TEO-developed micro-credentials – funding and fees

This page has information and guidance for tertiary education organisations (TEOs) on how to access funding for their micro-credentials for delivery. It covers eligibility, criteria, and how to apply.

On this page:

Eligible organisations

All TEOs eligible for delivery on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) funding at any level, can apply for funding to deliver micro-credentials. The funds are:

Delivery at Levels 1 and 2 on the NZQCF (DQ1-2) Fund
Delivery at Levels 3 to 7 (non-degree) on the NZQCF and all industry training (DQ3-7) Fund
Delivery at Levels 7 (degree) to 10 on the NZQCF (DQ7-10) Fund.

If you are a work-based learning business division within an ISB and have developed a micro-credential, you must apply for approval as set out below.

Investment approach and our priorities

We are currently operating in a tight fiscal environment.

We expect you to reprioritise your funding, where relevant, to align with our priorities. We will prioritise micro-credentials that are investment priorities – see Plan Guidance.

Not all quality assured micro-credentials can be funded. Our focus is on funding micro-credentials by high performing TEOs that meet industry and community need, have clear employment outcomes, and support students and trainees to upskill.

We expect employers, industries and learners to cover the full cost of micro-credentials we do not fund. For example, employers must pay for training they are legally required to provide for their staff.

Pre-approval

We will not pre-approve micro-credentials before they are approved by NZQA or your Academic Board (for universities).

Approval criteria

TEO-developed micro-credentials must meet the following criteria:

Quality assurance
Industry benefit and labour outcomes OR community benefit
Statutory requirements and complementing investment.

Each DQ fund has specific requirements for micro-credentials. We recommend you check the funding conditions for the funding you intend to apply for, as these are part of our approval requirements and criteria.

Health and safety and regulatory compliance

If the majority of a micro-credential's content is about meeting health and safety or regulatory compliance (HSRC) obligations, we cannot approve it for funding. For example, if the training is required to meet expectations within legislation, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015, we expect that employers will cover the cost of training.

How we determine majority of content

Majority is defined as a 51% threshold of programme content (content is measured in terms of total credit value of the programme as made up by courses, standards or other components).

Some regulatory and compliance content contributes to this threshold while others do not. In general, content that is embedded in skills and/or is transferable may be approved.

What we won’t fund	Example
Stand-alone HSRC micro-credentials	A micro-credential focused entirely on meeting legal requirements under the HSWA 2015, with no transferable skills.
Site-specific inductions	Training designed solely for one employer’s workplace induction process, such as site access and emergency procedures.
General compliance theory	A micro-credential that only teaches how to interpret and apply compliance regulations, without linking to practical job skills.

What we may approve	Example
HSRC content embedded as part of a technical skill	Safety taught as part of learning to complete a task – ie, operate machinery.
Compliance linked to practical job skills	Teaching compliance requirements as part of training for a specific role eg, food safety as part of hospitality training.
Compliance that supports transferable, cross-industry skills	Combining compliance knowledge with skills, other than HSRC content, useful across industries.

Professional development

TEC invests in learning that complements other private and public investment. We will not approve funding for micro-credentials primarily aimed at the professional development of people already employed in professional occupations and which require a degree to enter the profession. (These include, but are not limited to, occupations such as accounting, nursing, and teaching.)

Early advice

We can provide early advice if your micro-credential includes health and safety, regulatory compliance, and/or professional development content.

If you need advice, please email us at: micro-credentials@tec.govt.nz

Please note that any early advice is provisional and does not replace or affect the formal application assessment process.

How to apply

Use the TEC guidelines and application form:

Funding approval criteria and guidelines for TEO-developed micro-credentials (PDF 322 KB) (effective 9 January 2026)

TEO micro-credentials application form (DOCX 331 KB)

You can apply at any time. Please submit your completed application and supporting evidence through DXP Ngā Kete.

Let us know you have submitted by emailing micro-credentials@tec.govt.nz, with the subject title: [EDUMIS number] – TEO developed micro-credential – [Micro-credential title].

You do not need to resubmit your application when you email.

We expect to advise outcomes within four to six weeks of receiving a completed application with the required information and evidence.

Managing your allocation

If we approve your micro-credential for funding, we expect in most cases you will re-prioritise funding from within your existing allocation and to align with our priorities.

You must consider the relevant criteria to confirm if you need to make an in-year Plan Amendment to deliver the micro-credential.

Fee limits on micro-credentials

For information on fee limits for micro-credentials, including exception criteria, see Fee cap for micro-credentials.

ISB-developed micro-credentials

If you are an Industry Skills Board (ISB) and developing micro-credentials for which TEOs may seek funding, please make sure you review the guidance on ISB-developed micro-credentials and qualifications. This explains what we will and won’t fund and helps ensure your micro-credential design aligns with funding conditions.

ISB-developed micro-credentials and qualifications

If you are a TEO and have any questions about funding to deliver ISB-developed micro-credentials, please call us on 0800 601 301 or email customerservice@tec.govt.nz.