R&D Experience Grant

R&D Experience Grant is sponsored by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). This grant supports New Zealand businesses actively engaged in R&D to hire tertiary-level students (NZQA levels 6-10) for 10-week full-time internships during their summer break. The grant funds the entirety of the students' wages, providing businesses with access to fresh thinking for R&D challenges.

R&D Experience Grant - Business. govt. nz Applications for the R&D Experience Grant will open later in 2026.

The grant helps you pay for a short-term intern studying science, technology, engineering, design or business. You give them exposure to R&D work that’s relevant to their degree, and they give you new ways of looking at your R&D challenge. gives you access to curious minds to help you quickly develop products or services provides students with the living wage while they gain knowledge and see how R&D is used by businesses.

You apply for the grant using the Innovation Services online portal. You don’t need to recruit a student before you apply. If successful, you sign a funding agreement with MBIE.

You recruit a suitable student. Their internship runs from the date your application is approved until 31 March the following year. It should start before 1 December of the current year.

You employ the student full time, for 32–40 hours a week for 10 weeks. The student works mostly at your business, not at university or at home. At the end of the internship, you submit one claim and a report using the Innovation Services online portal, and get reimbursed.

You can keep employing the student after the internship ends but you don’t have to. Innovation Services funds up to $11,580 plus GST, for up to 400 hours of full-time work. This is 32–40 hours a week, over 10 weeks.

Once employed, the student must: be on your company payroll for PAYE be paid at least $28. 95 per hour work full time as a paid employee work on a defined R&D project that exposes them to technical work relevant to their qualification.

Your business must be one of the following: a company incorporated and registered in New Zealand a registered limited partnership a Māori incorporation or a trust or a similar organisation managing Māori assets under multiple ownership.

You’ll also need to show that your business: has enough money to keep running for at least the next 6 to 12 months employs at least 1 R&D full time equivalent (FTE) has an active R&D programme, with an R&D budget and technical R&D staff has worked on R&D in the previous year and has an R&D plan for the coming year. If your business is part of a group You can apply if your business is grouped.

For example, if it is a sister company, or a parent or subsidiary of another company. You apply for the student your business will employ and sign a separate funding agreement. Your business employs the student and you are reimbursed, not the group.

Government shareholding may affect your eligibility You’ll need to confirm you are not 50% or more owned or controlled by any of the following: local authority and local regional promotions bodies government departments or agencies Public Finance Act 1989 Schedule 4A companies Tertiary Education Organisations including any that are foreign owned entities controlled by any of the above — control means 50% or more ownership trusts, other than a Māori Trust listed under ‘Who can apply’ above a company that was incorporated in another country but is registered to do business in New Zealand.

If you’re looking for a student from a specific course, or with a specific type of knowledge, you can talk to individual departments at universities and institutions. Engineering, technology and science interns often work directly on R&D projects. Design and business students may contribute differently, but will still directly support it.

A design student uses focus groups to identify customers’ unmet needs. A business student analyses markets to determine the value of product features across market sectors. About NZUni Talent NZUni Talent Employers Summer of Tech Check if the student is eligible You don’t need to find a student until your application is approved, but it helps to know what to look for.

studying, or have studied, an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification at NZQA level 6–10 studying, or have studied, science, technology, engineering, design or business at a New Zealand tertiary education institute. If they’ve finished studying, their final semester should have ended within the last 12 months. When you apply for reimbursement, you’ll need to provide evidence of the student’s eligibility.

If the student has worked for you before, you can still hire them if: they are legally allowed to work in New Zealand their job was part-time or temporary they have only held 1 R&D Experience Grant internship with your business. Students can have multiple R&D Experience internships while they study, but only 2 with the same business.

If you need more than 1 student You can get multiple grants and students depending on the size and capability of your R&D team. You can apply for one student for every 2 R&D full-time equivalents (FTEs) in your team, up to 10 students. For example, you can apply for: multiple students for a single project multiple projects per student.

If you have only 1 R&D FTE, you can apply for 1 student. The students can be employed under both R&D Career and Experience Grants. Example 1: when you can apply for more students You have 10 R&D FTEs and 3 R&D Career Grant students.

