Sport Manawatū

What Sport Manawatū does

Sport Manawatū is a New Zealand charitable trust operating as the regional sports organisation (RSO) for the Manawatū region, headquartered at the Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North with satellite offices in Feilding, Dannevirke, Pahiatua, and Levin, collectively serving four districts: Palmerston North, Manawatū, Tararua, and Horowhenua. The trust contributes to hauora (wellbeing) in communities through play, active recreation, and sport, delivering a portfolio of programmes including Green Prescription (health-professional-referral physical activity support), Play, Find a Sport, Secondary Schools, Active Transport, Healthy Active Learning, Support for Sports, See Her Be Her (women and girls), and Coaching for Impact, alongside the Regional Sports Awards, Tararua Sports Awards, and Manawatū Legends of Sport recognition programme established in 2007. Sub-brands Sport Horowhenua and Sport Tararua deliver district-level programming under the parent trust.

The organisation is staffed by approximately 41 employees, led by Chief Executive Officer Kelly Shanks, and is governed by a board including Dr Jeremy Hapeta. Operational and digital channels include a website (sportmanawatu.org.nz), a mobile application on iOS and Google Play, email newsletters, and social media. Sport Manawatū does not generate commercial revenue from end users; instead, the trust funds operations through government and community grants, administering multiple funding streams on behalf of Sport New Zealand - Ihi Aotearoa, Palmerston North City Council (Sports Event Partnership Fund), NZCT (NZCT Manawatū Active Communities Fund), Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua Iwi Māori Partnership Board (He Oranga Poutama Fund), and the Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund. Services to community members are provided free of charge. Sponsorships from Central Energy Trust, Manawatū District Council, Tararua District Council, Harcourts Team Manawatū, Ricoh, Snap Fitness Palmerston North, Property Brokers, Scanpower, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, Tui Brewery, and Bush Telegraph support regional awards programming.

Name

Sport Manawatū

Legal name

Sport Manawatū

Website

https://sportmanawatu.org.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sport Manawatū is a New Zealand charitable trust and regional sports organisation delivering community play, active recreation, and sport programmes across the Palmerston North, Manawatū, Tararua, and Horowhenua districts, funded primarily through Sport New Zealand, local councils, and administered community grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sports Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional/Continental Confederations & Associations (MPAKAFAD), Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ), Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)

Keywords

• Community sports programs
• Grassroots sports development
• Regional sports trust
• Sport funding administration
• Active recreation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Palmerston North

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Receives funding from Sport New Zealand - Ihi Aotearoa and Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua Iwi Māori Partnership Board for various community sport and wellbeing programs.
2. Sports Event Partnership Fund: Administers Sports Event Partnership Fund established by Palmerston North City Council to support operational costs for sports events in the region.
3. Funding & Sponsorships: Manages multiple funding streams including Active Communities Fund, NZCT Manawatū Active Communities Fund, Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund, He Oranga Poutama Fund, and Sports Event Partnership Fund.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sport Manawatū is a regional charitable trust that administers community sport and active recreation programmes across the Manawatū, Tararua, Horowhenua, and Palmerston North districts. Its core offerings include health-referral physical activity programmes (Green Prescription), play and participation initiatives for children and families (Play, Get Active, Active Families, Active Teens), school sport integration (Secondary Schools, Healthy Active Learning, Active Transport), funding administration (Active Communities, Tū Manawa, He Oranga Poutama, NZCT, Sports Event Partnership funds), governance and coaching support for sports clubs, and recognition programmes (Regional Sports Awards, Tararua Sports Awards, Legends of Sport).

Product overview

Sport Manawatū is a regional sports trust that offers a portfolio of community-focused programmes rather than a technology product. Its core offerings include health-based programmes (Green Prescription), participation initiatives (Get Active, Play, Find a Sport), educational programmes (Secondary Schools, Healthy Active Learning), and support services for sports clubs and coaches. The organisation also operates funding programmes, awards ceremonies, and community engagement initiatives. The programmes span various domains including active transport, women's and girls' participation, and Māori wellbeing through the He Oranga Poutama Fund. The See Her Be Her and Coaching for Impact programmes are delivered in partnership with national bodies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sport Horowhenua: Branch of Sport Manawatū serving the Horowhenua district
• Sport Tararua
• See Her Be Her
• Green Prescription (GRx)
• Play Week

