Nuku Ora
Nuku Ora is a Wellington-based non-profit Regional Sports Trust delivering government-funded physical activity, sport, recreation, and health programmes across the wider Wellington region, serving schools, iwi, older adults, sport clubs, and individuals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Nuku Ora does
Nuku Ora is a Wellington-based charitable trust and Regional Sports Trust (founded 1990) that delivers physical activity, sport, active recreation, and play programmes across the wider Wellington region — from Ōtaki in the west to Eketāhuna in the east, including Porirua, Kāpiti, Hutt Valley, and Wairarapa. The organisation operates as the regional delivery agent for central-government initiatives including Green Prescription (health-referral lifestyle support), Healthy Active Learning (school-based activity), Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa (community grant fund), Community Strength and Balance / Live Stronger for Longer (older-adult falls prevention), and He Oranga Poutama (Māori physical activity). It also runs major events including Round the Bays (46+ years of history; expanded nationally in 2025) and the Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards (40+ years), and provides capability-building services (governance, HR, legal via Gibson Sheat, coaching, facility planning) to sport and recreation clubs and organisations.
The technology stack is intentionally lightweight and community-facing: a Sporty-powered CMS website, a resource hub with webinar recordings, the third-party Nymbl balance-training app for older adults, and PMS e-referral integrations (Healthlink, Bestpractice) for the Green Prescription service. There is no proprietary technology platform; the IP base is in programme design, community relationships, and brand assets (Round the Bays, Sports Legends of Wellington, Resource Hub content).
Nuku Ora's business model is non-commercial: core programmes are free to end users, funded through recurring contracts with Sport NZ (primary), ACC, Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, Ministry of Education, and eight regional councils. A secondary revenue stream is the administration of the Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa fund (over $4.5 million administered since 2021), and a tertiary stream is philanthropic support from businesses and donors for expansion into under-served communities. The customer base is split across individual residents (free services), healthcare providers (referrers), schools/kura, sport/recreation clubs, iwi and Māori organisations, and government funders — with no paying B2B or B2C customers.
Nuku Ora firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nuku Ora
- Legal name
- Nuku Ora
- Website
- https://www.nukuora.org.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nuku Ora is a Wellington-based non-profit Regional Sports Trust delivering government-funded physical activity, sport, recreation, and health programmes across the wider Wellington region, serving schools, iwi, older adults, sport clubs, and individuals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nuku Ora industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regional Sports and Active Recreation Services
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)
Keywords
Where Nuku Ora is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Nuku Ora business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Contracts and Core Funding: Nuku Ora receives core funding and contracts from central government agencies including Sport NZ (their primary funder), ACC, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, and local councils across the Wellington region to deliver physical activity programs and initiatives.
- Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund Administration: Nuku Ora administers the Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa fund in their region, distributing grants to community projects supporting physical activity for tamariki and rangatahi. Since 2021, they have administered over $4.5 million in funding.
- Philanthropic Partnerships: Nuku Ora seeks philanthropic support from businesses, grant funders, and donors to expand their reach into under-served communities and fund innovative community-led solutions beyond existing government contracts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Community Strength and Balance Classes - Free for older adults |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Green Prescription Support - Free for eligible residents |
| Others | Pay-as-you-go | Tū Manawa Funding - Grants for Tamariki and Rangatahi Projects |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Play Stencils - Free one-week hire |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Hydration Station - Free hire for schools and community events |
| Others | Multi-year contract | Business Support Services - Subsidized rates for sport/recreation organizations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Nuku Ora product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nuku Ora is a Regional Sports Trust that delivers physical activity, sport, and active recreation programmes across the wider Wellington region. It directly supports individuals through Green Prescription (referral-based healthy lifestyle support), Community Strength and Balance classes (falls prevention for older adults), and He Oranga Poutama (culturally appropriate physical activity for Māori). It builds capability in sport and recreation organisations through Business Support Services, Capability and Governance workshops, Coaching Support, and Spaces and Places facility planning. It administers the Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa fund, distributes grants to community projects, and runs major regional events such as Round the Bays and the Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards.
Product overview
Nuku Ora is a Regional Sports Trust offering a diverse portfolio of programmes and services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include: Green Prescription (health support programme), Healthy Active Learning (school-based initiative), Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund (funding programmes for tamariki and rangatahi), Community Strength and Balance (falls prevention for older adults), and He Oranga Poutama (Māori wellbeing through physical activity). Supporting services include Business Support Services, Capability and Governance training, Spaces and Places planning support, Coaching Support, and equipment hire services (Play Stencils, Hydration Station). Event-based offerings include Round the Bays, Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards, and Sports Legends of Wellington. Specialised initiatives cover Women and Girls equity programmes, Positive Vibes Only (youth sports culture), Access All Areas (disability accessibility), and youth-focused programmes for Quality Youth Experiences and Active Recreation for Rangatahi. The organisation is a not-for-profit focused on physical activity and wellbeing, not a technology company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Quality Youth Experiences
- Green Prescription
- Healthy Active Learning
- Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund
- Community Strength and Balance
- He Oranga Poutama
- Business Support Services
- Capability and Governance
- Spaces and Places
- Coaching Support
- Play Stencils (free hire)
- Hydration Station (free hire)
- Round the Bays (Wellington mass participation event)
- Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards
- Sports Legends of Wellington
- Positive Vibes Only
- Access All Areas
- Women and Girls Initiative
- Tākaro (Play)
- Active Recreation for Rangatahi
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $4.5 million in Tū Manawa funding administered to community projects since 2021
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Nuku Ora
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Nuku Ora technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Nuku Ora partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.
