Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant

Funding for activities (excluding R&D) involved in taking to market a world-leading innovation that can help transform Aotearoa New Zealand's innovation ecosystem

Applications for the Ārohia Seed Grant are now open.

Get up to speed on the grants then contact your Callaghan Innovation Navigator if you have one, otherwise click the button below, follow the prompts and connect with our team who can support you with your application:

Get support to start the application process

Applications for the Ārohia Full Grant will open soon. Please check this page for future updates - View recent updates here.

Are you an “innovation trailblazer?”

Do you want to help Aotearoa New Zealand become a place where innovation flourishes... and at the same time, get support to take a new innovation to market for the first time?

Then the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant could be right for you!

This grant is about supporting innovation that can deliver benefits beyond your business and customers, by inspiring and assisting other innovators to pursue new ideas and seize new opportunities of their own.

We're not talking about wider social, economic or environmental benefits here, even though these may well result from your innovation.

Rather, the focus is on benefits for the "innovation ecosystem", i.e. the network of people, organisations and resources in Aotearoa New Zealand that together enable innovative ideas to be formed, supported, adopted and spread.

In short, it's about recognising the value in cooperation as well as competition, and supporting innovation that helps bring about further innovation.

Try our quick "Checklist" to get an idea if the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant could be right for you. Or read on below for more details about how the grant works.

Try checklist

Key benefits of the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant

Play your part in helping to foster a flourishing innovation ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Get financial support towards activities (excluding R&D) involved in taking your innovation to market for the first time.
Your innovation can be a product, process, service or business model, or a combination of these.
Two grants in one - as well as offering funding to help get an innovation to market, we can also support you to apply for that funding.
Applying will help you get better aligned with investor expectations, and better prepared for future capital raises.

Note: The Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant supports:

non-R&D activities - if you want support towards R&D, check out the RDTI or New to R&D Grant
innovation that is not already in the market - if your innovation is in the market and you're looking to expand internationally, check out the support available from NZTE.

What is the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant?

The Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant can support businesses with activities (excluding R&D) involved in taking to market a world-leading innovation that will have potential benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand’s innovation ecosystem.

We recognise that businesses developing potentially groundbreaking innovations will be at different stages of market readiness.

That’s why the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant consists of two grants:

the Ārohia Seed Grant is for businesses that have untested assumptions and knowledge gaps regarding their innovation, so don’t yet have all the evidence needed to support an Ārohia Full Grant application
the Ārohia Full Grant is for businesses confident they’ve obtained the evidence required to reach an advanced stage of market readiness, but need financial support to take their innovation to market.

