Midlands Regional Health Network Charitable Trust: Facility development fund

Who can apply for a grant?

Any established general practice in the Pinnacle Midlands Health Network with a minimum of 500 ESUs that is undertaking facility development (including building a new facility or refurbishment of an existing one) is eligible to apply for a grant.

What you can apply for?

Grants may be used to fund facility development work, including:

• construction costs for a new general practice facility, or refurbishment of an existing facility
• architectural and/or design work relating to a facility development
• other professional or consent fees relating to new building or refurbishment
• fit out of a new or refurbished medical facility when part of a new build or refurbishment project.

How much is available?

Any practice in the Pinnacle Midlands Health Network can apply for up to a maximum of $50,000 (plus GST) of funding from the Trust for facility development.

Funding is available to match practice contributions dollar for dollar. No more than one application will be considered for any project.

The Trust's funding pool for facility development grants is capped at a total of $250,000 in a financial year (plus GST).

Can applications be made retrospectively, i.e. for projects already completed or for money already spent?

No. Because of the high demand for funding retrospective applications cannot be considered. Practices must apply for funding before the project is completed for the application to be valid.

What can't be funded?

• IT or telephony upgrades.
• Purchase of new equipment or furniture when not part of a facility development or refurbishment project.
• Retrospective applications.

How to apply

Download an application form at the base of this page, complete it and return it to:

Midlands Regional Health Network Charitable Trust Facility Development Fund
PO Box 983
Hamilton 3240
Or by email: liz.miller@pinnacle.health.nz

Please read the application form carefully and include all information including supporting documents. Incomplete applications may be returned and may not be considered.

Who considers the applications and when?

Applications will be considered by the Trust. Deadlines for applications are listed below.

• 6 September 2024
• 1 November 2024
• 14 February 2025
• 1 May 2025

Please note these are not the meeting dates, simply a deadline in order to internally review the application and ask any questions before it goes to the Trust meeting.

Applicants will be informed of the Trust's decision promptly after the meeting at which the decision is made.

How are applications assessed?

The Trust will consider all applications on their merits but in allocating the limited funds that are available for this purpose they will give priority to applications that meet one or more of the following criteria (with higher priority assigned for each of the criteria met).

• Applications from communities identified by the Trust as having particularly high needs and a significant proportion of Māori.
• Changes that support the continued shift to virtual consultation. 
• Projects that support a practice shifting to become more climate friendly.
• Proposals the Trust considers have merit but are not commercially viable and therefore may not happen without a grant from the Trust.
• Projects that do not have sufficient funding available from other sources.
• Applications that enable the Trust to achieve a reasonable spread of grants across the Trust's geographic and population catchment.
• Projects that meet a genuine need in the community they serve.
• Projects that support the Trust to achieve a reasonable regional coverage of emergency power supply (external wiring for generators) at general practice sites in the network.
• Building projects that are highly likely to be completed.

If applicants consider their project meets one or more of the above criteria then this should be made clear in the description of their project in the application form.

The Trust reserves the right to decline any application or to award a grant that is less than the amount applied for without explanation. Decisions made by the Trust on grant applications are final and the Trust is not obligated to consider submissions from unsuccessful applicants.

If a grant is approved how are funds paid?

Grant proceeds will be paid into an approved bank account for the applicant on provision of invoices from suppliers. For funds to be transferred the supplier invoices must be reconcilable with the supplier quotes provided with the application form. Any variances must be explained.

What if my practice leaves the network after receiving a grant?

If a practice receives a grant and then subsequently leaves the Pinnacle Midlands Health Network within four years of the date of approval of the grant then the Trust reserves the right to recover 100 per cent of the grant. By accepting the grant the practice agrees to this agreement.

Midlands Regional Health Network Charitable Trust Board (The Trust) acknowledges the real challenges general practices in the Pinnacle Midlands Health Network often face in funding upgrades to practice facilities.

The Trust wants to help incentivise practices to invest in improving their buildings and facilities.

Accordingly, the Trust has established a Facility Development Fund specifically to provide funding support in the form of grants for practices in the network that are investing in new buildings or upgrading their practice facilities. Read more in the applicant guidelines and grant application form below.