- Stuff GroupsupportingEvents partner now managing operational delivery of Round the Bays as a three-city series (Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch). Nuku Ora remains owner and key partner for the Wellington leg.
- Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti AwacoreIwi partner and naming rights co-sponsor of the Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards, supporting the regional celebration of sporting excellence.
- Te Rūnanga o Toa RangatiracoreIwi partner and naming rights co-sponsor of the Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards, contributing to recognition of sporting achievement in the Wellington region.
- Wellington Dental AssociationsupportingSupports the Hydration Station program by providing funding for portable water bottle filling stations available free to schools and community events.
- Gibson Sheat LawyerssupportingLegal support partner providing free 30-minute legal consultations for sport and recreation organisations, with expertise in governance, employment, events, contracts, and disputes. Proudly Wellington-based with over 30 years experience supporting the sector.
- Ministry of EducationcoreGovernment education partner co-funding the Healthy Active Learning initiative alongside Sport NZ and Te Whatu Ora, supporting schools and kura to create healthier, more active learning environments.
- Southern CrosssupportingNaming sponsor of Round the Bays event (Southern Cross Round the Bays), supporting the mass participation community event.
- Ngāti Toa RangatiracoreKey iwi partner acknowledged for ensuring Nuku Ora's programmes and services align with iwi aspirations and uphold cultural values. Partner in He Oranga Poutama.
- Te Āti AwacoreKey iwi partner for He Oranga Poutama programme, working to promote development of play, physical recreation, and sport in culturally appropriate ways for Māori.
- College Sport WellingtonsupportingPartnership for delivering student coaching workshops for both summer and winter sports codes, often the first step in young people's coaching journeys.
- Regional Councils (8 councils)corePartnership with all eight regional councils through the Regional Spaces and Places Steering Group, supporting facility projects of regional significance.
- Sport WaikatosupportingOriginator of the Positive Vibes Only movement which Nuku Ora has adopted for the Wellington region, focusing on creating positive sporting environments for tamariki and rangatahi.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nuku Ora competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sport Waikato: A New Zealand Regional Sports Trust serving the Waikato region with a near-identical remit (sport, active recreation, community programmes). Nuku Ora explicitly adopted Sport Waikato's 'Positive Vibes Only' movement, confirming direct functional and structural alignment.
- Aktive – Auckland Sport & Recreation: The Auckland Regional Sports Trust coordinating sport and active recreation in New Zealand's largest urban region. Operates the same Regional Sports Trust model with Sport NZ core funding and a comparable community, schools, and iwi delivery approach.
- Sport Canterbury: Canterbury's Regional Sports Trust delivering physical activity, sport capability, and community programmes under the same national Regional Sports Trust framework. Strong structural peer across funding model, programme portfolio, and stakeholder types.
- Sport Otago: Otago's Regional Sports Trust offering community sport, recreation, and active living programmes under the same national operating model, with comparable government contract structures and iwi/council partnerships.
- Harbour Sport: Auckland-based Regional Sports Trust operating across the Waitematā and Harbour regions. Direct counterpart in delivering sport, active recreation, and community initiatives funded through Sport NZ core contracts.
- Recreation Aotearoa: National membership organisation representing the recreation sector in New Zealand. CEO Andrew Leslie previously led Recreation Aotearoa for 11 years, and the organisation directly overlaps with Nuku Ora's recreation and active-living mission.
- Sport Hawke's Bay: Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Trust delivering community sport, play, and active recreation programmes under the national framework. Direct structural and operational peer across funding partners and community delivery model.
- Sport Manawatū: Manawatū Regional Sports Trust providing sport development, active recreation, and community programmes across the lower North Island, sharing an adjacent geography with similar iwi partnership and council-funded delivery.
- Sport Tasman: Tasman Regional Sports Trust supporting community sport, recreation, and physical activity across the Tasman region. Operates under the same national Regional Sports Trust funding model and programme taxonomy.
Broad incumbents
- Sport NZ (Sport New Zealand): The national crown entity that funds Nuku Ora and sets the regional sports trust framework. While not a direct competitor, it operates the same space at a national scale and funds overlapping programmes (He Oranga Poutama, Healthy Active Learning).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nuku Ora social profiles
Digital presenceNuku Ora financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nuku Ora leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles43 records
Nuku Ora funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nuku Ora M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nuku Ora
What does Nuku Ora do?
Nuku Ora is a Regional Sports Trust that delivers physical activity, sport, and active recreation programmes across the wider Wellington region. It directly supports individuals through Green Prescription (referral-based healthy lifestyle support), Community Strength and Balance classes (falls prevention for older adults), and He Oranga Poutama (culturally appropriate physical activity for Māori). It builds capability in sport and recreation organisations through Business Support Services, Capability and Governance workshops, Coaching Support, and Spaces and Places facility planning. It administers the Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa fund, distributes grants to community projects, and runs major regional events such as Round the Bays and the Āti Awa Toa Wellington Regional Sports Awards.
Is Nuku Ora a public or private company?
Nuku Ora is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Nuku Ora founded?
Nuku Ora was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nuku Ora based?
Nuku Ora is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Nuku Ora make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Contracts and Core Funding is the primary driver. The others are Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund Administration and philanthropic Partnerships.
Who are Nuku Ora's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sport Waikato, Aktive – Auckland Sport & Recreation, Sport Canterbury, Sport Otago, Harbour Sport, Recreation Aotearoa, Sport Hawke's Bay, Sport Manawatū and Sport Tasman. Sport NZ (Sport New Zealand) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Nuku Ora have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nuku Ora.
What industry is Nuku Ora in?
Nuku Ora's product category is Regional Sports and Active Recreation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAFAC, National Governing Bodies (NGBs). Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 8600.