The Ārohia Evidence Grant (previously known as the Ārohia Seed Grant) is now open.
If your business intends to apply for the the Ārohia Trailblazer grant, but doesn’t quite yet have the evidence to demonstrate the key attributes, the Ārohia Evidence Grant (previously known as the Arohia Seed Grant) can provide funding so that you can prepare an application for the full Ārohia Trailblazer Grant in the future.
The funding - up to $25,000 - can be used for a range of evidence gathering activities, including customer research, professional advice, purchasing reports and pitch preparation and demonstration models.
Along with preparing you for an Ārohia Trailblazer Grant application, the Evidence grant will also prepare you for finding future investment. Your findings and new knowledge will help enhance your pitches and impress investors.
By the numbers
Benefits to your business
Start preparing the evidence for your application for the Ārohia Trailblazer Grant.
Receive co-funding of up to $25,000 to use in evidence gathering activities.
Test assumptions and fill knowledge gaps associated with your innovation
Use your new knowledge and evidence to secure future investments
Who is the Ārohia Evidence grant for?
The Ārohia Evidence Grant is designed for businesses that have their sights set on the Trailblazer grant, but don’t quite yet have the evidence to demonstrate the key attributes.
The grant provides funding to collect the evidence required to showcase the key attributes that we’re looking for.
Like the Arohia Trailblazer grant, your product or service can not be for sale, or available to customers (not yet in-market). This is one of the key attributes required for the Arohia Trailblazer Grant.
Collecting evidence
There are four key attributes you need to demonstrate for the Arohia Trailblazer Grant. The three attributes that the Evidence grant can help you collect evidence for, are:
Eligibility
You can use Ārohia Evidence Grant funding for a range of activities that will help you obtain evidence needed for a future Ārohia Trailblazer Grant application.
This includes:
-
- conducting research into customers or market factors, e.g. to validate market demand
- proof-of-concept testing with stakeholders, including creating low fidelity demonstration models, for the purpose of learning - not sale
- obtaining professional advice and services to help develop the innovation concept and determine if it represents a commercially feasible and viable opportunity
- purchasing published reports and data
- pitch preparation - obtain support to help you develop your presentation skills and create a pitch deck. This is a key step for applicants short-listed in the Ārohia Trailblazer Grant).
Full details are available in the Eligible Activities for the Ārohia Evidence Grant document.
Don’t forget - R&D activities are not eligible.
This grant does not support research and development activities and costs - that’s any activities and costs that go toward resolving a scientific or technological uncertainty, and any supporting activity that’s integral to resolving that uncertainty.
If you’re looking for funding for R&D, we’d advise you explore the New to R&D Grant and the Research & Development Tax Incentive.
Entities eligible to apply:
You can apply for an Ārohia Evidence Grant if you are:
-
- a Company registered (and incorporated) 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:
Entities not eligible for the Ārohia Evidence Grant include:
-
- Local authorities, government departments or agencies
- State Owned Enterprises and Public Finance Act 1989 Schedule 4A companies
- Local, national and regional promotional bodies
- Crown entities
- Crown Research Institutes (CRIs)
- Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) including foreign-owned TEOs
- Entities controlled by any of the above
- Callaghan Innovation
- Sole traders
- Charitable trusts
- Partnerships
- Unincorporated Joint Ventures
- Unincorporated charities
- Incorporated societies
- Trusts (other than a Māori Trust as expressly stated under eligible business criteria).
You can use Ārohia Evidence Grant funding for a range of activities that will help you obtain evidence needed for a future Ārohia Trailblazer Grant application.
This includes:
-
- conducting research into customers or market factors, e.g. to validate market demand
- proof-of-concept testing with stakeholders, including creating low fidelity demonstration models, for the purpose of learning - not sale
- obtaining professional advice and services to help develop the innovation concept and determine if it represents a commercially feasible and viable opportunity
- purchasing published reports and data
- pitch preparation - obtain support to help you develop your presentation skills and create a pitch deck. This is a key step for applicants short-listed in the Ārohia Trailblazer Grant).
Full details are available in the Eligible Activities for the Ārohia Evidence Grant document.
Don’t forget - R&D activities are not eligible.
This grant does not support research and development activities and costs - that’s any activities and costs that go toward resolving a scientific or technological uncertainty, and any supporting activity that’s integral to resolving that uncertainty.
If you’re looking for funding for R&D, we’d advise you explore the New to R&D Grant and the Research & Development Tax Incentive.
Entities eligible to apply:
You can apply for an Ārohia Evidence Grant if you are:
-
- a Company registered (and incorporated) 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:
Entities not eligible for the Ārohia Evidence Grant include:
-
- Local authorities, government departments or agencies
- State Owned Enterprises and Public Finance Act 1989 Schedule 4A companies
- Local, national and regional promotional bodies
- Crown entities
- Crown Research Institutes (CRIs)
- Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) including foreign-owned TEOs
- Entities controlled by any of the above
- Callaghan Innovation
- Sole traders
- Charitable trusts
- Partnerships
- Unincorporated Joint Ventures
- Unincorporated charities
- Incorporated societies
- Trusts (other than a Māori Trust as expressly stated under eligible business criteria).
Funding available
Like many other government grants, applicants will need to secure co-funding. Applicants can apply for up to $25,000.
For every $1 granted by Callaghan Innovation, the business will need to match a $1 from their own funds, or via private investment.
We will support eligible activities over a 12-month period. We can’t cover costs incurred before the contract start date, or after the contract end date, as set out in the Funding Agreement we will sign with you.
Funding remaining
After each Ārohia Evidence Decision Committee meeting, the below numbers will be updated to indicate the funding that remains for the current round.
(*This data reflects the maximum possible funding available at the time of update. Applications that are in process will impact the accuracy of these figures.)
Key dates and deadlines
Wednesday April 3rd - Applications open for Ārohia Evidence Grant.
The Ārohia Evidence Grant Decision Committee will meet every two weeks, starting from late April, to assess applications. These meetings will continue until the funding has been allocated.
The next round of applications, round 3, is expected to open in November / December 2024.
This is your next opportunity to apply for the the Ārohia Trailblazer Grant If you are applying for an Evidence grant in the current round of applications,
Applying for both grants
Due to the timings of applications for both Ārohia Trailblazer and Evidence grants, simultaneous applications are strongly discouraged.
Start your application
Connect with our team, who can support you with your Ārohia Evidence Grant application.
