Notice to the Science Board

1. In this notice, I:

1. specify that the Science Board is to make funding decisions on proposals for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (“MBIE”) Endeavour Fund under section 10(3)(b) of the Research, Science, and Technology Act 2010 (“RS&T Act 2010”);
2. set the criteria for the eligibility and assessment of proposals for the Endeavour Fund 2026 Contract Extension Round under section 8(1) of the RS&T Act 2010;
3. specify the total value of funding available for the Science Board to award to proposals in the 2026 Contract Extension Round; and
4. specify the funding mechanisms to be used, and the value and duration of investments under those funding.

General Policy Objectives

2. The general policy objectives of the Endeavour Fund are to:

1. support research, science or technology, or related activities that have high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s economic, environmental, and societal outcomes, and give effect to the Vision Mātauranga policy if applicable; and
2. drive an increasing focus on:
   1. excellent research; and
   2. the potential for impact in areas of future value, growth or critical need for New Zealand.

Interpretation

3. For the purposes of this notice and the Schedules to this notice, the terms:

1. Vision Mātauranga policy means the government policy which aims to enable the distinctive research, science and innovation potential of Māori people, knowledge and resources.
2. Research Organisation means an organisation that has sufficient internal capability for carrying out research, science or technology, or related activities.
3. 2026 Contract Extension Round means the call for proposals made in 2025 and for which funding decisions are announced in 2026.
4. Investment Plan means the Endeavour Fund Investment Plan dated June 2024 published on MBIE’s website: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-technology/science-and-innovation/funding-information-and-opportunities/investment-funds/endeavour-fund/investment-plan-2025-2027-transforming-new-zealands-future.

Funding Available

4. The Science Board may invest up to $59.3 million of new funding (excluding GST) through the 2026 Contract Extension Round for the Endeavour Fund.

Funding Decisions

5. The Science Board must make funding decisions on proposals for the Endeavour Fund in accordance with:

1. the Public Finance Act 1989 and the relevant Appropriation Acts for Vote Business, Science and Innovation;
2. the eligibility and assessment criteria specified in this notice and the relevant Schedules to this notice;
3. the investment signals set out in the Investment Plan; and
4. the Government’s Vision Mātauranga policy, if applicable to the proposal.

Eligibility Criteria

6. For proposals to be eligible under the Endeavour Fund, they must:

1. be made by a New Zealand-based Research Organisation or a New Zealand-based legal entity representing a New Zealand-based Research Organisation;
2. be submitted by a currently contracted recipient of Endeavour Fund funding whose current work programme agreement was, as at the date of signing of the work programme agreement, due to end on 30 September 2026 and propose a 12 month extension to that work programme agreement;
3. be for research, science or technology, or related activities, the majority of which are to be undertaken in New Zealand, unless the Science Board considers that there are compelling reasons to consider the proposals, despite the amount of research, science or technology or related activities being proposed to be undertaken overseas;
4. not benefit a Russian state institution (including but not limited to support for Russian military or security activity) or an organisation outside government that may be perceived as contributing to the war effort;
5. meet any applicable timing, formatting, system or other similar administrative requirements imposed by MBIE in supplying administrative services to the Science Board under section 10(7) of the RS&T Act 2010;
6. advise that the proposed funding recipient will, and the Science Board is of the view that it can, adhere to the terms and conditions of funding set out in an investment contract determined by the Science Board;
7. not be for activities already funded elsewhere; and
8. be made by an applicant who is not in breach of the relevant contracted work programme agreement.

In addition to the above criteria, to be eligible:

9. research proposals can include some out-of-scope research outcomes (health¹, defence and expanding knowledge) and remain eligible, as long as the sum of these outcomes is 49% or less of the proposal’s outcomes.

7. Proposals determined to be ineligible by the Science Board under Paragraph 6 cannot be awarded.

Effective Date

8. The Investment Plan came into effect 12 July 2024.

9. This notice will come into effect on 9 July 2025.

10. This notice will be revoked on 1 November 2027.

Dated at Wellington this 9th day of July 2025.

Hon Dr SHANE RETI, mp, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.

Schedule 1

Smart Ideas Investment Mechanism

Specific Policy Objectives

1. This investment mechanism is intended to catalyse and rapidly test promising, innovative research ideas with high potential for benefit to New Zealand, to enable refresh and diversity in the science portfolio.

Value and Duration of Funding

2. Investments made will have a duration of 1 year.

3. For each eligible proposal, the maximum amount of funding available is an amount equal to the amount of funding allocated to the final 12 months of the relevant contracted work programme agreement.

Assessment Criteria

4. In reaching funding decisions, the Science Board must assess proposals for Smart Ideas against the following criteria:

1. aligns to Government priorities by demonstrating alignment to Investment Signals in the Investment Plan;
2. demonstrates a plan for 12-month extension of the contracted work programme set out in the relevant contracted work programme agreement, including new work programme deliverables, which accelerates excellent science and/or the path to impact (where relevant and appropriate for the funding mechanism and stage of the project);
3. provides a plan which is expected to deliver excellent science and impact in alignment with the relevant contracted work programme;
4. the extent to which the relevant contracted work programme (to which the proposal relates) has, as at the date of proposal submission, in the view of the Science Board, a satisfactory performance track record;
5. includes an appropriate plan for the use of the funds, and be feasible to complete delivery, by 30 September 2027;
6. retains the same work programme team as the relevant contracted work programme, as much as practicable and as appropriate for the stage of the project.

Schedule 2

Research Programmes Investment Mechanism

Specific Policy Objectives

1. This investment mechanism is intended to support ambitious, excellent, and well-defined research ideas which collectively have credible and high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s future in areas of future value, growth, or critical need.

Value and Duration of Funding

2. Investments made will have a duration of 1 year.

3. For each eligible contract, the maximum extension funding available is the total funding originally contracted for the final twelve months of the relevant contracted work programme agreement.

Assessment Criteria

4. In reaching funding decisions, the Science Board must assess Research Programmes proposals against the following criteria:

1. aligns to Government priorities by demonstrating alignment to Investment Signals in the Investment Plan;
2. demonstrates a plan for 12-month extension of the contracted work programme set out in the relevant contracted work programme agreement, including work programme deliverables, which accelerates excellent science and/or the path to impact (where relevant and appropriate for the funding mechanism and stage of the project);
3. provides a plan which is expected to deliver excellence and impact in alignment with the relevant contracted work programme;
4. the extent to which the relevant contracted work programme (to which the proposal relates) has, as at the date of proposal submission, in the view of the Science Board, a satisfactory performance track record;
5. includes an appropriate plan for the use of the funds, and be feasible to complete delivery, by 30 September 2027;
6. retains the same work programme team as the relevant contracted work programme, as much as practicable and as appropriate for the stage of the project.

Endnote

1. health includes cost savings to the healthcare.