COVID-19 Innovation Acceleration Fund

The purpose of the fund is to accelerate the operational deployment of innovative solutions in order to support responses to COVID-19, alleviating direct impacts of the virus threat by providing rapid short-term support to New Zealand based entities.

This will enable the development and quick deployment of a range of new products, processes or services. Funding is expected to be for products where the bulk of research required has been undertaken, and support is needed to accelerate their delivery.

This includes the cost of:

  • research and development

  • product development

  • prototyping

  • tooling up and pre-production activities


Products must be intended to have a direct impact that is immediately and directly attributable to addressing COVID-19 in the short to medium term (6-18months) and must be based on research.

Examples include:

  • medical products for detection, diagnosis or treatment

  • products for containment or prevention

  • products to enable increased flows of people, goods or services that would otherwise be slowed or stopped due to COVID-19 or related response measures.


Express your interest in the fund by contacting CovidInnovationFund@mbie.govt.nz. If MBIE invites you to apply you will be provided with an application form, in some instances MBIE may request additional information on the proposal and not all projects will be supported.

Decisions will be made by the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation, MBIE will provide the Minister with recommendations regarding the proposals received.

Find more information about the fund here on MBIE's website.

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