Rātaka tuku pūtea Funding rounds & dates

This is the first funding round for the 2026/27 financial year.

The purpose of this funding is to support the creation of reo Māori content for Aotearoa audiences. Te Māngai Pāho expects to allocate up to $10m (ex. GST) in total but reserves at its sole discretion the right to distribute a higher or lesser amount in this funding round.

Priority is given to 100% reo Māori content for tamariki and rangatahi audiences. Young people, from kōhungahunga through to kura tuarua, are critical to reo Māori revitalisation and retention strategies as they are the fluent speakers of tomorrow.

Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air have joined forces to fund high-quality, Scripted and Non-Fiction reo Māori content for a broad audience.

Research into the funding of Māori content has shown that most public funding for Māori film and television content goes toward Non-Fiction production. Audience research tells us that Māori audiences appreciate comedy and drama. To address the funding imbalance and serve our audiences, in this co-fund we are looking to preference ambitious Scripted projects with scale.

The content we look to support is Aotearoa-centric, engaging, and compelling. It will also positively impact on New Zealanders’ attitudes toward te reo Māori by giving the audience an experience of the language that is inclusive and within their reach.

Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air are prepared to allocate up to $8m of funding but reserve at their discretion the right to distribute a greater or lesser amount in this funding round.

Mōhiohio content has an intention to inform.

With funding from this round, audiences will be offered a Māori perspective in te reo Māori on events and stories of significance. Audiences should be able to rely on this content for its truth and accuracy, both in the present and as a lasting record of Māoridom today.

This round prioritises:

• Journalism content for the current reo Māori news and current affairs ecosystem;
• Feature-length documentaries about an event, kaupapa or person of national interest;
• Researched factual content in docu-series formats for social media platforms;
• Researched narratives for audio podcast.

Ngahau is entertainment content.

Entertainment content is what Māori and New Zealand audiences love most. Give them thrills, spills, love, and life in te reo Māori - content so compelling that they can’t turn away!

The purpose of the Ngahau funding round is to support the creation of reo Māori entertainment content for Aotearoa audiences. This includes content across all platforms that seeks to engage audiences in an entertaining way, while putting te reo Māori at its heart. Priority is given to content for fluent audiences that also identifies a clear target audience demographic.

Whāngai is content to foster Māori hearts and minds.

Whāngai content provides an immersive experience for audiences who are strengthening their comprehension of te reo Māori and connection to te ao Māori.

Content funded in this round will target tamariki, rangatahi and pakeke who are learning te reo Māori. Broadcasts and content that demonstrate Māori customs and community expression will help contextualise te reo Māori.

This round prioritises:

• Fluent content for tamariki;
• Fluent content for rangatahi;
• Fluent content for emerging language learners;
• Broadcasts and content for kaupapa of national significance.

In 2026/27, Te Māngai Pāho will invest at least $3.5 million in Industry Support initiatives. This investment is expected to support at least 30 initiatives, including outcome and impactfocused activities that build industry capacity and capability, sector body annual programmes of work, and relevant awards and event sponsorships. The target to support 30 initiatives is set out in the organisation’s Statement of Performance Expectations for 2026/27 and will be reported against in the annual report for the financial year.

The pathways to Industry Support investment are:

1. Capacity & Capability Building
2. Partnership
3. Sponsorship
4. Quick Response

Applicants are advised to submit an initial enquiry to content@tmp.govt.nz. A Kaihāpai (Advisor) will provide an initial assessment to determine suitability before inviting you to submit a proposal via Te Pūahatanga.