Adult and Community Education

Adult and Community Education

Last updated 25 March 2021
Last updated 25 March 2021

The purpose of the Adult and Community Education (ACE) Fund is to provide community-based education, foundation skills, and pathways into other learning opportunities that meet community learning needs.

ACE is delivered by different sectors:

Each TEO must have an approved Investment Plan (Plan) unless exempt.

Key changes from 2021

From January 2021, the priorities of ACE funding are for programmes that:

  • Improve employability
    • Courses focused on employability
    • Life skills such as financial literacy
    • Introductory ‘taster’ courses
  • Promote social and cultural inclusion and participation
    • Languages, including Te Reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language (including ESOL), Pacific languages (especially Realm languages) and Asian languages
    • Courses supporting digital inclusion
  • Raises foundation skills
    • Courses in literacy, numeracy and/or digital literacy
  • Improve health and wellbeing
    • Courses such as parenting, mental health and resilience, or conflict resolution/anger management.


This applies to ACE in Schools, ACE in Communities and ACE in Te Pūkenga and Wānanga.

Further information about ACE (PDF 861 KB)