WellSouth GPCME Professional Development Grant
WellSouth provides a grant fund of $500,000 per annum to support GP Continuing Medical Education and other professional development for vocationally registered General Practitioners in the WellSouth network.
Who can apply for the grant?
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Applicants must be vocationally registered GPs participating in the RNZCGP Te Whanake rectification programme.
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Applicants must be normally residing in Otago or Southland and have worked in a general practice funded by WellSouth, on a regular basis, for at least six months prior to application.
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Applicants will be limited to one successful grant application per calendar year.
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A single grant application may contribute to more than one event, course or activity.
What can the grant be used for?
You can include more than one event, course or activity in a single grant application up to the total of the available grant per person. Applicants can apply for a grant of up to $4,000, or up to $5,000 for applicants working in a rural practice with a GCH classification of R1, R2 or R3, as a contribution towards any or all of the following:
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Conference registration fees
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Travel expenses related to event attendance
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Accommodation expenses related to event attendance
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Courses (online or in person)
- Journal or learning platform subscriptions
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Professional mentoring
Grants must be utilised within 12 months of an application being approved.
Please keep receipts as proof of payment for any of the events, courses or activities you have included in your application.
How much can I apply for?
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Up to $5,000 (incl. GST) if working in a practice with a GCH classification of R1, R2 or R3, or
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Up to $4,000 (incl. GST) if working in a practice not meeting the above criteria.
How will grants be paid to you?
1. You will be notified either at the time of your application whether it has been successful or has been put into the ballot. The ballot will be drawn at the end of each quarter, and you will be notified immediately if your application has been successful.
2. Grants will be paid to the applicant’s practice for reimbursement to the applicant.
3. Successful grant applications will be paid within 14 business days of the approval of your application.
Grant Audit
Grants may be subject to post event audit at WellSouth’s discretion.
If audited, applicants are required to provide proof of purchase for the items claimed for. Where no proof of purchase can be provided, WellSouth may require the grant to be repaid.
Grants should be utilised within 12 months of an application being approved; therefore, any audit will occur between 12 and 24 months from then approval of the grant.
How many times can I apply each year?
The grant accepts applications every quarter; however, you can only be eligible for one successful application per calendar year. Applications will not be carried over into the next quarter, so if you are unsuccessful, you need to submit a new application.
Application Closing Dates:
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31 March
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30 June
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30 September
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31 December
How will grants be allocated?
Funding will be released in four quarterly allocations of $125,000 across the whole WellSouth network. Any unallocated funds from the current quarter will be rolled over into the next quarter. Grants will be allocated on the following basis each quarter:
40% of each quarter’s fund will be allocated on a first in first served basis for GPs in the following priority categories:
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GPs in practices serving the highest needs populations (Māori / Pacific / Q5 greater than 50% of enrolled population)
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GPs in practices with a Geographic Classification for Health (GCH) of R1, R2, R3
Priority applicants will be notified immediately whether their application has been successful or entered into the ballot.
How does the ballot work?
Following the priority allocation, a ballot will be run at the end of each quarter to allocate the remaining 60% of the fund on the following basis:
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All remaining applicants will be entered into the ballot.
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Entry into the ballot will be weighted for any applicants in the priority category who missed out on the first-in-first-served round. Priority applicants will have two entries into the ballot; all other applicants will have one entry.
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Entries in the ballot will be drawn at random until the available funds for the quarter are allocated.
Applications will not be carried over into the next quarter, so if you are unsuccessful, you need to submit a new application.
Applicants will be notified immediately following the draw whether their application has been successful or not. Unsuccessful applicants may submit a new application in any subsequent quarter.
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31 March
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30 June
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30 September
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31 December
Does the fund only cover GPCME?
No, it covers CME as well as other forms of professional development.
What if I’m a locum and/or telehealth GP in the WellSouth network? Am I eligible?
A locum/telehealth GP needs to meet the following requirements to be eligible:
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being participating in Te Whanake, and
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having worked regularly in a WellSouth-funded practice for 6 months prior to application.
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You must normally reside in Otago or Southland.
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You must be employed directly by the practice. If you are contracted by an agency to the practice, you will not be eligible.
What if I am not in Otago and Southland when I submit my application, but I will be when I attend the proposed professional development?
You are not eligible to apply unless you are living/working in Otago or Southland at the time of your application.
Eligibility requires the applicant to be:
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Normally resident in Otago or Southland at the time of application, and
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Working in a WellSouth-funded practice for at least 6 months prior.
