Funding

Funding is provided when the claimant group have chosen their representatives and they’re ready to begin working on Terms of Negotiation with the Crown.

Any costs your representatives incur before then, when the claimant group is:

• choosing representatives, and
• getting them mandated

can be reimbursed when they receive the funding. Your representatives will be paid a lump sum to cover the cost of the mandating process.

The amount of funding your group will get is based on things like:

• the size of your claimant group

• how complex the claims are

• if there are overlapping claims with other groups, and

• how many hui will be needed during the negotiations, and where they’ll be held.

The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations will send your representatives a letter to confirm the amount of funding that your claimant group will get.

Funding is paid in instalments. Your representatives will get funding in advance for each step in the settlement process.

Your representatives are accountable to the claimant group for how they use this money. OTS will give them advice on what kind of costs are likely during the settlement process, like:

• hiring lawyers

• organising hui

• hiring a company to manage voting, eg voting to accept the Deed of Settlement

• administration costs.