Catalyst Fund — Strategic

Catalyst Strategic is the largest of the four Catalyst Fund streams, taking 80 to 90 percent of total Catalyst spend. Under MBIE's Catalyst Fund, it supports strategic research and large-scale pre-research collaborations with priority international partners and in targeted areas. The current investment plan runs from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2028. The stream uses grant funding through contestable rounds or negotiated investments, usually tied to country partnerships such as New Zealand-United States Global Centers and the New Zealand-China Strategic Research Alliance. The fund's published model also covers joint calls, one-off grants, and time-critical international opportunities, with individual investment values set by the relevant call. MBIE, the Royal Society Te Apārangi, and the Health Research Council administer Catalyst research programmes. Good proposals are high-impact, internationally connected, and clearly relevant to New Zealand's economic, societal, or environmental wellbeing. They should show why the partnership is needed, how it deepens global research links, and where relevant how they will use a fit-for-purpose Vision Mātauranga approach. The stream suits organisations that can operate across borders and deliver work that would be harder to fund domestically.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.