Under section 8A of the Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology Act 1990, I direct the foundation to allocate funds in accordance with the Technology New Zealand Grants Scheme ("the scheme") specified in this notice.
Nature of the Scheme
The scheme is intended to:
- grow investment in research and development in areas
of Government priority as outlined in the foundation
for Research, Science and Technology's Statement of Intent; or
- improve firms' ability to develop new or more sophisticated technologies; or
- improve research and development skills, and related business and management practices.
There are two types of grants in this scheme: targeted grants and capability grants.
The foundation may allocate funding to a firm, or a group of firms together. A firm, or group of firms, may nominate a representative to receive the funding. The foundation may provide funding to a nominated representative only where it is satisfied that those funds will ultimately be used or applied by the firm or firms, or for its or their benefit.
To be eligible to receive funding under this scheme, a firm must be a person or entity that is in business and resident in New Zealand. Where a group of firms is applying together, each of the firms involved must meet these eligibility criteria. Also, if a firm or firms nominate a representative to receive the funding, the firm or firms must meet the eligibility criteria. A nominated representative does not need to meet the eligibility criteria.
The foundation must not allocate targeted or capability funding to a firm that is an entity established under the Education Act 1989, Crown Research Institutes Act 1992, Local Government Act 2002 or the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, or to an entity that is
50% or more owned by one or more of those types of entities. Further, the foundation must not allocate funding
to a group of firms if the group includes one or more of these types of entities. These entities may, however, act as nominated representatives.
Objectives of the Scheme
Targeted grants encourage or support research and development activities. The foundation will ensure that:
- the majority of targeted grants encourage or support high risk "stretch" research and development activities, as determined by the foundation; and
- grants are allocated to firms in areas of Government priority as outlined in the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology's Statement of Intent; and
- it considers in the case of every grant the level of
co-funding to be provided by the firm, and on average across the total amount of targeted grants the funding allocated by the foundation is not more than 50% of the proposed cost of research and development projects.
Capability grants will encourage firms seeking to develop new or more sophisticated research and development skills and related business management practices. The foundation must ensure that capability grants result in firms:
- that have not previously undertaken research and development beginning to do so; or
- sustaining on-going research and development activity; or
- improving uptake of external technologies, including international technologies; or
- adopting business practices to support increased or improved research and development activity.
Funding Amount
The Minister estimates that about $50 million will be available for the foundation to allocate per annum.
Actual appropriations will be published each year in the Vote Research, Science and Technology Estimates of Appropriations.
Any funds held by the foundation in relation to the Technology for Business Growth, Techlink and Technology for Industry Fellowships schemes are to be applied in accordance with the scheme. Any contracts in existence as of 30 June 2008 within the above schemes will be funded from this scheme.
Period of Funding
The scheme will commence operation on 1 July 2008 and will operate for a minimum of five years from the date of this notice.
Monitoring Agency
The scheme will be monitored by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology.
Revocations
The notices published in the New Zealand Gazette,
2 September 2004, No. 111, page 2706, New Zealand Gazette, 2 September 2004, No. 111, page 2708, and
New Zealand Gazette, 9 December 2004, No. 160, page 3983, which established and amended the Technology
for Business Growth, Techlink and Technology for Industry Fellowships Schemes, are revoked.
Dated at Wellington this 24th day of June 2008.
HON PETE HODGSON, Minister of Research, Science and Technology.