2025 Scholarships, Awards and Grants Summary
Please note: Dates and Value are subject to change.
We are delighted to manage the following scholarships, awards and grants on behalf of a growing number of generous local people.
Name of Award | Purpose | Total Annual Value | Who can Apply | Opening Date | Closing Date |
Arts Fund | To support or create opportunities for the Rotorua community to engage with and participate in the arts. This includes: Creative Art | $4,300 | Applicants can be an organisation or an individual but must reside in the Rotorua District community. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Bannan Science Fund | Provides an annual award to support the education of students, including adults, who live in or have family ties to the Central Plateau region to continue their studies. The award supports study in Pure or Applied Science. | Not available in 2025 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must have completed their secondary school education or be in their final year of secondary school | N/A | N/A |
Colin Cockburn Award | To provide Individuals with chronic long-term disability or illness help to purchase equipment to assist with their day to day living and/or work, including vehicle or home modifications. | $1,300 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Individuals living in the Taupō District with a chronic long-term disability, whose disability-related costs are not covered by the Ministry of Health or ACC. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Colin & Jenny McDonald Award | This annual award is equally divided between two key purposes: Supporting disabled individuals of any age with the purchase of specialist equipment to improve daily living, education, or employment opportunities. Assisting classical musicians (with preference, though not exclusively) to pursue advanced study towards tertiary, diploma, or internationally recognised qualifications, or to help with the cost of instruments, music, and study materials required for their progress. | $1,200 | Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents and reside within the area served by the Geyser Community Foundation, which currently includes the Rotorua and Taupō Districts and the Central Volcanic Region. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Environment Fund | To support organisations and projects that protect, promote or preserve the natural environment, and flora and fauna of the Rotorua and Taupō District communities. | $4,500 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Organisations/groups must be an incorporated society, registered charity or school/Kura in the Rotorua or Taupō districts. | 1 June | 30 June |
Kaingaroa Roading | To provide financial assistance for study at a university, polytechnic, or private training provider in New Zealand, or to support the costs associated with an apprenticeship. | Not available in 2025 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Must be in last year of secondary school. Applicants must be current residents of Kaingaroa, Minginui, Ruatahuna, Te Whaiti, Murupara and the immediate surrounding areas. | N/A | N/A |
Margriet Theron Speech NZ Scholarships | To provide financial assistance toward examination costs for completing Speech NZ’s Associate Diploma in Speech and Drama. | $2,300 Up to four scholarships. | Applicants must live in the Rotorua or Taupō Districts. | 1 Sept 2025 | 30 Sept 2025 |
Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Scholarships | To support the skill development of young musicians. Four Scholarships available. | $2,000 (4 x $500 each) | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must be between 10 and 18 years old and currently reside in the Rotorua or Taupō Districts. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Ngatuku Farms Fund | Children and adults who have special needs or are physically or intellectually disabled, or an organisation which supports special needs or disabled clients. | $2,400 | Applicants must live within the Rotorua District. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Norman Steele Memorial Scholarship | To support students who whakapapa to Te Arawa and are enrolled full-time in a registered medical school in New Zealand. | $2,500 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must have completed one year of full-time study at a registered NZ Medical School. | 1 Sept 2025 | 31 January 2026 |
Peter, Joan and Kay Dean Reporoa Educational Past Pupils Scholarships | To support former Reporoa College students who are looking to retrain or upskill, and take the next step in their professional career. | TBC | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must be aged between 16 and 25 as at 1 January and currently living in the Rotorua or Taupō Districts. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Putaruru Veterinary Club Education Scholarships | To support full-time students from the South Waikato District who are studying veterinary science, agriculture, or other fields that contribute to the farming sector. | 11,700* *The value of each scholarship will be based upon the cost of the successful applicant/s course of study. | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must currently live or have lived for at least five of the past ten years, in the South Waikato District or the surrounding areas served by the Putāruru Veterinary Club. | 1 Sept 2025 | 31 Jan 2026 |
Robert & Jacqueline Mowbray Scholarship | Educational opportunities to assist local students of any age who are in greatest need to get the most out of their education. | $1,300 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must live within the Rotorua District and surrounding rural areas and be attending or have attended schools in the Rotorua District. Applicants must not have opportunities to access funding from other grants. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Ross Bohm Award | To help disabled sportspeople in the Rotorua and Taupō Districts to develop their potential. | $1,600 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must hold amateur status; that is, they are not paid to compete or participate in their chosen sport. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Rotorua Fund | To support charitable organisations or projects that benefit the Rotorua community, including Murupara. | $21,550 | Must be a resident incorporated society, registered charity or school/Kura in the Rotorua district including Murupara. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Rotorua Women’s Club Awards | To support women or women’s group make a difference in one of the following areas: Arts – visual, literary or performing Education – tertiary, technical or vocational Family Welfare including women’s shelter and safety Health – social, physical and mental wellbeing Sport – costs associated with amateur sports. | $6,900 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Individual women and women’s groups based in the Rotorua District who are dedicated to creating positive change for local women and girls. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Taupō Fund | To support charitable organisations or projects that benefit the Taupō community and Turangi Districts (including Mangakino and Kaingaroa). | $6,900 | Must be a resident incorporated society, registered charity or school/Kura in the Taupō community and Turangi Districts (including Mangakino and Kaingaroa). | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
The Bushman’s Son Award | To help talented, emerging artists and writers to study, engage with or participate in visual or written arts (drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, graphics, architecture, writing and poetry). | Not available in 2025 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must be amateurs and not receive payment for work in their chosen art field. They must also reside in, or have family ties to, the Bay of Plenty region. | N/A | N/A |
** NEW** | To help local poets publish and find their voice, and meet their audience | $1,400 | New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Emerging or established poets residing or having family links in the Rotorua District aiming to publish their poetry. | 1 June 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
GIFTS/AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS BY NOMINATION
Name of Award | Purpose | Total Annual Value | Nominations Received By | Opening Date | Closing Date |
** NEW ** Peter O’Flaherty Scholarship
| Students who may be considered ‘middle of the road’ but show promise and would benefit from support to further their education or build confidence. This scholarship could be used for opportunities such as career guidance, apprenticeships, private training, personal development programmes, or tertiary study. | $3,400 | Nominations received by the Principal of a secondary school, Kura, Polytech, or Wānanga within the Rotorua District. They should be aged between 15 and 25 and currently living in the Rotorua District. | Beginning of school year | 30 Sept 2025 |
Grumitt Sisters’ Scholarship | A Year 12 or 13 student from Rotorua Boys’ High School. | $1,500 | Annual award nominated by the Principal of Rotorua Boys’ High School. | Beginning of school year | 30 Sept 2025 |
Harold Holmes Student Grant | A Year 13 student who shows strong potential to make a positive difference in their community in the years ahead. | $2,500 | Each Rotorua high school Principal may nominate one Year 13 student for consideration. | Beginning of school year | 30 Sept 2025 |
Karen & Greg Hunt Scholarship | Year 13 student/s nominated by the Principal of Western Heights High School.
| $2,400 | Annual award nominated by the Principal of Western Heights High School. | Beginning of the school year | 30 Sept 2025 |