Support for Energy Education in Communities (SEEC)

SEEC Round 6 service providers list [PDF 51 KB]

SEEC Round 5 service providers [PDF 436 KB]

A total of $2.72m was allocated across 21 projects in 2024. These projects are currently being delivered across the motu. This funding round aimed to support more projects that targeted Māori and Pacific households.

A total of $1.7 million was allocated to 17 projects around the country in the third funding round, announced in November 2022. 

The funding focus for Round 3 was on pilot projects that: 

• filled gaps in the projects funded to date in terms of the type of project, location, and the people and communities they target, and/or 
• built on the success of SEEC-funded projects to date, and 
• had the potential to scale. 

Download list of Round 3 SEEC funding recipients [PDF 39 KB]

Government supports more energy-saving projects to help more Kiwis save money(external link)

In April 2022, MBIE brought forward $350,000 of SEEC funding to be made available to existing SEEC-funded projects that could be restarted or extended to deliver further energy education and support through autumn and winter 2022. 

This was in response to the growing cost of living, which was likely to be exacerbated as winter increased households’ energy needs. 

It drew on the opportunity to provide more immediate support to households in need by enabling existing SEEC providers to maintain momentum, using existing staff and delivery capability. 

Earlier recipients of SEEC Programme funding were invited to apply for a funding boost to restart or extend their SEEC-funded pilot. 

In May 2022, 5 existing SEEC projects were selected to receive a funding boost.

Download a list of SEEC funding boost recipients [PDF 31 KB]

A total of $1.65 million was allocated to 15 projects in the second funding round, announced in November 2021. 

Funding for Round 2 focused on pilots that have potential to scale and can be substantially delivered within 12 months. 

Priority was given to initiatives that filled gaps in terms of location, type and who the initiative targets, to build on the projects funded in the first round. 

Download a list of Round 2 SEEC funding recipients [PDF 39 KB]

More energy saving advice to hit home thanks to government funding(external link)

A total of $1.26 million was allocated to 9 projects in the first funding round, announced in May 2021. 

Funding for Round 1 focused on pilots that could be implemented to deliver results by winter 2021, and that had the potential to scale. 

Download a list of Round 1 SEEC funding recipients [PDF 34 KB]

Government gives households extra help to reduce their power bills(external link)

What is GETS?

GETS is the New Zealand Government’s official website where public sector organisations advertise contracts (called tenders or opportunities) and receive supplier responses online. 

Create a GETS account – registration is free 

• Go to the GETS website: https://www.gets.govt.nz 
• Select Register 
• Enter your organisation details (or yourself if you’re a sole trader) 
• Create a username and password 
• Confirm your email address when prompted. 

Apply 

• Once logged in, enter the GETS ID XXXXX into the search bar 
• Read the tender carefully. It includes a description of what we are looking for, our Request for Proposal (RFP), evaluation criteria (how your response will be scored), and submission instructions. 

Ask questions  

• Use the GETS Q&A function (inside the tender page) to ask clear, specific questions
• Answers are shared with all suppliers (anonymously)
• Our deadline for questions is 20/03/26Friday, 20 March 2026. 

Prepare your response 

In your applications, include: 

• Your approach – how you will do the work 
• Your experience – examples of similar work 
• Your team – who will be involved 
• Pricing – completed pricing schedule 
• Declarations – conflict of interest, legal statements.

Upload your response to GETS 

• Return to the tender page 
• Click Respond to Opportunity 
• Upload all required files. 

Check that: 

• Files open correctly 
• You have uploaded the final versions 
• Submit before the closing time. 

After submitting: 

• GETS will show a submission confirmation 
• You may also receive an email 
• Save this for your records. 

Helpful tips for first-timers 

• Start early — government tenders take time 
• Follow instructions exactly 
• Don’t assume the buyer knows you 
• Ask for feedback if unsuccessful 
• Keep your GETS profile up to date.

In mid-2024 MBIE, commissioned consultants MartinJenkins to conduct an external evaluation of the SEEC fund. The purpose of the evaluation was to:

• help officials gain a greater understanding of SEEC's benefits and costs by preparing a cost-benefit-analysis
• generate insights that will ensure improved delivery of future SEEC funding rounds.

The evaluation found that SEEC delivers a positive return on investment. Societal returns, including co-funding leveraged by providers, shows a $1.70 benefit for $1 invested. The returns on the Government investment only are higher at $2.21. These are conservative estimates to account for poor-quality historical data.   

The evaluation found that SEEC activities:

• deliver unique value in their own right
• generate additional referrals that would not have otherwise happened (for example to the Healthy Homes Initiative and Warmer Kiwi Homes).  

The evaluation provides valuable insights and direction that helps:

• target future SEEC funding to better support households in energy hardship
• achieve a significantly higher return of investment.

EECA officials are now considering the evaluation and its key recommendations:  

• Develop a strategic long-term plan for delivering SEEC funding.
• Optimise the return on investment by targeting funding to a smaller number of proven providers, who demonstrate that their delivery model is aligned with the success factors described in the evaluation report.
• Improve monitoring and reporting.

Read the full evaluation report [PDF 1.5 MB]