Finding funding

Any Science & Technology promotional project is going to require an investment of time, money, energy and expertise. It's possible to get help for your project in any of these ways with some lateral thinking and knowledge of the funding options available.

Exploring Funding Options

There are many different people who can assist you with developing your idea. Assistance can take the form of:

• paid professional advice: e.g. for project management or audience research.
• cash investment: e.g. from funders and sponsors. Some organisations with a close alignment to your project topic may have existing allocated budget they could contribute.
• in-kind support: this can take many forms including assistance with accommodation, advertising, artwork, banners, budgeting advice, business planning advice, catering, communication services, design services, display items or equipment loans, equipment, freight, general advice, mail-drops, mail-outs, materials, printing, promotional support, sound system for project launch, specialist knowledge, staffing, transport, travel, underwriting, vehicles, venue for project launch.

There are many different ways of attracting funding for delivery of your idea once it's been developed into a viable project. Most funders expect that the steps shown in the Bright Ideas Checklist would have been completed before approaching them.

Funding applications, even for small amounts of money, usually require you to complete forms with detailed information under similar headings. You can seek funding from the public sector and/or from the private sector. Many projects go forward supported by funding from both sectors. Examples of public and private funding sources can be found here.

Finding Funding for Your Project

When you are raising funds for your project, there are some key things to remember. To find funding, make sure you:

• approach sponsors whose target audiences, aims and objectives align with yours
• stand out in the crowd: there are lots of good projects out there, so you have to emphasise your point of difference
• value your project realistically so it compares well to the pricing of other packages on the market
• demonstrate a convincing level of innovation and professionalism, as well as reliability to deliver
• allow realistic and extended lead times to raise funding, whether it's from public or private sectors: public funding rounds fall on set dates and can often take six months to process
• act accountably and transparently: whether your funding is public or private you will need to account for all expenditure, deliver what you promise, and demonstrate excellent performance.

Public Funding Agencies

Click here for a list of funding agencies which might fund your science and technology promotion. It might be helpful to learn about successful Science & Technology promotional projects in New Zealand that have already received funding. Some examples are outlined on the websites of the following three government organisations, which all have Science & Technology promotion as part of their core business. Click on the links below to read about them: The Royal Society of New Zealand Creative New Zealand Ministry of Research, Science & Technology.