He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund 2027 Investment Plan

Policy intent

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund will support economic growth by investing in the Māori economy and realising its potential through science, innovation and technology (SI&T), by growing Māori participation in SI&T and strengthening 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 through implementation, impact and partnerships between 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 to undertake research that promote economic outcomes, including environmental outcomes with clear economic benefits.

Funding information

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 Research Funding New Zealand (RFNZ).

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. This is for 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.

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

Aims of the fund

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund aims to:

• increase understanding of how scientific research* can contribute to realising the potential of the Māori economy and deliver benefit for New Zealand, with a focus on promoting economic growth, implementation, impact 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 to undertake high-quality scientific research and deliver 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 through commercialisation and other pathways that promote economically focused outcomes, including environmental outcomes with demonstrable economic benefits.
• Build Māori users’ understanding of how scientific research can contribute to economic outcomes, including environmental outcomes with demonstrable economic benefits.
• Build scientific research capability, capacity, and skills and new partnerships with research organisations in alignment with the Vision Mātauranga policy themes and outcomes.
• Promote and improve understanding of Mātauranga Māori relevant to the science, innovation and technology system.

Science, innovation and technology system

• Increase and strengthen connections, networks and collaborations between Māori and science researchers and organisations to support high quality science outcomes that promote 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, the Vision Mātauranga policy themes and outcomes, and the Science Investment Plan.

Investment schemes

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund will support proposals in two 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 RFNZ.

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 must have demonstrated economic outcomes.
• The translation and mobilisation of scientific research and science expertise that must have demonstrated economic outcomes.
• Identification of, and small-scale testing for, the industry and market validity of scientific research projects that have the potential to address known economic challenges identified by Māori-facing organisations and communities.

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 and the science, innovation and technology system. It funds research partnerships between research organisations and Māori to undertake SI&T relevant research focussing on economic outcomes, including environmental outcomes with clear economic benefits, aligned with the Science Investment Plan. 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. The work programme should target capability building in SI&T. It is not intended to support business opportunities, training programmes or education opportunities. As such it will not support or extend currently funded research projects. There is an opportunity for students to be involved in projects as research staff on a part-time basis.

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-facing 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

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 regarding 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.

Alignment to Government priorities and science reform

The He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund aligns with the Government’s SI&T investment framework by supporting economic growth through increased Māori participation in science, innovation and technology. Consistent with its policy intent, the Fund builds Māori capability, strengthens partnerships with the science system, and supports pathways from research to impact. As a capability‑focused fund, it is not confined to a single pillar and may contribute to one or more of the Government’s four strategic pillars.