What is my classification?
Here is a handy link to the Geographic Classification for Health to work this out, however the form does this automatically.
Are there terms and conditions?
Yes, please view these here.
Can a single application cover multiple educational activities?
Yes, a single application can cover multiple activities, but they should be included in one application.
What are the eligible expenses I can apply for?
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Conference fees
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Travel
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Accommodation
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Courses
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Subscriptions
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Mentoring
Are there any restrictions for practices putting in multiple applications at a time?
Practices cannot apply on behalf of their GPs. Applications must be submitted individually by the general practitioner.
Can I still apply for the grant if I want to attend a couple of small courses, that collectively are much cheaper than the $4000?
Yes. A single application may include multiple activities up to the total grant amount. You may submit only one successful application per calendar year.
Can I apply in anticipation of doing PD?
Yes. You can apply for the grant to receive the money and then pay for your professional development. Please keep receipts as proof of payment for any of the events, courses or activities you have included in your application as grants may be subject to post event audit at WellSouth’s discretion.
If audited, applicants are required to provide proof of purchase for the items claimed for. Where no proof of purchase can be provided, WellSouth may require the grant to be repaid.
Is there a time frame between the application and attending the event?
The application should relate to activities planned within the 12 months following the application.
Is payment to the individual GP or the practice?
Grants will be paid to the applicant’s practice within 14 business days of the grant approval for reimbursement to the applicant.
Is the payment made 14 days after the application, or after the event?
Payment is processed within 14 business days of application approval, not after the event, and will occur during a fortnightly pay cycle.
Do I need to pay for the professional development before I apply?
No. You can apply for the grant to receive the money and then pay for your professional development. Please keep receipts as proof of payment for any of the events, courses or activities you have included in your application as grants may be subject to post event audit at WellSouth’s discretion.
Grants should be utilised within 12 months of an application being approved; therefore any audit will occur between 12 and 24 months from then approval of the grant. If audited, applicants are required to provide proof of purchase for the items claimed for. Where no proof of purchase can be provided, WellSouth may require the grant to be repaid.
Does the grant include GST?
Yes, so please submit GST-inclusive amounts.
Why are grants allocated by ballot?
Demand for the GPCME Fund is higher than the funding available. The Board set the annual budget at $500,000 and the maximum grant at $5,000 per GP so that each successful applicant receives a substantive contribution—enough to meaningfully support courses, conferences, travel, or other significant professional development.
With around 300 specialist GPs in the region, it isn’t possible to fund everyone each year at this level. We considered reducing the grant size so more people could receive a smaller amount, but feedback indicated that meaningful support for high-value professional development was preferred over smaller contributions that may not enable attendance or training.
To distribute the limited number of grants as fairly and transparently as possible, we use a weighted ballot:
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All eligible GPs can enter during the application window
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The process is randomised and auditable
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Additional weighting is applied for GPs working in higher-need settings (e.g. rural or high-deprivation communities) to support equity
This approach avoids a first-in, first-served rush, gives all eligible GPs a reasonable opportunity over time, and ensures the available funding has real impact for those who receive it.
How does the ballot work?
Following the priority allocation, a ballot will be run at the end of each quarter to allocate the remaining 60% of the fund on the following basis:
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All remaining applicants will be entered into the ballot.
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Entry into the ballot will be weighted for any applicants in the priority category who missed out on the first-in-first-served round. Priority applicants will have two entries into the ballot; all other applicants will have one entry.
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Entries in the ballot will be drawn at random until the available funds for the quarter are allocated.
Can I make any changes to my application?
No. Once you have submitted your application, you cannot make any changes. If you need to make any changes, you can submit a new application which will override your original application.
What if I am unsuccessful in one quarter?
Applications will not be carried over into the next quarter, so if you are unsuccessful, you need to submit a new application.
Applicants will be notified immediately following the draw whether their application has been successful or not. Unsuccessful applicants may submit a new application in any subsequent quarter.
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31 March
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30 June
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30 September
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31 December
Why can’t we fund Nurse Practitioners? Some practices only have NPs
The funding is limited, and while we discussed inclusions, at this stage, we have been unable to support nurse practitioners. We are aware of this gap, and hope to fill this in coming funds.
Applicants will be notified immediately following the draw whether their application has been successful or not. Unsuccessful applicants may submit a new application in any subsequent quarter.