Key features at a glance

Grant	Ārohia Seed Grant	Ārohia Full Grant
Status	This grant is OPEN NOW	This grant will OPEN SOON
Type of grant	Non-contestable* Applicants who meet required criteria will be eligible to receive funding. *This grant may become contestable depending on demand.	Contestable This grant will be awarded to the best applicant/s from each application round.* Decisions on successful applicants will be informed by recommendations from a grant evaluation panel. *We may decide not to award any grants in a particular round, if no application is assessed as having sufficient merit.
How can it help?	Supports costs of eligible activities (excluding R&D) aimed at testing assumptions and filling knowledge gaps regarding your innovation, and obtaining evidence needed to complete an Ārohia Full Grant application.	Supports costs of eligible activities (excluding R&D) involved in taking an innovation to market.
How much support can I get?	Funding of up to $25,000. This will be provided on a co-funded basis, as follows: we can contribute 50% of up to $50,000 of eligible costs, on the basis you will fund the other 50% based on the $50,000 limit, the maximum we can contribute is $25,000 you may choose to fund any costs over the $50,000 limit yourself, but we can't co-fund any amount above this limit. Examples (1)Expected costs $40,000 = grant funding of $20,000, your funding $20,000 (2)Expected costs $60,000 = grant funding of $25,000, your funding $35,000	Funding of up to $4 million. This will be provided on a co-funded basis, as follows: we can contribute 30% of up to $13.3 million of eligible costs, on the basis you will fund the other 70% based on the $13.3 million limit, the maximum we can contribute is $4 million you may choose to fund any costs over the $13.3 million limit yourself, but we can’t co-fund any amount above this limit you can have up to 6 months to obtain your 70% share of the co-funded amount, from the date we sign a Funding Agreement with you (provided you have a strategy in place to do this when you sign the agreement) your share of the co-funding doesn’t all need to be cash in the bank - it can include contractual agreements to provide payments over the period of the innovation project once a grant has been approved, we can’t increase the amount of funding we can provide. Minimum grant funding is $100,000, therefore $333k total costs must be incurred to be eligible. Examples (1)Expected Costs $1 million = grant funding of $300,000, your funding $700,000 (2)Expected costs $15 million = grant funding of $4 million, your funding $11 million
What’s involved in applying?	Complete online application, which includes: answering questions based on information you’d be expected to provide in a typical pitch to investors completing a Work Plan to show what evidence you intend to obtain and the estimated costs.	Complete online application, which includes: answering questions based on information you’d be expected to provide in a typical pitch to investors completing a Work Plan to identify what activities you intend to carry out and the estimated costs Shortlisted applicants will also be invited to present to a grant evaluation panel that includes external members with industry expertise.
When can I apply?	Apply any time. Applications will be assessed on a monthly basis.	When applications open, we expect there will be four application rounds per year.
What’s the funding duration?	We will support eligible activities over a 12-month period.	We will support eligible activities over a 24-month period.
How often can I apply?	For each innovation project, you can submit one application for the Ārohia Seed Grant, followed by an application for the Ārohia Full Grant. If an application for either grant is unsuccessful, you can reapply on one further occasion.
Is there an overall cap on applications?	There’s no limit to the total number of applications you can make or have active at any one time, provided they’re for different innovation projects.
Due diligence	We will conduct due diligence on all applicants to ensure appropriate mitigation of risks, including reputational and financial risks.
Cross over with other support	Funding is not available for expenditure supported by any other Government initiative, unless it is equity support (e.g. NZGCP).

Is my business eligible?

You can apply for an Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant if you are:

a Company registered in New Zealand under the Companies Act 1993 that is not controlled* by the government or one or more government agencies
a Limited Partnership registered in New Zealand under the Limited Partnerships Act 2008 that is not controlled* by the government or one or more government agencies
a Māori Trust or incorporation under the Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993, or a similar organisation managing Māori assets under multiple ownership
a Company incorporated in another country but registered to do business in New Zealand (registered under the Companies Act 1993 on the Overseas Register - ASIC or NON-ASIC)**.

*Control means 50% or more of shares or voting interests in another entity, or control of appointments to an entity’s controlling board.
**This definition of “Company” reflects what is referred to as a “Foreign Entity” in the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant Ministerial Direction.

Entities not eligible to apply

Is my innovation eligible?

To be considered for funding, your innovation must be a product, process, service or business model (or combination of these) that:

has commercial potential, and
is novel, and
will have the potential to deliver benefits for the innovation ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Find out more about what we mean by product, process, service, business model

What do we mean by “commercial potential”?

We want to support innovation that has a good chance of succeeding in the market, where it can help drive the new opportunities in the innovation ecosystem that we aim to encourage.

When we assess the commercial potential of an innovation, there are 3 factors we consider:

market impact, i.e. will customers want it?
commercial feasibility, i.e. can you make, deliver and support it?
commercial viability, i.e. will it be financially successful?

We’ve chosen these factors because they’re widely regarded as the pivotal elements involved in determining commercial potential - in a typical pitch to investors, you would be expected to speak to these three factors.

Note: only market impact is assessed for the Ārohia Seed Grant; market impact, commercial feasibility and commercial viability are all assessed for the Ārohia Full Grant.

Find out more about commercial potential

What do we mean by “novel”?

We want to support innovation that is world-leading.

