2025 Successful projects

The 2025 investment round of Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund awarded $3.897 million (excluding GST) through 2 schemes:

• The Connect Scheme ($3.65m) seeks to build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system.
• The Placement Scheme ($0.25m) seeks to enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a partner organisation.

The projects start in June 2025 and run for up to 2 years.

Connect Scheme

Hatchery Technology Development for the Aquaculture of Freshwater Species

Contracting organisation: Hokonui Rūnanga Health and Social Services Trust
Funding: $247,060 
Term: 2 years

Ka Mate Kāinga Tahi Ka Ora Kāinga Rua - Integrating Mātauranga Māori and Geospatial Science for Climate-Driven Relocation Planning and Settlement Design in New Zealand

Contracting organisation: Lincoln University
Funding: $249,676
Term: 2 years

Mā wai rā te whenua nei e houkura? Developing appropriate soil health assessments and tools to improve soil health management

Contracting organisation: Ngāti Kuku Hapū Trust
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Advancing wildfire strategies with fire science tools: Ngāti Kuri Te Au Ahi Tūroa

Contracting organisation: New Zealand Forest Research Institute Limited
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Increasing engineering and mātauranga capability to develop sustainable natural and built environment solutions for communities to prosper

Contracting organisation: Pūhoro Charitable Trust Board
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Nematode Risk and Diversity in Kūmara Crops: A First Assessment

Contracting organisation: Tahuri Whenua Tapui Limited
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Te Waonui a Wairuakohu: a Bryophyte genomic and botanical databank to support commercialisation of therapeutics from indigenous species

Contracting organisation: Te Puāwaitanga O Ngāti Hinerangi Holdings Trustee Limited
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Te Wānanga o Te Manu: Building a conservation and restoration framework for endangered birds

Contracting organisation: Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu Limited
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Kia ora te whenua, me te moana mō ngā uri whakatupuranga: Mapping Bay of Islands coastlines to inform restoration and aquaculture development

Contracting organisation: Te Runanga o Ngāti Rehia Trust
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Community-based emergency management: Mobilising disaster science for effective Māori response and recovery.

Contracting organisation: Te Tira Whakamātaki
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Ka Tuku Te Toro a Uta, Ka Tuku Te Toro a Tai: Enabling Māori communities to respond to and mitigate the impacts of frequent and severe extreme weather events

Contracting organisation: Te Weu Charitable Trust
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Kaitiaki whai whakamāramatanga: assessing seaweed bloom events for improved ecosystem management

Contracting organisation: The Cawthron Institute Trust Board
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Te ara teitei: Tiakina te karengo, mā mātauranga Māori me te pūtaiao. Enabling management of our native seaweed through data collection and surveyance

Contracting organisation: The Cawthron Institute Trust Board
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Developing natural alternatives to chemical pesticides in mono-cultural cropping systems: Ngā Tamariki o Tāne, e mahi ora ana

Contracting organisation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years

Te Pūao: protecting New Zealand’s unique biodiversity by developing a framework for cultivation and translocation of threatened NZ flora

Contracting organisation: Whangaroa Papa Hapū
Funding: $150,000
Term: 1 year

Placement Scheme

Pathways to restoration of marine biodiversity in the Ngai Tahu takiwā (area)

Contracting organisation: University of Otago
Funding: $250,000
Term: 2 years