Stream Two: Development
Stream Two has up to $9.939 million available for allocation. Expressions of Interest closed on 1 September 2023. Full Applications must be received by 15 December 2023.
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About Stream Two
The Government will contribute between $100,000 and $10 million for successful Stream Two projects. The amount the Government co-funds will depend on the project’s total value and assessment score.
Applicants must have, or be able to co-source, at least 50% of co-funding for their Stream Two projects. ‘In-kind’ contributions will not be accepted as co-funding from applicants for either stream.
Stream Two: Development co-funding example
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Stream Two projects that can demonstrate they will have a significant positive community or sector-wide impact may only be required to have, or source, at least 25% of co-funding. Assessment of the significant impact will ultimately be determined by the Minister of Tourism, from advice from MBIE and an Expert Advisory Panel.
Stream Two: Development co-funding example (project with significant positive community-wide or sector-wide benefits)
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What can the funding be used for?
There is no specific list of activities that the funding from Stream Two can be used for.
However, funding cannot solely be used for any of the following activities:
- General ‘business as usual’
- Upgrading a business or products to be more sustainable
- Marketing or brand development
- Drafting of Destination Management Plans
- Retrospective costs
- Qualifications
- Infrastructure, such as carparks, toilet blocks or buildings.
Application process
The Stream Two application process is a 2-step process, with an initial Expression of Interest followed by a full application at the invitation of MBIE. Expressions of Interest will be assessed monthly starting in December 2022.
The final deadline for Expressions of Interest is 1 September 2023.
Full applications will be assessed over one round closing on 15 December 2023.
$9.939 million of funding is available for Stream Two projects, together with unspent Stream One funding.
1. Complete your Expression of Interest
All applicants are required to submit an Expression of interest.
Please use the 'Innovation Programme for Tourism Recovery: Guidance for applicants' while completing your Expression of Interest.
Innovation Programme for Tourism Recovery: Guidance for applicants [PDF, 731 KB]
Advice and guidance is available to support your Expression of Interest from either New Zealand Māori Tourism or Business South. To access application support, please email tourisminnovation@mbie.govt.nz and we can link you up.
2. Submit your Expression of Interest
Please send your completed Expression of Interest to tourisminnovation@mbie.govt.nz. Expressions of Interest will be assessed monthly. You may need to wait up to 6 weeks for your application to be assessed depending on the timing of your submission.
3. Assessment of your Expression of Interest
All Stream Two Expressions of Interest are assessed by MBIE on a monthly basis.
Your Expression of Interest will be assessed against the following eligibility criteria:
- the extent to which your project delivers on the programme’s purpose and outcomes
- the applicant’s capability and skills to deliver.
More about the programme's purpose and outcomes
Projects that meet the programme’s purpose and eligibility will be invited to submit a full application.
The Government is looking to fund a mix of projects across the programme’s 5 outcomes and different parts of the visitor journey.
4. Invitation to submit a full application
Depending on the outcome of your Expression of Interest, you may be invited to submit a full application, which includes a business case. If so, you will proceed through the application process.
If you are not invited to submit an application you are welcome to amend your Expression of Interest to lift its competitiveness and resubmit into the process.
5. Complete your full application
When receiving your invitation to submit a full application, MBIE will provide you with the appropriate application form and additional guidance.
Please use the Guidance document for applicants while completing your full application and business case:
Innovation Programme for Tourism Recovery: Guidance for applicants [PDF, 731 KB]
Advice and guidance is available to support your application from either New Zealand Māori Tourism or Business South. To access application support, please email tourisminnovation@mbie.govt.nz and we can link you up.
6. Submit your full application
Please send your completed Stream Two application form to tourisminnovation@mbie.govt.nz no later than 5pm on the relevant deadline date:
- 15 December 2023
7. Assessment of your full application
All Stream Two applications are assessed by MBIE and an Expert Advisory Panel.
Your application and business case will be assessed against the following criteria with the most competitive projects receiving funding:
- the extent to which your project delivers on the programme’s purpose and outcomes (75% of the total score), and
- your capability and capacity to deliver the project based on your business case (25% of the total score).
More about the programme's purpose and outcomes
The Expert Advisory Panel provides an independent assessment and validation of the proposed innovations. The Panel will then make recommendations to the Minister of Tourism who will decide which projects receive funding.
8. Deliver your project
Successful applicants will be provided with final documentation, including a funding agreement. From this point, MBIE will work with applicants to schedule regular reporting and a payment scheme throughout the Stream Two project.
The Stream Two project must be completed within 2 years.
Expert Advisory Panel
The Expert Advisory Panel has four members who will assess whether the projects meet the programme’s purpose and outcomes.
The Panel will make independent recommendations to the Minister of Tourism for which projects should receive funding from the programme.
The members will be on the Panel from December 2022 to April 2024.
Panel members
The current members of the Panel are:
Paul Brock, Chair
Paul Brock has been the Chair of the New Zealand Story Advisory Board since October 2018. He is also Deputy Chair and Independent Director of Foley Wines Limited, an Independent Director of Cigna Life Insurance New Zealand, Southern Sky Dairies Limited and Chair of the Massey University Business School Advisory Board.
Previously, he was the Kiwibank Group Chief Executive from 2010 to 2017. He was Co-Founder of the bank which was launched in 2002. He has also been Chairman of Gareth Morgan Investments Ltd, a Director of Kiwi Insurance Ltd, New Zealand Home Loans Ltd, AMP Home Loans Ltd, Kiwi Wealth Management Ltd.
Andrew Baker
Te Arawa - Ngāti Whakaue, Tūwharetoa – Ngāti Turumākina
Andrew joined the New Zealand Story Advisory Board as a Cultural Strategist in April 2022. He is also Managing Director of Tika Learning Limited, a strategic cultural consultancy helping clients in their journey to discover the value in embracing and celebrating Māori culture.
He was previously Cultural Development Manager for Air New Zealand where he designed and oversaw the implementation of Air New Zealand’s Māori strategy.
Leslie Preston
Leslie has been a Director at Millenium Hotels & Resorts New Zealand since March 2021. She is currently the Chair of their Audit Committee.
She founded Bachcare Holiday Homes (Bachcare) in 2003 and was CEO and a director until 2020. Under her leadership, Bachcare grew to become the leading full-service holiday home rental management company in New Zealand and was named one of The World’s Top 20 Vacation Rental Companies in 2019.
Leslie has also been a Director at Rose & Thorne Lingerie since April 2021 and has worked for KPMG Peat Marwick and Bankers Trust, Boston Consulting Group and BellSouth / Vodafone.
Dan Walker
Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tūhourangi and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Pākehā
Dan is the Global Co-Chair of Indigenous at Microsoft, which focuses on Indigenous empowerment wherever Microsoft is, and sharing the power of perspective to raise the Indigenous voice in technology globally.
Dan is also the Deputy Chair of NZ Māori Tourism, Pou Tuarā of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, Board Member of RMHC, CCF and a variety of community organisations. He has been a Director on the Tātaki Auckland Unlimited board since December 2020, and its predecessor since August 2019.