To help us determine the world-leading nature of your innovation, we will consider how novel it is, i.e is it completely new, or a significant enhancement or scaling up of what currently exists:

in the world, or
within a particular sector/industry globally, or
in Aotearoa New Zealand, or
within a particular sector/industry in Aotearoa New Zealand?

An innovation that’s novel in the world will clearly be world-leading, as it will be the first of its kind to ever exist.

An innovation at the other levels described above could still be regarded as world-leading, if it meets or embodies what’s considered to be the recognised global standard in its field.

Find out more about novelty

What do we mean by “potential benefits for the innovation ecosystem”?*

We want to support innovation that delivers benefits beyond your business, to the wider innovation ecosystem.

For example, it will help others develop innovative ideas of their own, or seize opportunities that wouldn’t exist without your innovation having entered the market.

There’s a high likelihood that innovation which is novel will inherently generate benefits for the innovation ecosystem.

These benefits could include:

Potential benefit	How could this benefit the innovation ecosystem?
Creation of a new market category or product category.	Unleashes opportunities for others to develop innovative products or services of their own, within the new category or market niche you’ve created.
Introduction of new in-country capability (physical or digital) e.g. new infrastructure such as a lab, production facility or equipment, or a new cloud-based platform.	Others can leverage this to accelerate the development of their own innovations, and collaborate to create a vibrant ecosystem around the capability. Digital capability can include integrating applications into a new platform and leveraging APIs to benefit from the platform’s data, features and tools.
Attraction of expertise to Aotearoa New Zealand.	The problem you’re trying to solve or the innovative approach you’re taking attracts others who see the potential in what you’re doing and want to be part of it - this could include everyone from researchers and academics to investors and suppliers who will bring specialised knowledge/expertise to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Exchange of knowledge.	Others can use the new knowledge and learnings that result from your activities and accomplishments, and apply this to solve new problems or create other new innovations - this could be in the same sector/industry or beyond.
Creation of a more networked ecosystem.	Creates new opportunities and collaborations between actors in a supply chain, value chain or the wider innovation ecosystem.
Wildcard benefit.	A potential benefit you can identify beyond those outlined above.

*Innovation ecosystem benefits reflect what are referred to as “spillover benefits” in the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant Ministerial Direction.

Find out more about potential benefits for the innovation ecosystem

How will my innovation be assessed?

A consistent assessment framework will apply to both grants.

This includes reviewing your innovation against factors that you will typically be asked to speak to when pitching for investor support.

However, the assessment for each grant will differ as follows:

the Ārohia Seed Grant will involve a lighter assessment, aimed at identifying if your innovation has potential to eventually meet the Ārohia Full Grant assessment criteria, if you obtain further evidence and choose to continue with an Ārohia Full Grant application
the Ārohia Full Grant will involve a more robust assessment, aimed at identifying how well your innovation meets all the required criteria, with shortlisted applicants selected to present to a grant evaluation panel.

Assessment criteria		What we assess: Ārohia Seed Grant	What we assess: Ārohia Full Grant
	Commercial potential market impact commercial feasibility commercial viability	Potential market impact, i.e: Does the proposed innovation show potential market impact? Yes/No (based on assessment of market impact only)	Level of commercial potential, i.e: What is the assessed level of commercial potential? (based on assessment of market impact, commercial feasibility, commercial viability)
	Novelty	Potential novelty, i.e: Does the proposed innovation show potential novelty? Yes/No	Level of novelty, i.e: What is the assessed level of novelty?
	Potential benefits for innovation ecosystem	Potential to have benefits for ecosystem, i.e: Does the proposed innovation show potential to deliver benefits to the innovation ecosystem? Yes/No	Level of potential benefits for ecosystem, i.e: What is the assessed level of potential benefits for the innovation ecosystem?

Work Plan review

When applying for either grant you will also need to complete a “Work Plan” (provided with the application) to indicate:

what eligible activities you propose to do using any grant funding you receive, and
the estimated costs associated with this.

