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Current funding
Biological Industries Scheme

This gazetted document is the Ministerial Direction for investing Foundation funds in the Biological Industries Scheme from 1 July 2010.  

Objectives of the Scheme

The objectives of the Scheme are to support sustainable productivity growth of New Zealand’s primary industries, and the development of premium food and industrial biological products and technologies responsive to global consumer preferences.

The Scheme will support research, science, and technology that is intended to be of benefit to New Zealand.

The Scheme will support relevant research that contributes to unlocking the innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people as outlined in the Vision Mātauranga policy framework. International collaboration will be supported where this is relevant and of benefit to the objectives of the Scheme.

Indicators of Success

If successful, the Scheme will generate and support the uptake of research, science and technology that will contribute to:

  • enhancing the knowledge, capabilities and technologies which drive export growth and competitiveness in New Zealand’s biologically-based sectors and firms;
  • increasing the levels of sustainable productivity in biologically based sectors while minimising and/or managing impacts on the environment;  
  • increasing the diversity and value of biologically-based products, in response to global consumer preferences; 
  • increasing the levels of technology transfer from government research investments to biologically based sectors and firms; and
  • enabling trade to occur in line with international obligations and in a manner that prevents the introduction or export of pests and diseases.

The above indicators will be measured by the Foundation at a sector level and will provide some indication of the success of the Scheme through regular evaluations.

Nature of the Scheme

The Scheme will achieve its objectives by supporting research, science and technology in the following two areas:

  • Primary sector productivity and sustainability — encompasses research underpinning the development, sustainable production, processing and delivery to global markets of foods and materials from New Zealand’s primary industry. This includes the pastoral, horticultural, arable, seafood and aquaculture, and forestry sectors. It also includes broader cross-sector research programmes in areas important to all primary sectors such as biosecurity research. 
  • High-value food and industrial biological products, processes and technologies — encompasses research underpinning the development of food and industrial bioproducts, processes and technologies. These products will have embedded technology and intellectual property derived from processing and manipulation. This includes research to develop functional and manufactured food products and ingredients, nutraceuticals and supplements.  It also includes the development of non-food natural products, such as renewable industrial biomaterials and bio-sensing and bio-processing technologies.

Tools for Allocating Funding

Research, science, and technology supported under this Scheme must in each case fit one of the following Tools (PDF; 313kb):

  • Science-led contestable funding – investing through a contestable process in research, science, and technology and related activities; 
  • Long term non-contestable funding - using non-contestable processes to invest in research, science, and technology and related activities;
  • Partnerships – support research, science, and technology and related activities that provides for early and ongoing user engagement in research, science and technology and develops user-capability in engaging productively with researchers;
  • Commercialisation and technology and knowledge transfer support – research to increase the stream of commercial prospects from publicly-funded research, science, and technology, and supporting and equipping users to engage with research organisations and applying the results of publicly funded research, science, and technology.
  • Business-led R&D – research and development activities to increase New Zealand businesses’ investment in research and development to support increased productivity.

Estimated Funding

An estimate of the amount of funds required to be allocated by the Foundation for the purposes of the Scheme is $172.23 million in 2010/11, excluding GST.  Actual funding available will be published each year in the annual Estimates of Appropriation.

Estimated Period of Operation

I estimate that the Scheme will operate for a minimum of three years from 1 July 2010; however I anticipate reviewing this notice by 1 July 2011.

Monitoring Agency

The Ministry of Research, Science and Technology will monitor and review the Scheme.

Performance Measures

Annual performance measures for the Scheme will be published in the annual Estimates of Appropriation.  Additional performance measures to measure progress will be specified in the Output Agreement.