikato-Tainui recognises that reo and tikanga etched into the hearts of the people will ensure the life of the reo and tikanga for generations to come. This fund will support opportunities for tribal members to engage in waananga reo, tikanga and/or Maatauranga Maaori.

Ngaa Takarangi
‘Kia arotake, kia aromatawai, kia arohaehae i ngaa hua o te rautaki.’ The fund will support opportunities for tribal members to evaluate, assess and critically appraise outcomes of reo and tikanga strategies implemented.

Grant alignment to priority areas*

Please select at least one.

Ngaa Waituhi

Ngaa Tukutuku

Ngaa Takarangi

Ngaa Tiwha

Ngaa Whakairo

Attach an overview of the proposed project and/or initiative below including your experience and knowledge of reo, tikanga and/or Maatauranga Maaori projects.*