We received an incredible number of Expressions of Interest (EOI) for our 2026 transitional Agribusiness Innovation Grant (AIG) round – much higher than anticipated, exceeding the number of applications we received in total across three separate grant rounds in 2024–25.
The purpose of the EOI stage of AGMARDT’s transitional AIG round was to create a short first step in the funding process to test strategic fit, before applicants were asked to commit more time to a full application.
We also found it had a second and extremely valuable purpose: as a listening exercise, letting us know where the attention, ambition and energy of our food and fibre innovators are currently focussed.
“Hearing from innovators across the full food and fibre sector gave us a much clearer picture of where the opportunities and pressure points are, and insights that are shaping where we focus next,” says Lee-Ann Marsh, Chief Executive of AGMARDT.
A short first step
AGMARDT continues to evolve how we can best use our resources to ignite transformation in Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibre sector. This transitional round was a step in that evolution, providing a bridge between the funding model AGMARDT has run for years and a redesigned, more relational and collaborative approach we’ll operate from 2027.
Rather than jumping straight to a full application, applicants were asked for a short EOI first to test alignment with AGMARDT’s strategic direction. We aimed for this to take just an hour or two for applicants and kept the process lean on AGMARDT’s side by ruling out pre-submission conversations and detailed feedback.
Projects that had already received AGMARDT funding weren’t eligible to apply again, although past recipients with new ideas were welcomed back.
“Hearing from innovators across the full food and fibre sector gave us a much clearer picture of where the opportunities and pressure points are, and insights that are shaping where we focus next”
—Lee-Ann Marsh, Chief Executive of AGMARDT.
What we heard
Because of the volume of EOIs received, we were able to review them across six broad themes.
Pests, crop disease and biosecurity drew a number of eligible ideas, most of them leaning toward proactive management over reactive treatment, an approach our Trustees have historically often preferred. Many took aim at a single pest, species or crop. The ideas that stood out went after several targets or crops at once. One pest in particular, varroa, was the focus of several applications. Assessing this theme raised questions about sector priorities that were difficult for AGMARDT to answer in isolation. As a result, we plan to engage with industry to better understand pest and disease priorities, and whether and how AGMARDT support might contribute to progress.
Assessing this theme raised questions about sector priorities that were difficult for AGMARDT to answer in isolation.
Ideas around livestock productivity and animal health tended to support progress that was more incremental than transformational, easing a labour or seasonal pain point rather than solving it outright. Mastitis was another focus, as it has been in many historical grant rounds. Sometimes, collaborators we’d expect to back these ideas, whether as funding partners or in-kind supporters, weren’t named in the application. When an idea for tackling a well-known problem is seeking AGMARDT investment, we look for industry to co-invest to show support.
The second-largest theme, reducing chemicals, better fertiliser and climate resilience, gave us a mix of early-stage science ideas and practical tools, with water resilience ideas emerging as a response to our changing climate. Apps, drones and AI systems built to fine-tune systems suggest that precision agrichemical application is a future state many see as important. We received more of these agritech applications compared to past grant rounds, signalling strong demand and a sector-wide funding gap linked to the shifting funding landscape. We prioritised EOIs that had clear pathways to potential commercialisation or adoption.
We received more of these agritech applications compared to past grant rounds, signalling strong demand and a sector-wide funding gap linked to the shifting funding landscape.
High-value products, ingredients and waste valorisation was the single largest group, making it a competitive field. AGMARDT had to stay disciplined and prioritised EOIs with benefit to the wider primary sector, beyond the company making the application. The strongest proposals drew on strengths specific to New Zealand and pointed to export market interest.
Many of the ideas that fell under resilient food systems and diverse crops were rooted in a single crop or region, so EOIs with more expansive potential stood out. This theme raised a question that regional or sector-wide conversations may be better placed to answer: What should regional clusters or New Zealand more broadly be producing at scale in 10 to 20 years that it isn’t today? Some of the community and conservation ideas in this theme (and others) were considered a better match for specific funding from community or philanthropic trusts than from AGMARDT.
Processing, packaging and supply chain ideas showed us some infrastructure gaps. Several EOIs focused on smarter forestry intelligence; others on localised meat processing. There were several ideas that used apps, drones and AI systems to improve yield prediction.
The clearest signal from the EOIs is that many bright ideas are being developed in isolation to tackle single facets of entrenched or systemic problems. This is an issue we’ve observed over past grant rounds, and it became even clearer to us that a more strategic, collaborative approach is needed.
How decisions were made
From the ideas received, AGMARDT’s Trustees approved those that best fit with our strategy to be invited, in July, to develop full proposals over three weeks. Applicants then had the option of a draft review from AGMARDT staff before submitting, and most took this up.
Full applications were then assessed for eligibility and completeness, alignment with AGMARDT’s strategic priorities, and fit with the rules that govern what AGMARDT can fund.
Final decisions made by AGMARDT’s Trustees considered where AGMARDT’s support could add unique value or make a critical difference. Trustees looked at the idea itself, the strength of the team and collaborators, and aimed for a mix across themes and innovation readiness (from early science to applied).
As always, the most important consideration was the potential impact on the sector and New Zealand.
As always, the most important consideration was the potential impact on the sector and New Zealand. Where the benefits were narrow, we considered whether an existing company or industry body could reasonably be expected to fund the work on its own. We recognise there are always more R&D ideas than there is funding, and that gap has been growing. However, AGMARDT’s pool of funding is small, and our resources can have the most impact when applied to understanding and overcoming barriers, that benefit the wider primary sector.
AGMARDT distributed around half a million dollars across this round’s approved projects, holding some of the round’s funding in reserve for persistent problems that drew multiple, overlapping EOIs. Rather than picking a single winner from among these small individual projects, we’re exploring the potential for more strategic, collaborative approach that reflects our growing focus on building trust and alignment across the sector. Early conversations about this approach have been encouraging.
What’s next
AGMARDT is continuing to progress towards a more relational and targeted funding strategy. We will keep engaging with a range of people across the primary industries as we develop our future approach. Stay connected through the website, newsletter and LinkedIn.
To everyone who submitted an idea: thank you.
There is a lot of innovation occuring from people who want to be involved in shaping the future of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector, and all of these ideas are invaluable as we make decisions on where we direct our resources next year.
If your idea didn’t make it through this time, we are working to make clearer what AGMARDT funds, and why, so it’s easier to see where your own work might align in future and how you can get involved.