diff --git a/example/functions/tpl/README.md b/example/functions/tpl/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1836310
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/functions/tpl/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# tpl
+
+## Usage
+
+```golang
+{{ tpl $template $context }}
+```
+
+Examples:
+
+```golang
+//context
+test:
+    user: "travis"
+
+//template
+{{- $testuser := .test.user }}
+{{ tpl "Welcome, {{$testuser}}" .  }}
+
+//output
+Welcome, travis
+```
+
+See example composition for more usage examples
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/example/functions/tpl/composition.yaml b/example/functions/tpl/composition.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f6f4ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/functions/tpl/composition.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+apiVersion: apiextensions.crossplane.io/v1
+kind: Composition
+metadata:
+  name: example-function-tpl
+spec:
+  compositeTypeRef:
+    apiVersion: example.crossplane.io/v1beta1
+    kind: XR
+  mode: Pipeline
+  pipeline:
+    - step: render-templates
+      functionRef:
+        name: function-go-templating
+      input:
+        apiVersion: gotemplating.fn.crossplane.io/v1beta1
+        kind: GoTemplate
+        source: Inline
+        inline:
+          template: |
+            {{$vals:= .observed.composite.resource.spec}}
+            apiVersion: apps/v1
+            kind: Deployment
+            metadata:
+              name: nginx-deployment
+              annotations:
+                gotemplating.fn.crossplane.io/composition-resource-name: test1
+              labels:
+                {{- toYaml (tpl $vals.labels $vals) | nindent 4}}
+            spec:
+              replicas: 3
+              selector:
+                matchLabels:
+                  {{- toYaml (tpl $vals.labels $vals) | nindent 6}}
+              template:
+                metadata:
+                  labels:
+                    app: nginx
+                spec:
+                  containers:
+                  - name: nginx
+                    image: nginx:1.14.2
+                    ports:
+                    - containerPort: 80
diff --git a/example/functions/tpl/functions.yaml b/example/functions/tpl/functions.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c4a446f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/functions/tpl/functions.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+apiVersion: pkg.crossplane.io/v1beta1
+kind: Function
+metadata:
+  name: function-go-templating
+spec:
+  package: xpkg.upbound.io/crossplane-contrib/function-go-templating:latest
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/example/functions/tpl/xr.yaml b/example/functions/tpl/xr.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa9281b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/functions/tpl/xr.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+apiVersion: example.crossplane.io/v1beta1
+kind: XR
+metadata:
+  name: example
+spec:
+  labels:
+    key1: value1
+    key2: "{{ .val2 }}"
+  val2: value2
diff --git a/function_maps.go b/function_maps.go
index 4dff6ea..a61a9d4 100644
--- a/function_maps.go
+++ b/function_maps.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ var funcMaps = []template.FuncMap{
 
 func GetNewTemplateWithFunctionMaps(delims *v1beta1.Delims) *template.Template {
 	tpl := template.New("manifests")
+	includedNames := make(map[string]int)
 
 	if delims != nil {
 		if delims.Left != nil && delims.Right != nil {
@@ -42,7 +43,8 @@ func GetNewTemplateWithFunctionMaps(delims *v1beta1.Delims) *template.Template {
 		tpl.Funcs(f)
 	}
 	tpl.Funcs(template.FuncMap{
-		"include": initInclude(tpl),
+		"include": initInclude(tpl, includedNames),
+		"tpl":     initTpl(tpl, includedNames),
 	})
 	// Sprig's env and expandenv can lead to information leakage (injected tokens/passwords).
 	// Both Helm and ArgoCD remove these due to security implications.
@@ -91,9 +93,35 @@ func setResourceNameAnnotation(name string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("gotemplating.fn.crossplane.io/composition-resource-name: %s", name)
 }
 
-func initInclude(t *template.Template) func(string, interface{}) (string, error) {
+func initTpl(parent *template.Template, includedNames map[string]int) func(string, interface{}) (string, error) {
+	//see https://github.com/helm/helm/blob/261233caec499c18602c61ac32507fa4656ebc9b/pkg/engine/engine.go#L148
+	return func(tpl string, vals interface{}) (string, error) {
+		t, err := parent.Clone()
+		t.Option("missingkey=zero")
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot clone template")
+		}
 
-	includedNames := make(map[string]int)
+		t.Funcs(template.FuncMap{
+			"include": initInclude(t, includedNames),
+			"tpl":     initTpl(t, includedNames),
+		})
+
+		t, err = t.New(parent.Name()).Parse(tpl)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot parse template %q", tpl)
+		}
+
+		var buf strings.Builder
+		if err := t.Execute(&buf, vals); err != nil {
+			return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "error during tpl function execution for %q", tpl)
+		}
+
+		return strings.ReplaceAll(buf.String(), "<no value>", ""), nil
+	}
+}
+
+func initInclude(t *template.Template, includedNames map[string]int) func(string, interface{}) (string, error) {
 
 	return func(name string, data interface{}) (string, error) {
 		var buf strings.Builder
diff --git a/function_maps_test.go b/function_maps_test.go
index 8767755..63b3540 100644
--- a/function_maps_test.go
+++ b/function_maps_test.go
@@ -308,9 +308,10 @@ Must capture output: {{$var}}
 		},
 	}
 
+	includedNames := make(map[string]int)
 	tpl := template.New("")
 	tpl.Funcs(template.FuncMap{
-		"include": initInclude(tpl),
+		"include": initInclude(tpl, includedNames),
 	})
 
 	for name, tc := range cases {
@@ -459,3 +460,60 @@ func Test_getCompositeResource(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_tpl(t *testing.T) {
+	type args struct {
+		val string
+	}
+	type want struct {
+		rsp string
+		err error
+	}
+	cases := map[string]struct {
+		reason string
+		args   args
+		want   want
+	}{
+		"ExecTemplate": {
+			reason: "Should return the executed template",
+			args: args{
+				val: `Must capture output: {{(tpl "should interpolate {{.}}" "test" )}}`,
+			},
+			want: want{
+				rsp: `Must capture output: should interpolate test`,
+			},
+		},
+		"TemplateErrorCtxNotSet": {
+			reason: "Should return error if ctx not set",
+			args: args{
+				val: `Must capture output: {{ tpl "should interpolate {{.}}" }}`,
+			},
+			want: want{
+				rsp: `Must capture output: `,
+				err: cmpopts.AnyError,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	includedNames := make(map[string]int)
+	tpl := template.New("")
+	tpl.Funcs(template.FuncMap{
+		"include": initInclude(tpl, includedNames),
+		"tpl":     initTpl(tpl, includedNames),
+	})
+
+	for name, tc := range cases {
+		_tpl := template.Must(tpl.Parse(tc.args.val))
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			rsp := &bytes.Buffer{}
+			err := _tpl.Execute(rsp, nil)
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(tc.want.rsp, rsp.String(), protocmp.Transform()); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("%s\ntpl(...): -want rsp, +got rsp:\n%s", tc.reason, diff)
+			}
+
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(tc.want.err, err, cmpopts.EquateErrors()); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("%s\ntpl(...): -want err, +got err:\n%s", tc.reason, diff)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}