We will review the Work Plan as part of our assessment, to check whether the activities:

are reasonable, and
meet relevant eligibility criteria, including any spending limits that may apply.

What activities are eligible?

Funding can be used to support a wide range of activities, excluding R&D activities.

R&D is supported by other initiatives including the RDTI and New to R&D Grant.

We’ve provided an overview below of the types of activities supported by the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant.

Please note that this is a high-level overview, and you should consult the relevant eligible activities guidance for more detailed information.

Eligible Activities for the Ārohia Seed Grant is available now.

Eligible Activities for the Ārohia Full Grant will be made available in the future.

Ārohia Seed Grant

This supports activities aimed at testing assumptions and filling knowledge gaps regarding your innovation, and obtaining the evidence you need to support a future Ārohia Full Grant application.

These activities can include, but are not limited to:

conducting research into customers or market factors, e.g. to validate market demand
proof-of-concept testing with stakeholders, including creating a low fidelity prototype for the purpose of learning (not sale)
obtaining professional advice and services to assist in developing the innovation concept and determine if it represents a commercially feasible and viable opportunity
purchasing published reports and data.

Pitch preparation is also an eligible activity under the Ārohia Seed Grant.

This is becase shortlisted applicants for the Ārohia Full Grant will be invited to present to a grant evalutaion panel, and you may wish to obtain support to help you develop your presentation skills and create a pitch deck.

Ārohia Full Grant

This will support activities directly related to taking your innovation to market.

Guidance on eligible activities under the Ārohia Full Grant will be released in the future. However, it’s likely these activities could include:

product design and development (excluding R&D activities)
user research to test and refine pre-launch solution design
engagement with strategic partners regarding partner/joint venture agreements, supply chain relationships etc
software development and digital modelling of systems, products and processes
facilities design and establishment costs
some capital costs.

R&D activities are not eligible under this grant

The Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant supports non-R&D activities and costs.

R&D is what’s defined as R&D under the RDTI, i.e. activity that seeks to resolve a scientific or technical uncertainty, and any supporting activity that’s integral to resolving that uncertainty.

Where to start if you're interested in applying

Are you up for the challenge?

If you’re interested in the support offered by the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant, we suggest you start by reviewing:

the Ārohia Full Grant application process
the Ārohia Full Grant application questions that we will ask about your proposed innovation.

Please do this even if you intend to apply for the Ārohia Seed Grant. This is because:

there is a more rigorous assessment process for the Ārohia Full Grant, and you will need to be sure this is something you want to aim for
reviewing the Ārohia Full Grant questions will help you identify what knowledge gaps you have, and what evidence you need to obtain, to support a future Ārohia Full Grant application.

Adding value, regardless of application outcome

Whether or not your application is successful, the process of applying for the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant will potentially add value for your business. Here’s how:

many of the questions we ask are based on content you’d be expected to provide in a typical pitch to investors - that means you’ll be prompted to think about your innovation in a way that aligns with investor expectations
the information you compile for your application will be easily transferable to other scenarios, eg capital raising opportunities, as you progress along your path to market
by including your team in the preparation of your application, you can help to get everyone involved aligned on your concept and plans
if you apply for the Ārohia Full Grant and make it to the shortlist, we’ll invite you to present to a grant evaluation panel that includes external members with industry expertise - this will give you an opportunity and hone your pitching skills
we’ll give you feedback on your application that you can take into account when preparing any future approaches to investors, seeking support for your innovation.

I’m interested - what should I do next?

If you think the Ārohia Seed Grant is right for you, check out "Apply for the Ārohia Seed Grant" below, which will tell you how to apply.

If you think the Ārohia Full Grant is a better fit, register your interest and we’ll keep you updated when more information becomes available, including when applications will open.

