For ACE Provision
ACE is funded through a wide range of sources, including a variety of government agencies. Many ACE providers, for example will get some of their funding from the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education, DHBs etc. Other sources of funding may include local authorities, private trusts, lotteries etc. No matter how you get your funding, if you are delivering ACE, you are a part of the ACE sector.
Because of the difficulty in covering all possible sources of funding, this page focuses on the available funding through the Tertiary Education Commission, for ACE provision.
The Tertiary Education Commission is the main government funder for ACE.
Tertiary Education Commission ACE Funding Priorities
In 2020, the Ministry of Education released the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) and the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES).
Objective 1: Learners at the Centre – Learners with their whānau are at the centre of education
- Priority 1: Ensure places of learning are safe, inclusive and free from racism, discrimination and bullying.
- Priority 2: Have high aspirations for every learner/ākonga, and support these by partnering with their whānau and communities to design and deliver education that responds to their needs, and sustains their identities, languages and cultures
Objective 2: Barrier Free Access – Great education opportunities and outcomes are within reach for every learner
- Priority 3: Reduce barriers to education for all, including for Māori and Pacific learners/ākonga, disabled learners/ākonga and those with learning support needs
- Priority 4: Ensure every learner/ ākonga gains sound foundation skills, including language*, literacy and numeracy
* Oral language encompasses any method of communication the learner/ākonga uses as a first language, including New Zealand sign language
Objective 3: Quality Teaching and Leadership - Quality teaching and leadership make the difference for learners and their whānau
- Priority 5: Meaningfully incorporate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into the everyday life of the place of learning
- Priority 6: Develop staff to strengthen teaching, leadership and learner support capability across the education workforce
Objective 4: Future of Learning and Work – Learning that is relevant to the lives of New Zealanders today and throughout their lives.
- Priority 7: Collaborate with industries and employers to ensure learners/ ākonga have the skills, knowledge and pathways to succeed in work
Objective 5: World Class Inclusive Public Education – New Zealand education is trusted and sustainable
- Priority 8: Enhance the contribution of research and mātauranga Māori in addressing local and global challenges
The Tertiary Education Strategy includes actions that both tertiary education organisations (TEOs) and Government can take to help achieve the priorities. TEOs will need to show how they will have regard to the TES priorities in their investment plans. The TEC’s Investment Plan Guidance will support TEOs to do this.
Overview of Tertiary Education Commission for ACE provision
The Tertiary Education Commission fund Adult and Community Education provision for:
- community-based education,
- foundation skills, and
- pathways into other learning opportunities that meet community learning needs.
Adult and Community Education is delivered by different sectors:
- ACE in Communities – ACE in Communities funding is for informal, community-based education provided by private training establishments (PTEs), rural education activity programme (REAP) providers and community organisations.
- ACE in Tertiary Education Institutions – ACE in tertiary education institutions (TEIs) is for community-based education delivered by eligible TEIs.
- ACE in Schools – ACE in Schools funding is for informal, community-based education provided by schools.
ACE Aotearoa manages two types of funding.
Generosity New Zealand
Generosity NZ is the largest digital search facility for funding information in Aotearoa. We have created two search tools that connect people to funding opportunities. See generosity.org.nz