Volunteer and community coaches are the backbone of New Zealand sport — they develop players, run programmes, and enable participation at every level. Quality coaching is critical to good sport outcomes. Grant funding for coach education and development helps build the coaching workforce that community sport depends on. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Sport NZ funds coaching development through:
- National sport body investment (including coach education components)
- High Performance Sport NZ (elite coach development)
- Community sport investment through RSTs
Coach education is embedded in national body and RST investment frameworks rather than being a separate standalone grant category.
Each sport NGB runs coach education for its own sport:
- National coaching schemes by level (community, club, performance)
- Coaching clinics and online resources
- Mentoring and professional development programmes
Contact the national body for your sport for current coaching development support.
RSTs fund community coaching development:
- Subsidised coach accreditation courses
- Community coaching development events
- Coach mentoring programmes
- Sport-specific coaching clinics
Contact your local RST for current coaching grants and subsidies.
New Zealand gaming trusts fund coach education:
- Four Winds Foundation
- Grassroots Trust
- Pub Charity
- Lion Foundation
- Southern Trust
Gaming trusts fund:
- Course fees for coach accreditation
- Coaching resources and materials
- Junior coach development programmes
Women are underrepresented as coaches in most sports. Specific funding:
- Sport NZ women in leadership and coaching: National investment
- RSTs: Women in coaching programmes
- Women's sport foundations: Coaching development for women
Junior sport coaching is a priority:
- Modified games training: Age-appropriate coaching for children
- Safe sport coaching: Welfare-first approach for coaches working with minors
- Volunteer coach development: Supporting volunteer coaches who run junior sport
Coaching for and by Māori and Pacific communities:
- Sport NZ Māori: Culturally appropriate coaching development
- Te Puni Kōkiri: Māori sport and coaching
- Ministry for Pacific Peoples: Pacific sport coaching
Coaches working with children in NZ require Police Vetting:
- Police Vetting costs: Some grants cover Police Vetting fees
- Mandatory clearances: Required for all coaches working with under-18s
Lottery Sport funds community sport organisations. Coaching development can be included in broader club development applications.
Strong coaching applications demonstrate:
- Coaches to be trained: Numbers, current level, proposed accreditation
- Participants who benefit: How many junior or community players will have better-qualified coaches?
- Sport alignment: Connection to national sport body coaching framework
- Junior focus: Coaching for junior programmes is particularly fundable
- Women and diverse coaches: Diversity in the coaching workforce
- Sustainability: Will coaches be retained after training?
Tahua's grants management platform helps community sport organisations manage coach development grants, track accreditation and training funding, and demonstrate the coaching outcomes that Sport NZ and gaming trusts value.