Completing and submitting your feasibility permit application

To be eligible to apply for a feasibility permit, as set out in section 15(e) of the Act, you must be either:

• a body corporate incorporated in New Zealand (for example, a New Zealand registered company), or
• an overseas company registered under Part 18 of the Companies Act 1993.

Application form

This form must be completed and submitted when applying for a feasibility permit during an open application round.

Any information you provide will be collected, used, and managed in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and MBIE’s privacy statement. Please refer to the privacy statement in the application form for more information about how your personal information will be handled. Information provided with your application is treated confidentially but may be subject to release under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982. If this is the case, we may consult with you before the material is considered for public release.

Privacy Act 2020(external link)  — New Zealand Legislation

MBIE’s privacy statement

Official Information Act 1982(external link)  — New Zealand Legislation

Applicants must also submit other required information with their application. See the Application documentation list section for details on what documents should be provided.

Application documentation

Paying application fee

Applicants must pay the application fee before submitting their application and should include evidence of payment with their application.

Application fee for a feasibility permit:

$130,000 (excluding GST)

GST (15%): NZ$19,500

Total payable: NZ$149,500 (including GST)

All fees are in New Zealand dollars.

Acceptable forms of proof of payment include:

A bank transfer confirmation or receipt that shows the payment details, including the date of payment, recipient account details, and the reference or particulars used for the transfer.

Payment must be made by direct credit or direct deposit. Other payment methods, such as cheques or credit cards, will not be accepted.

Applicants making payment from overseas should check with their bank to understand any fees that may apply to the transfer and ensure all applicable bank fees, including any receiving bank fees are paid before making a payment. Any bank fees incurred during the payment process are to be paid for by the applicant. International transfers may incur charges from both the sending and receiving banks. Applicants should ensure that sufficient funds are transferred to cover all bank charges so that the full payment amount is received.

Bank account information for payment:

Bank name: Westpac Banking Corporation Limited
Account name: MINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION & EMPLOYMENT- Departmental
Account number: 03-0049-0005128-00
References: ORE2026. Applicant’s Name. 6267
Swift code (for international transactions): WPACNZ2W
Address: Government Support Level 15, 318 Lambton Quay

All payments, whether domestic or international, must be received and cleared within 14 calendar days of the application deadline. Applicants making payments from overseas should allow sufficient time for the transaction to be processed and cleared. If the fee is not received within this timeframe, the application may be rejected.

The application fee is non-refundable, including where an applicant withdraws their application or the Minister rejects an application because it does not comply with the requirements of the Act.

Applicants must also pay an annual levy if a feasibility permit is granted.

Details about the annual levy, including the amount payable and payment process will be provided closer to the time.

Application documentation list

The below list can be used as a reference for the documents you should submit as part of your application for a feasibility permit.

Sections 15 and 124 of the Offshore Renewable Energy Act 2026 and Section 7 of the Offshore Renewable Energy Regulations 2026 outline information that must be submitted, along with any requirements in the Round Notice. 

Documents to be submitted

• ORE1100 Feasibility Permit Application Form –the approved feasibility permit application form. 
• Proof of payment -proof of payment of the prescribed fee of $130,000 excluding GST.
• Preliminary Project Outline (PPO) - provides a preliminary overview of the applicant’s proposed future ORE development.
• Project Development Plan (PDP) - covers an applicant’s plan over the feasibility period.
• Public Application Summary - a summary of the proposed ORE development intended for the public to support their understanding and engagement.
• Preliminary Consultation Document (PCD) - sets out the pre-application consultation an applicant has carried out with Māori groups, and their approach to carrying out consultation with the holders of other rights and interests in the proposed permit area.
• Any additional information required by the Round Notice. 

How to submit your application

Applications may be submitted at any time during the application submission period and must be received by the deadline specified in the current application round notice. Applications will not be assessed until after the round has closed and all applications have been received. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application well in advance of the closing date to ensure it is received by MBIE on time.

You may submit your application documents using one of the following methods:

Via email to offshorerenewables@mbie.govt.nz

Attach your application form and all supporting documentation to an email with the subject line: "Feasibility permit application - [applicant name]".

offshorerenewables@mbie.govt.nz

Note: The maximum email size is 50 MB, and each individual attachment must be less than 20 MB. Emails or attachments that exceed these limits may not be received by MBIE. In some cases, you may not receive a notification that your email or attachment was not delivered.

If your application documents need to be sent across multiple emails, clearly label each email (for example, "Email 1 of 5 - Feasibility permit application - [applicant name]") to ensure all documents are received and processed correctly.

Please ensure your documents are not encrypted or password-protected, as these files may be blocked by system security controls and cannot be received or processed.

Please ensure the file names of documents clearly and accurately reflect the document content. Files names should match any file names you have listed in the relevant section of the application form.

Via MBIE’s secure file transfer system (OpenText Core Share)

OpenText Core Share is MBIE's secure file transfer system. It can be used to securely submit large application files or supporting information that may be difficult to send by email.

If you wish to submit your application using OpenText Core Share, you must contact MBIE at least 10 calendar days before the application deadline. This allows sufficient time for MBIE to provide access, and for applicants to complete the account registration and verification process required to access the system. Requests received after this timeframe may not be accommodated.

To submit your application using this method:

1. Email offshorerenewables@mbie.govt.nz with the subject line: "Submitting a feasibility permit application via MBIE's secure file transfer system - [applicant name]" and advise that you wish to use the secure file transfer system.
   offshorerenewables@mbie.govt.nz
2. You will then be provided with a unique key and instructions on submitting your application. Please note that it may take up to 48 hours to generate the unique key and provide you with instructions. 
3. Follow the instructions provided, as you will first need to create an account and complete your registration.
4. Once you have completed your registration and confirmed your account, you should be presented with the Core Webportal and have access to share your files.

If you wish to use a method other than those set out above, you must obtain MBIE's prior agreement. For any application or submission queries, please email:

offshorerenewables@mbie.govt.nz

After you apply

We will contact you to confirm that your application has been received. If your application does not include all required information, it may be considered incomplete.

We may request further information from applicants during the review and assessment process where required.

Applicants must notify us as soon as reasonably practicable if, before a decision is made on their application, they become aware of any change in circumstances that may materially affect the consideration of their application.

If your application is successful, you will receive an offer of a feasibility permit. The permit offer will specify how, and by when, you must accept or decline it. It will also specify:

• the name of the permit holder
• the renewable energy resource proposed to be used under a commercial permit, if granted
• the proposed amount of power to be generated under a commercial permit, if granted
• the permit area
• the start date and end date of the permit
• the ORE feasibility activities that must be commenced within 12 months of the permit’s start date
• the conditions of the permit
• any other matters prescribed by the regulations

If the application is to be granted in part, the offer will specify which part or parts of the application are to be granted. If you decline the offer, or do not respond by the specified deadline, the offer will be revoked or expire automatically.