He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund 2025 Investment Plan

Policy intent

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund will support economic growth by investing in and growing Māori science, innovation and technology (SI&T) and Māori economy participation by strengthening the capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the SI&T system. It will do this by funding discrete SI&T relevant research projects that promote economic growth, impact, implementation and partnerships from research organisations and Māori. 

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund invests in:

• impact pathways for research with a focus on enabling commercialisation and outcomes that promote economic growth from research.
• the development of skilled people and organisations that plan to undertake or are undertaking research towards economic, and/or environmental outcomes. 

Funding available

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund will be administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Final funding decisions for the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund will be made by MBIE’s Deputy Secretary Labour, Science and Enterprise. 

For the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund, approximately $2.1 million (excluding GST) is available to fund Ara Whaihua - Impact pathways for research and approximately $6.5 million (excluding GST) is available to fund Rangapū Rangahau - Research partnerships.

Separate to MBIE’s administration of the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund, an additional $1.982 million per year is devolved to the Health Research Council of New Zealand to invest in the development of skilled people and organisations that plan to undertake or are undertaking research towards health outcomes; and impact pathways for research with a focus on enabling commercialisation, economic and health outcomes from research.  

The Vote Business, Science and Innovation: Talent and Science Promotion appropriation allocates monies to the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund.

This point forward primarily addresses matters regarding the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund. 

Aims

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund aims to:

• increase understanding of how scientific research* can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for New Zealand, with a focus on promoting economic growth, impact, implementation and partnerships, and
• strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science, innovation and technology system.

*Science definition: Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systemic methodology based on evidence.  

Excellence and impact

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund focusses on achieving excellence and impact by investing in the development of people and organisations with the skills and capacity to develop high quality, innovative solutions through science, innovation and technology that promote economic growth and support the Vision Mātauranga Policy. 

It seeks excellence by developing, retaining, and attracting talented people and organisations through undertaking high quality scientific research, and innovation solutions relevant to science, innovation and technology. 

It seeks impact through programmes of work that explore the ways in which scientific research and its development and commercial application can benefit whānau, communities, the Māori economy, and New Zealand.

Investment objectives

The investment objectives of the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund are to:

Māori facing organisations and communities

• Increase the uptake and application of scientific research results by Māori SI&T users, businesses, and entrepreneurs primarily through commercialisation, promoting economic growth and/or environmental research outcomes. 
• Build Māori users’ understanding of how scientific research can contribute to economic, and/or environmental outcomes.
• Build scientific research capability, capacity, and skills in Māori organisations and new partnerships with research organisations in alignment with the Vision Mātauranga policy themes and outcomes.
• Improve their understanding of mātauranga Māori relevant to the science, innovation and technology system.

Science, innovation and technology system

• increase and strengthen Māori organisation connections, networks and collaborations with science researchers and organisations for high quality science outcomes promoting economic growth.
• identify effective ways to transfer, share and create knowledge between Māori and researchers.
• explore and develop new opportunities to undertake scientific research that are relevant to science, innovation and technology and the Vision Mātauranga policy themes and outcomes.

Investment Schemes

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund will support proposals in 2 ways, through:

• Ara Whaihua - impact pathways for research 
• Rangapū Rangahau – research partnerships

The investment decisions of this fund are influenced by:

• government changes to investment levels or appropriations; and
• the quality and demand of proposals received, with final funding decisions made by MBIE under delegation from the Minister.

Ara Whaihua - Impact pathways for research scheme

This scheme focusses on scientific research that is ready to be implemented, rather than exploratory. It invests in work programmes of 12 months and focusses primarily on commercialisation and promoting economic growth from science. 

Through this scheme, Māori businesses, entrepreneurs and research active organisations will have:

• Made best use of existing scientific research by developing impact and outcome pathways for SI&T that primarily focusses on tangible commercialisation and promote economic growth. 