Apply for the Ārohia Seed Grant

Application process

To apply for the Ārohia Seed Grant, you will need to complete an online application:

the main purpose of this is to obtain the information we need to assess your innovation, and determine if it shows sufficient potential to merit you obtaining further evidence about it
the application includes an Ārohia Seed Grant Work Plan, which asks for information such as:
- what eligible activities you propose to carry out using grant funding if your application is successful
- the estimated costs of your proposed activities.

Check out the example of the Ārohia Seed Grant application

What happens if my application is successful?

If your application is successful:

we will enter into a Funding Agreement with you
once the agreement is signed, you can invoice us to receive half of the funding up front
we’ll pay the other half at the end of the funding term, upon receipt of a Final Report and Claim for the balance of the approved funding - this must be supported by invoices evidencing the full costs incurred
we will generally fund eligible activities over a 12 month-period
we can’t cover costs incurred before the start date, or after the end date, of the Funding Agreement.

Ready to apply?

Get support to start the application process

Early information about the Ārohia Full Grant

Applications for this grant are not yet open. If you think the Ārohia Full Grant is right for you, register your interest and we’ll update you when applications open.

Please note that given the Ārohia Full Grant is not yet live, the information below is subject to change.

Application process

Applying for the Ārohia Full Grant will involve some or all of the following:

1. Online application

All applicants will be asked to complete an online application:

the main purpose of this will be to capture the information we need to assess your innovation
the application will also ask you to:
- complete an Ārohia Full Grant Work Plan, which asks for high-level information on the eligible activities you propose to carry out over 2 years using grant funding, if your application is successful, and
- the estimated costs of these activities.

The online application is not yet available, but you can view the full set of Ārohia Full Grant questions that we will ask about your innovation

2. Live, virtual presentation

Following an initial internal assessment of all applications received during a particular round, a shortlist of applicants will be selected to present a live, virtual pitch to a grant evaluation panel, that includes external members with industry expertise.

How will we decide who’s on the shortlist?

The shortlist will be based on the overall ranking received in the internal assessment.

Who will be on the Grant Evaluation Panel?

Members of the panel have not yet been finalised. We’re looking to appoint external members with industry expertise, who can not only help us select grant recipients, but also give you advice to assist you along your path to market.

What’s the format of the presentation?

We envisage that each presentation will provide an opportunity for you to:

deliver your pitch (we’ll provide guidance that you can use to help you develop your pitch deck)
engage in Q&A with panel members following your presentation.

How will panel members assess applications?

Panel members will use the Ārohia Full Grant assessment criteria as a framework, and will make recommendations to Callaghan Innovation on successful candidates based on their expertise and experience.

Callaghan Innovation will be the final decision maker on granting funding to successful candidates.

The Ārohia Full Grant assessment criteria, and more information about the live, virtual presentation, including members of the Grant Evaluation Panel and guidance on developing a pitch deck, will be provided in the future.

What will happen if your application is successful?

If your application is successful:

we will enter into a Funding Agreement with you
you can have up to 6 months from the date we sign the Funding Agreement to arrange your share of the co-funding (this doesn’t all need to be cash in the bank - it can include contractual agreements to provide payments over the period of the innovation project)
we’ll pay funding at regular intervals, in arrears, upon provision of a high-level Progress Report, supported by invoices and evidence of expenditure for costs claimed
we will generally fund eligible activities over a 2-year period
we will not be able to cover costs incurred before the start date, or after the end date, of the Funding Agreement.

Tell us what you think!

This is the first time that a grant of this nature has been launched in New Zealand.

In designing the grant, we looked at comparable models overseas, but the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant also includes some features unique to Aotearoa New Zealand.

We’re excited by the new types of support offered and the grant’s potential to help transform the wider innovation ecosystem, and we welcome any feedback you may wish to provide.

Because this is a new grant, we are open to making changes over time, based on user experience and subject to our obligations under the Ministerial Direction.

Please provide feedback here.

Resources

General

Ministerial Direction

Ārohia Seed Grant

Ārohia Full Grant

Ārohia Full Grant application questions

Updated: 30 May 2023

Callaghan Innovation