You can have up to 5 interns, so you can apply for 2 other student grants. Example 2: when you can’t apply for more students You have 12 R&D FTEs and 6 R&D Experience Grant students. You can’t apply for more student grants at this time.

You can apply for another grant 1 month before the current grant ends. For example, if the current grants ends on 30 July, you can apply from 1 July for a new grant that starts 1 August. Here’s a step-by-step overview of the application process: If you’re new to R&D grants and unsure if your business can apply, get in touch.

Read the information on this page to understand what you need to provide. Download the application template and fill it out. Take your time, get feedback, make sure your information is correct.

Copy your completed template answers into the portal and upload any documents that are required. Submit your application. You’ll receive email confirmation.

Innovation Services will contact you if you need to supply more information. You’ll get an email to let you know the outcome. If approved, you’ll sign a funding agreement with MBIE.

You don’t need to have a student when you apply, but you should be confident you can find one. This makes sure funding goes to businesses that can make the most of the opportunity. The R&D Experience Grant application template example will be available later in 2026.

What you'll need to provide Innovation Services needs to know details about your business, including: New Zealand business bank account details for reimbursement information about what kind of business it is, what it does, background and compliance information about the previous year’s R&D activities and an R&D plan for the upcoming year financial evidence for the last 2 years and that it has enough money to keep running for at least the next 6 to 12 months — a cashflow template is in the Innovation Services online portal if your business has any issues that could harm the reputation of MBIE or its R&D programme.

You’ll also need to provide information about your R&D project, including: project title, start and end dates number of full-time R&D employees total funding you’re asking for. You’ll need to provide details about the students you’re applying for, including: the number of students you’re applying for how they’ll benefit your business a professional development plan for each student.

Conditions you need to meet You’ll need to confirm you’ll: employ the student full time on your payroll, paying at least $28. 95 per hour for up to up to 400 hours provide payslips and evidence of student eligibility when you claim reimbursement.

You’ll also need to confirm you understand that: you’re responsible for all tax, annual leave, KiwiSaver employer contributions, ACC, recruitment fees and other levies relating to the student’s employment the student needs to work at your business, not at home or at university you may not be reimbursed if you don’t meet terms and conditions.

How to get reimbursed At the end of the internship, use the Innovation Services online portal to send evidence the student is eligible, as well as payslips, a tax invoice and a final report. Innovation Services will then reimburse your student’s wages. You’ll need to provide the student’s: year of study — for example, second year area of study and course name.

You’ll also need to provide one of the following that shows the student’s name, course, university logo or URL and academic year: confirmation of enrolment copy of official transcript copy of unofficial (internal) transcript link to My eQuals platform or university website. Contact Innovation Services if the student stops working for you, or if something else changes.

Innovation Services will look at how that affects the grant and talk to you about it. Connect with Innovation Services Describing R&D in your application When you apply, you’ll need to describe the previous year’s R&D activities and what you have planned for R&D in the coming year. Make sure what you’re doing fits the R&D definition.

Some supporting activities may qualify as R&D if they are key to your planned R&D work. For example: writing specialised software to monitor R&D results designing and producing testing or analysis equipment routine crop management of plants for core R&D activity documenting results for internal approval disassembling testing equipment or prototypes and disposing of waste.

Activities on this list are not usually eligible unless they are essential for your R&D: market research, testing, development, or sales promotion reproducing existing products or processes from examination or public information minor adaptations or improvements to existing offerings data mapping or migration testing research in social sciences, arts, or humanities cosmetic or stylistic changes bug, beta, system requirement, user acceptance, or data integrity testing comparing already proven algorithms testing security protocols to uncover flaws converting or integrating systems onto new software platforms routine data operations or presentation writing test results, analysis, or maintaining R&D documentation.

If you’ve had a grant with Innovation Services before, talk to your Funding Engagement Specialist. Otherwise, use the link below to get in touch. If you’re a student with concerns about the grant or project, try talking to your employer first.

You can also contact Innovation Services directly. Connect with Innovation Services Innovation Services LAST EDITED: 31st March 2026 LAST REVIEWED: 31st March 2026