Diabetes — both Type 1 and Type 2 — is one of New Zealand's most significant health challenges. Type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects Māori, Pacific, and South Asian communities. Grants fund prevention, education, management support, clinical services, and equipment. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Diabetes NZ funds and advocates for diabetes:
- Community diabetes education: Diabetes management education
- Diabetes awareness: Prevention and early detection
- Advocacy: Policy and funding advocacy for people with diabetes
- Regional offices: Support and education nationally
Diabetes NZ is the key partner for community diabetes programmes.
Health system diabetes funding:
- Diabetes management: PHO-funded diabetes nurse and dietitian services
- Retinal screening: Diabetic eye disease screening programme
- Foot care: Podiatry for diabetes complications
- Renal care: Kidney disease from diabetes
- Insulin and medication: Pharmac-funded medications including insulin
Pharmac funds diabetes medications and devices:
- Insulin: Multiple insulin types funded
- Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs): Funded for some Type 1 patients
- Flash glucose monitors: Expanding access
- Insulin pumps: Pharmac-funded for some patients
Access to CGMs and insulin pumps is expanding — know the current Pharmac criteria.
Gaming trusts fund community diabetes programmes:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community health programmes including diabetes
- Grassroots Trust: Community wellbeing and health
- Pub Charity: Community health and prevention
- Lion Foundation: Community health
Gaming trust diabetes applications:
- Diabetes education workshops
- Group exercise for diabetes management
- Healthy kai (food) programmes
- Diabetes monitoring equipment
- Community health worker support
Diabetes has a severe equity dimension:
- Te Puni Kōkiri: Māori health equity including diabetes
- Ministry for Pacific Peoples: Pacific community diabetes
- Whānau Ora: Whānau-centred diabetes management
- Pacific health providers: Pasifika health services
Māori and Pacific communities have significantly higher diabetes rates — targeted funding is available for culturally appropriate programmes.
Type 2 diabetes prevention is a funded priority:
- Healthy Families NZ: Community prevention of diabetes risk factors
- PHOs: Pre-diabetes screening and lifestyle intervention
- Green Prescription: Physical activity as diabetes prevention
- Nutrition programmes: Healthy eating for diabetes prevention
Diabetes research:
- Health Research Council (HRC): Clinical and community diabetes research
- Diabetes NZ research grants: Applied diabetes research
- University research: Metabolic disease and diabetes science
- MBIE: Health technology for diabetes management
Type 1 diabetes technology:
- Insulin pumps: $3,000–$8,000 (Pharmac funded for eligible patients)
- CGMs: Continuous glucose monitors (funded for some patients)
- Flash monitors: Less expensive glucose monitoring
- Supplies: Test strips, lancets, pen needles
When Pharmac funding doesn't cover technology, gaming trusts and health charities can fill gaps.
Funding for children with Type 1 diabetes:
- Child and Adolescent Diabetes Service: DHB-funded paediatric diabetes
- Pharmac: CGMs for under-18s with Type 1
- Diabetes NZ: Family support
- Gaming trusts: School nurse support and equipment
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Population served: People with diabetes by type, ethnicity, and age
- Prevention: Reducing Type 2 diabetes incidence through behaviour change
- Management: Improved HbA1c and diabetes complication prevention
- Equity: Māori, Pacific, and South Asian communities with highest burden
- Education: Structured diabetes self-management education
- Equipment: Specific monitoring and management equipment needs
- Community engagement: Cultural competency and community leadership
- Sustainability: Programme delivery beyond single grant period
Tahua's grants management platform helps diabetes organisations manage grant applications across Diabetes NZ, Te Whatu Ora, gaming trusts, health foundations, and community funders, tracking prevention, management, and health equity outcomes.