RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
New to R&D Grant
Callaghan Innovation administer the New to R&D grant, which came into effect in December 2022. They advise “The New to R&D Grant offers more than just research and development funding—over a two-year period, it will help you develop your R&D capability, making you better at it, not just for the first time, but for the long-term. The grant also helps you prepare your business to access future R&D funding through the Research & Development Tax Incentive. To keep innovating, you need to round out your innovation skills and we can help by providing funding and support to develop your R&D capability in seven critical areas”:
Customer Input. “Clearly understand your target customers and develop a vision of the customer problem your products and services will solve. Doing this early in your R&D/product development will give you greater confidence in the direction your R&D should take.
Intellectual Property. Understand the strategic and ongoing cost implications of patent protection and the impact on your commercial goals. This will ensure you have the freedom to operate in your intended markets and understand the potential value and scope of the intangible value you will generate.
Regulatory and Compliance. Understand the regulatory market landscape and how it will inform your R&D activities and final product. Doing this early is key because regulatory compliance is likely to impact the course of your R&D.
Lean R&D. Maintain momentum as you acquire new information and knowledge through your research activities. Lean creates a culture of continuous improvement that helps businesses improve workflow, create certainty in the face of research uncertainties, keep waste and costs down, and bring focus to customer value-adding activities.
Project Management. Plan, prioritise and manage the tasks required to complete your project within the agreed deadlines and budgets. R&D project management is more complex due to a higher level of uncertainty, which makes it harder to plan budgets, resources and schedules.
R&D Information Management. Understand how to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your research information. Storing your research data centrally and linking it to other internal systems will help you generate valuable insights, make more informed decisions and maximise resource utilisation. A solid Information Management System can also keep your data safe.
R&D Tax Incentive. Understand the eligibility requirements for the R&D Tax Incentive (RDTI). The RDTI is about encouraging R&D that pushes beyond existing scientific and technological barriers, and does this in a way that’s both systematic and goal-focused. R&D can mean different things in different contexts”.
Customer Input. “Clearly understand your target customers and develop a vision of the customer problem your products and services will solve. Doing this early in your R&D/product development will give you greater confidence in the direction your R&D should take.
Intellectual Property. Understand the strategic and ongoing cost implications of patent protection and the impact on your commercial goals. This will ensure you have the freedom to operate in your intended markets and understand the potential value and scope of the intangible value you will generate.
Regulatory and Compliance. Understand the regulatory market landscape and how it will inform your R&D activities and final product. Doing this early is key because regulatory compliance is likely to impact the course of your R&D.
Lean R&D. Maintain momentum as you acquire new information and knowledge through your research activities. Lean creates a culture of continuous improvement that helps businesses improve workflow, create certainty in the face of research uncertainties, keep waste and costs down, and bring focus to customer value-adding activities.
Project Management. Plan, prioritise and manage the tasks required to complete your project within the agreed deadlines and budgets. R&D project management is more complex due to a higher level of uncertainty, which makes it harder to plan budgets, resources and schedules.
R&D Information Management. Understand how to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your research information. Storing your research data centrally and linking it to other internal systems will help you generate valuable insights, make more informed decisions and maximise resource utilisation. A solid Information Management System can also keep your data safe.
R&D Tax Incentive. Understand the eligibility requirements for the R&D Tax Incentive (RDTI). The RDTI is about encouraging R&D that pushes beyond existing scientific and technological barriers, and does this in a way that’s both systematic and goal-focused. R&D can mean different things in different contexts”.
Eligibility Criteria. Refer to the company eligibility criteria listed below for the R&D Project grant. In addition, you “must also meet all of the following criteria:
- Your business must not have received any government funding on or since 1 July 2019 for R&D including any Callaghan Innovation grant or loan, the Research and Development Tax Incentive or any other government funding intended to support R&D (Getting Started grants are excluded from this requirement).
- Your business must have spent less than $50,000 in total on R&D over the last three years.
- You must be able to fund your share of the R&D costs.
- If you are part of a corporate group containing other R&D performing businesses, you may not be eligible to apply. You will be assessed on whether you have access to the capabilities of those businesses to assist you with your R&D”.
Research and Development Project Grant - Closed
The Callaghan Innovation Research and Development Project Grant is no longer available.
Firms undertaking R&D should apply for the Research and Development tax incentiive.
Callaghan Innovation Trailblazer Grant Available 2023
Callaghan Innovation have announced their new “Trail Blazer” grant. They advise “the Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant will actually comprise two grants. We are excited to announce that the Ārohia Seed Grant is now open for applications. Designed for businesses at an earlier stage of market readiness, who still have untested assumptions or knowledge gaps regarding their innovation. Offers funding of up to $25,000 (50% co-funded) to help address the assumptions and knowledge gaps, and obtain the evidence needed to prepare an application for the Ārohia Full Grant.
The Ārohia Full Grant Opens Later in 2023. Offers funding of up to $4 million (30% co-funded) to support activities involved in taking the innovation to market”.
- Key Features
- “Get financial support towards activities (excluding R&D) involved in taking your innovation to market for the first time. Your innovation can be a product, process, service or business model, or a combination of these. Two grants in one - as well as offering funding to help get an innovation to market, we can also support you to apply for that funding. Applying will help you get better aligned with investor expectations, and better prepared for future capital raises. Note: The Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant supports (a) Non-R&D activities - if you want support towards R&D, check out the RDTI or New to R&D Grant; (b) Innovation that is not already in the market.
- To be considered for funding, your innovation must be a product, process, service or business model (or combination of these) that:
- has commercial potential, and
- is novel, and
- will have potential benefits for the innovation ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Regional Business Partners
The first point of contact for these grants is through a network of Regional Business Partners. Callaghan Innovation's Regional Business Partners appointed to deliver this funding are listed on our business grants page. Contact the Regional Business Partner closest to you to discuss your project.
Student R&D Grants
The eligible expenditure funded under the different student grants is normally limited to the wages and salary of the student, a tax-free stipend for the student, a tertiary administration fee and, when the business is located a significant distance from the tertiary institute, a travel allowance for the student.
Help Applying for R&D Grants
We are experienced in helping companies apply for R&D grants. We can help you manage the application process from scoping the project, online documentation and submission; preparing reports and filing claims; as well as liaison with Callaghan Innovation. First up provide us with an outline of your proposed R&D project goals and objectives. To make a start click on the link below.
Sources. RDTI Hub, Callaghan Innovation. MBIE.
This page was last updated on 4 May 2023