Products and services

• Green Prescription (GRx) A health programme that supports individuals and families to become more physically active through health professional referral, with three streams: GRx Adults, Active Teens, and Active Families. Operated with phone support, administration, and referrals from health professionals across the Manawatū region.
• Get Active Participation programmes encouraging community members to become physically active, including the 'What moves you?' initiative and the Workplace Challenge. Targets individuals and workplaces in the Manawatū region.
• Play
• Find a Sport Regional directory resource that helps community members locate sporting opportunities and clubs in the Manawatū region.
• Secondary Schools programme Sport and physical activity programmes for secondary school students including Support on the Sides video planning resources and Secondary School Sport Awards. Targets secondary schools and their students.
• Active Transport Programme supporting active transportation modes such as walking and cycling, including Cycle Skills Advisor and Cycle Skills Team activities. Targets schools, families, and community members.
• Healthy Active Learning Programme bringing sport and physical activity into school curricula and learning environments, delivered by a Healthy Active Learning team including team leads and advisors. Targets primary and secondary schools.
• Support for Sports Services supporting sports clubs and organisations, including coaching development, the Sport Coaches Toolbox, and guidance on the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. Targets regional sports clubs and incorporated societies.
• Community Involvement Programmes to get communities involved in sport and active recreation, including the Youth Advisory Panel, Community Connectors (Te Papaioea, Manawatū, Tararua), and Community Support roles. Targets community members and youth.
• See Her Be Her Programme focusing on inspiring, creating, partnering, and delivering quality opportunities in sport and active recreation for females. Delivered alongside the Period Project (with Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa) and the Rise & Thrive Coaching Connect programme (with Women in Sport Aotearoa). Targets women and girls, female coaches, and clubs.
• Coaching for Impact Sport NZ programme supporting coaches at all levels to develop and enhance their coaching skills. Delivered regionally by Sport Manawatū with the Sport Coaches Toolbox resource. Targets coaches from beginner to experienced.
• Funding & Sponsors (Funds) Administration of multiple funding programmes including Active Communities Fund, NZCT Manawatū Active Communities Fund, Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund, He Oranga Poutama Fund (BY, FOR, WITH, THROUGH Māori), and the Sports Event Partnership Fund (established by Palmerston North City Council). Supports sports clubs, community groups, and event organisers.
• Regional Sports Awards Annual awards celebrating sporting excellence and community impact across the Sport Manawatū region, recognising achievements from grassroots to high performance. Includes categories such as Supreme Sportsperson, Administrator of the Year, Official of the Year, and Male/Female Sportsperson of the Year (Junior and Open).
• Tararua Sports Awards

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua Iwi Māori Partnership BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Iwi Māori Partnership Board collaborating on He Oranga Poutama Fund supporting Māori wellbeing through physical activity.
• Women in Sport AotearoasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Developed Rise & Thrive Coaching Connect program to support and inspire female coaches.
• Sexual Wellbeing AotearoasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner providing educational content for Period Project, an initiative supporting women and girls in sport.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sport Waikato: Regional sports trust covering the Waikato region with a similar portfolio of community sport, education, and inclusion programmes. Most direct comparator — same New Zealand regional sports trust model, same funding mix from Sport NZ and local councils, similar programme structure.
• Sport Hawke's Bay: Hawke's Bay regional sports trust delivering community sport, education, and inclusion programmes. Comparable scale, structure, and Sport NZ funding relationship.
• Sport Canterbury: Canterbury-based regional sports trust operating community sport and active recreation programmes. Comparable in scale, programme breadth, and funding model (Sport NZ partnership, council relationships).
• Sport Tasman: Top-of-South-Island regional sports trust with community sport, school, and coaching programmes. Comparable regional mandate and non-profit funding model.
• Aktive (Sport Auckland): Regional sports trust for Auckland delivering community sport, recreation, and active lifestyle programmes. Directly comparable mandate: community sport participation, health-based activity programmes, and funding administration for clubs.
• Sport Wellington: Greater Wellington regional sports trust delivering community sport, recreation, and active transport programmes. Same regional sports trust model with multi-district coordination and similar iwi partnership structures.
• Sport Otago: Otago regional sports trust with community sport, education, and health programme delivery. Similar structure to Sport Manawatū, operating across a comparable population catchment with the same Sport NZ relationship.
• Harbour Sport: Regional sports trust for Auckland's North Shore and Rodney districts. Directly comparable model delivering community sport, coaching, and school programmes funded through Sport NZ and local councils.
• Sport Taranaki: Neighbouring regional sports trust covering the Taranaki region with similar community sport, education, and active recreation programmes. Useful adjacent comparator for benchmarking outcomes and funding tiers.

Broad incumbents

• Sport New Zealand - Ihi Aotearoa: National crown agency responsible for sport and recreation policy, funding, and outcomes. Sport Manawatū is a direct delivery partner and recipient of Sport NZ core funding, making it the umbrella body for the regional sports trust network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sport-manawatu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sport Manawatū