Pathway Three: Community-led Commissioning

On this page you will find information on:

• About this pathway
• EOI process
• What we are looking for
• How to apply
• Key dates
• FAQs
• Webinar
• What is GETS?
• Engaging with communities
• About the Social Investment Fund

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are now open for the Community-led Commissioning pathway of the Social Investment Fund. EOIs close at midday on Friday 12 June 2026. See application details below.

View the recording of the EOI Webinar, held on 19 May, below.

The Social Investment Agency (SIA) is seeking Expressions of Interest from established local groups that are interested in working with government to design a community-led commissioning arrangement for social services in a defined local area. 

The Community-led Commissioning pathway is for local groups who want to take responsibility for the commissioning of social services within a given geographical area.

Commissioning refers to interrelated activities, including planning, engagement, funding, procurement, monitoring and evaluation of services delivered by non-Government organisations to individuals, families, whānau and communities who need some support to achieve their goals.

A Community-led Commissioning arrangement would involve the transfer of relevant social service commissioning budgets from multiple government agencies to a Community-led Commissioning Entity overseen by a local group. 

The local group would use their local knowledge, relationships, data and evidence, and the combined budgets of multiple government agencies to increase the collective impact of local social services. 

Ministers have agreed to invest in up to two local areas for 6-12 months to support the design of a Community-led Commissioning arrangement and the development of a full proposal. At the end of the Discovery and Design Phase, Ministers would decide whether to accept the proposal(s) and support the implementation of the proposed Community-led Commissioning arrangement.   

What is a local group?

For this opportunity, local groups are defined as local leaders who are committed to working together to design and propose a community-led commissioning arrangement for their local area. These leaders are likely to be drawn from multiple local organisations. The members of this group may change over time.

Local groups could include iwi, hapū, local trusts, philanthropy, representatives of existing commissioning agencies and non-government entities.  This is a local opportunity, intended for areas with a population size of around 10,000 to 100,000 people. 

There will be three phases for this opportunity:

1. Expression of Interest – an open EOI process open from 14 May to 12 June 2026, followed by a Wānanga Phase and the selection of up to two local areas in July 2026.
2. Discovery and Design Phase - funding and support for up to two local areas to develop a Full Proposal (August 2026 to March 2027).
3. Request for Full Proposal – for shortlisted organisations (January to March 2027).

EOI Process Phases

Many local groups will see the potential of Community-led Commissioning for their local area and be interested in expressing an interest. However, following the open EOI process, we will only be able to select and work with up to two local groups initially. Any future expansion will depend on whether the government and local leaders are able to successfully develop and implement a community-led commissioning arrangement.

It is therefore important that the two local groups selected through this process are well placed to succeed. The local groups overseeing the work must have a strong local mandate, cohesion and a shared strategic intent to reshape local social services to better serve local communities.

This opportunity is only for local groups that have the following foundations in place:  

• Are already established locally, made up of multiple organisations and community leaders who work together and have shared purpose and governance arrangements. 
• Have strong local credibility and relationships, including established connections with local residents, iwi, hapū, community organisations, and service providers. The people involved will be recognised as trusted community leaders.
• Have a strong understanding of community needs, local social services, local providers, and relevant public service touchpoints (e.g. Oranga Tamariki referral pathways).  
• Represent a clearly defined local area, such as a town, city, or rural community, with an identifiable boundary and a population of around 10,000 to 100,000 people. 
• Are wanting to focus on commissioning and coordinating services, rather than delivering services.  
• Can commit sustained leadership, time, and resources over a six-to-twelve-month Discovery and Design Phase, understanding that participation does not guarantee an ongoing funded arrangement. (Note that funding will be available to support up to two selected shortlisted groups during the Discovery and Design Phase).
• Can identify and actively manage any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.

The following will not be considered:

• Applications from a single organisation acting alone, rather than part of a local group.
• Those seeking a national or multi-area opportunity. 
• Those who are primarily interested in delivering their own services, rather than commissioning and coordinating a mix of services across a community. 

If you do not meet the criteria for this round

We recognise that responding to an EOI has an opportunity cost for community leaders and organisations. If you do not meet a significant majority of the conditions above, please do not spend time on an application.

If you would like to be kept informed about how this work is progressing, you can sign up to our mailing list(external link).

Applications for Pathway Three: Community-led Commissioning must be made via the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS). Expressions of Interest close at midday on Friday 12 June 2026.

Click on the link below to apply for Pathway Three: Community-led Commissioning on GETS.

APPLY FOR COMMUNITY-LED COMMISSIONING EOI ON GETS(external link)

Need help navigating GETS? 

Refer to the Quick Guide: Responding to opportunities on GETS for support.

EOI Process documents

Here are the documents you will need to apply in this EOI:

Community-led Commissioning EOI Information Document [PDF, 4.4 MB]

EOI Response Form [DOCX, 143 KB]

Conflict of Interest Declaration [DOCX, 466 KB]

The timeline for the Pathway Three: Community-led Commissioning EOI process.

Please note that outcome agreements will only be awarded if a local group’s proposal can demonstrate capability and capacity to deliver a robust Community-led Commissioning arrangement.

We have compiled a set of answers to frequently asked questions about Pathway Three: Community-led Commissioning to help you understand the process.

Read FAQs on Community-led Commissioning.

If you have questions about this pathway that are not answered in the Frequently Asked Questions, please ask your question via the GETS platform and SIA will respond. This ensures that all potential applicants have access to all questions and answers.

For any other enquiries, contact us on info@sia.govt.nz.

SIA hosted a free online session on Tuesday 19 May for organisations interested in applying for Round One of the Community-led Commissioning pathway of the Social Investment Fund. View the recording below and on the Webinars page.

Joe Fowler, Social Investment Agency Deputy Chief Executive Investment and Commissioning, led a discussion about the Community-led Commissioning Expressions of Interest (EOI) process. He outlined what community-led commissioning is, who Round One is intended for, and gave information about the EOI and design partnership process, with a focus on learning, co-design and accountability. This was followed by a live Q&A session.

Government agencies use GETS as a platform to share new opportunities and buy services from different organisations. You can view SIA’s opportunities on GETS without having to sign up. However, to have full access to the details and receive email alerts, you’ll need to register prior.

For guidance on how to navigate the GETS system and how to respond to opportunities, see the Quick Guide: Responding to opportunities on GETS.

You can also access the Tender Help section on the GETS site: GETS - Government Electronic Tender Service | Tender help(external link) 

In late 2025, the Commissioning and Investment Team undertook three months of engagements with community organisations, leaders and collectives from around the country to gather insights that have informed the approach to opening Community-led Commissioning pathway.

Engagements identified consistent themes regarding the current local landscape, commissioning capability, and conditions required to enable effective community-led commissioning.

Overall, the engagements demonstrated a strong interest in, and support for, a shift toward community-led models. There is a clear preference for devolved decision-making, with governance led at a community level, supported by regional or local entities with appropriate mandate and authority.  

We are grateful to the community leaders who gave so generously of their time. And we are thankful to the iwi, community and government connectors who supported our arrangements. 

The Social Investment Fund will:

• invest early to help New Zealanders overcome a range of challenges to achieve their goals
• enable us to test and scale the social investment approach
• work in partnership with social sector organisations, iwi and other agencies.

Read more about the Social Investment Fund:

• Social Investment Fund FAQs
• Webinars
• Demonstration initiatives
• What is social investment?
• Social investment FAQs

For general enquiries, contact us on info@sia.govt.nz.