12789 (2026). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister for Tertiary Education

12789 (2026). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister for Tertiary Education: How many, if any, funding applications for new providers were considered by the TEC Assessor for the 2026 Investment Round and for each new provider that the TEC Assessor recommended declining, if any, what was the name of the provider, the amount that was applied for and the reasons why it was recommended for a decline?

Hon Penny Simmonds: I have been informed by the TEC that in 2026 new providers could apply to deliver provider based or work-based delivery. To apply, a provider would supply initial information for consideration excluding the amount of funding, where applications were triaged. If the provider was proposed to be declined at this stage, they could respond with additional information. There were seven providers who were declined at this stage. If a provider gave sufficient information, they were then invited to submit a full application. Thirteen new providers made a full application and of these two providers were recommended to be declined by the assessor. The attached table sets out the TEO, Funding Amount and Rationale, it has been separated into those that were declined through the Triage process and those that approved to make an application and then were recommended to be declined in full by the assessor.