Work programmes should provide a catalyst for Māori businesses, entrepreneurs and research active organisations to focus primarily on the implementation of scientific research for commercialisation and outcomes that promote economic growth from science.

Examples of impact pathways for SI&T schemes include (but are not limited to):

• The development of a business case, feasibility plan, industry performance plan that primarily have economic outcomes. 
• The translation and mobilisation of scientific research and science expertise primarily focussed on economic outcomes.
• Identification of and small-scale testing for industry and market validity of scientific research projects that have the potential to primarily solve a known economic challenge which is important to Māori facing organisations and communities.

Applications for the 2026 investment round are now open:

Ara Whaihua Call for Proposals 2026 investment round - He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund

Rangapū Rangahau - Research Partnerships Scheme

This scheme invests in work programmes of two years that strengthen capability and networks by building new connections between Māori organisations and the science, innovation and technology system. It funds research partnerships between research organisations and Māori to undertake SI&T relevant research focussing primarily on promoting economic growth and/or environmental outcomes. These will be for programmes of work which would not ordinarily be achievable during normal business.

Through this scheme research organisations and Māori facing organisations will have:

• Planned, designed and delivered SI&T relevant research projects. This involves supporting each other in their practice, sharing knowledge and methodologies, and providing general support to build strong connections and linkages within the SI&T system to deliver the scientific research. 
• Networked and collaborated in scientific research by learning with and from others in SI&T. This involves bringing together stakeholders, differing perspectives and expertise to enhance the quality, capability and capacity of research within the SI&T system.
• Grown research capability in the SI&T system by building foundational skills in the day-to-day practice of delivering, designing and implementing research. 

Work programmes should provide a catalyst to establish new connections between Māori facing organisations and research organisations and opportunities to work collaboratively on SI&T relevant research. They should not support or extend existing research projects currently being funded, and/or involve full-time students.

Proposals must be co-developed between the research organisation and the Māori facing organisation. A proposal must be accompanied by written endorsement of the proposed work programme from both the research organisation and a Māori organisation that will be involved with the proposal.

Examples of research partnership schemes include (but are not limited to):

• the development and delivery of innovative initiatives that encourage Māori facing organisations and the research community to engage effectively on research projects
• the formation and support of groups of researchers across organisations to collaborate on Vision Mātauranga capability building initiatives for scientific research programmes and provide mutual support/mentoring
• fostering and establishing new networks between mātauranga holders or practitioners, and the research community, with a view to exploring and implementing innovative ways to use mātauranga to deliver SI&T benefit to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Applications for the 2026 investment round are now open:

Rangapū Rangahau Call for Proposals 2026 investment round - He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund

Alignment to the Vision Mātauranga Policy

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund supports the themes and outcomes of the Vision Mātauranga policy which aims to unlock the science and innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people to assist New Zealanders to create a better future. The fund seeks to: 

• use the science and innovation system to help unlock the potential of Māori knowledge, people and resources for the benefit of New Zealand.
• recognise Māori as important partners in science and innovation; both as inter-generational guardians of significant natural resources and indigenous knowledge, and owners and managers of commercial assets relevant to SI&T.
• build the capability of Māori individuals, businesses, incorporations, rūnanga, trusts, iwi, hapū, and marae to engage with science, innovation and technology.
• maximise the quality of the relationship between Māori and the Crown in science and innovation with regard to the Treaty of Waitangi.

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund primarily focusses on the following themes:

• Indigenous Innovation: Contributing to economic growth through distinctive research and development.
• Taiao / Environment: Achieving environmental sustainability through iwi and hapū relationships with land and sea.
• Mātauranga: Exploring indigenous knowledge and science and innovation.

The Health Research Council of New Zealand’s allocation outlined in the section ‘Funding Available’, primarily focusses on the theme:

• Hauora/Health: Improving health and social well-being.

View the Vision Mātauranga policy. 

Vision Mātauranga

Alignment to system policy

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund also interacts and aligns to this Government’s priorities.