Meet the Candidates funding

Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council is holding a by-election for the Eastern Bay of Plenty General Constituency. In the lead up to this by-election, community groups may wish to host a ‘Meet the Candidates’ event.

Meet the Candidates events are free public meetings that provide a genuine opportunity to hear and ask questions of any candidate in the by-election, prior to election day.  

Where a community organisation wishes to organise a ‘Meet the Candidates’ event, the Regional Council may fund some of the actual and reasonable costs of holding the event, up to a maximum of $500 (inc GST) per event. Applications must be submitted to and approved by the Regional Council prior to the event date.  

Events receiving a contribution from Regional Council must be publicly advertised and open to all members of the public.  The host is also responsible for ensuring that the meeting is an unbiased forum that will be fair and respectful to all candidates, informative for the voters, and pleasant for everyone.  

Decisions on approval of grants are at the discretion of the Regional Council. Every effort will be made to ensure funding is allocated equitably across the constituency. 

Applications may be submitted at any time but no later than Monday 14 September 2026. Email your application to: byelection2026@boprc.govt.nz

• Download the application form

Funding Criteria 

Each application will be assessed against the following criteria:  

1. The organisation must proactively support the purpose of the Local Government Act 2002 ‘to provide democratic and effective local government that recognises the diversity of New Zealand communities.’
2. Applicant organisations must be providing events in the Bay of Plenty region.
3. All the Regional Council candidates must be offered the opportunity to participate in the event. 
4. The Regional Council will only contribute funding towards actual and reasonable costs such as:
   • Venue hire
   • Equipment hire
   • Tea/coffee facilities
   • Event advertising
5. Costs associated with alcohol will not be funded.
6. Retrospective applications for funding will not be considered.  This means that funding approval must be received by the applicant prior to the event date.
7. The contribution will be paid after the event on receipt of an invoice from the applicant with supporting invoices/receipts attached as proof of expenditure unless alternative arrangements are agreed.
8. Please ensure your event:
   • Is publicly advertised and open to all members of the public
   • Has free admission
   • Discloses any affiliated candidates
   • Ensures each candidate has the same speaking time