New to R&D Grant

New to R&D Grant

Supports New Zealand first-time innovators with startup grants for early projects.

The New to R&D Grant, administered by MBIE's Innovation Services (formerly a Callaghan Innovation programme, transferred on 1 December 2025), covers 40% of eligible R&D costs for New Zealand businesses undertaking R&D for the first time. The maximum grant is NZD $400,000, based on a maximum eligible project spend of NZD $1 million; applicants fund the remaining 60% themselves, and that co-funding cannot come from other New Zealand government or public sources. Applications were confirmed open as of May 2026. To qualify, a business must have spent less than NZD $150,000 on R&D in the past three years and received under NZD $5,000 in government R&D funding in that same period.

Eligible applicants are New Zealand-registered businesses — specifically for-profit companies. Sole traders, charitable trusts, partnerships, joint ventures, and certain government-controlled organizations are ineligible. Nonprofits, universities, and research organizations are also excluded. Grantees must select at least two capability development areas from a menu of six (intellectual property, regulatory compliance, project management, lean R&D, customer understanding, and information management), and must allocate a minimum of 5% of total project costs to those capability development activities. The grant runs for up to two years, with quarterly claims and reporting via the online grants portal.

The application process begins with a direct contact to Innovation Services for an eligibility check before submitting a formal application through the portal. Strong applicants will clearly articulate the technical uncertainty underpinning their R&D, demonstrate that the work meets the statutory definition of eligible R&D activity, and show they have the internal capacity and co-funding in place to sustain a two-year programme. This grant is designed as an on-ramp: graduates are expected to transition to the R&D Tax Incentive (which provides a 15% ongoing credit) once they have established an R&D practice.