PreSeed Accelerator Fund

The PreSeed Accelerator Fund supports early stage technology commercialisation activities which:

• maximise the commercial benefits to New Zealand from publicly funded research
• improve the commercial capability and skills of public research organisations
• promote linkages between public research organisations and potential private sector partners, including industry players and capital providers, in New Zealand and offshore.

PreSeed works alongside the Commercialisation Partner Network (CPN). CPN builds capability and PreSeed provides project funding.

The 2019 investment round

In the 2019 investment round we will invest $17,994,920 over two years to advance commercialisation projects to a point of investor-readiness. This includes the $1,566,000 per year increase for CPN and PreSeed that was announced in Budget 2019.

In December 2018, we issued a call for proposals to be considered for PreSeed 2019 funding. The successful applicants follow:

• Auckland UniServices Ltd
• Kiwi Innovation Network Ltd (KiwiNet)
• New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd (Scion)
• Otago Innovation Limited

The Fund is a devolved fund. Working with a Commercialisation Partner Network Investment Committee, successful applicants will use PreSeed funding to progress their chosen commercialisation projects to investor readiness.

PreSeed funding can be used to support commercialisation prospects that result from any publicly-funded research or research capability.

The PreSeed Call for Proposals contains the information what was required to prepare and submit a funding proposal. This remains as a detailed guideline to the purpose of the fund.

PreSeed Accelerator Fund Call for Proposals 2019 Investment Round [PDF, 1.6 MB]

The PreSeed Accelerator Fund Assessment Guidelines contains information on the assessment process.

PreSeed Accelerator Fund Assessment Guidelines 2019 Investment Round [PDF, 907 KB]

Read the annual reporting guidelines that apply to successful contract holders of the 2019 investment round for contestable investment funded programmes:

Contestable Investments Annual Reporting Guidelines for the period 2021 – 2022 [PDF, 933 KB]

For more information, email PreSeed@mbie.govt.nz

Non-devolved PreSeed funding

The non-devolved component of PreSeed has been halted. Public or not-for-profit research organisations, or collectives of organisations, that do not have a devolved PreSeed contract should contact KiwiNet for assistance with commercialisation projects.

For more information, email PreSeed@mbie.govt.nz