A person using virtual reality equipment in a studio at Victoria University in Wellington.

At WellingtonNZ, it’s our job to get Wellington-based innovative businesses access to Callaghan Innovation’s funding and services.

It’s also our job to equip you with the expertise and advice you need to support your innovation, product development and ongoing research and development (R&D) programmes.

Callaghan Innovation programmes

Callaghan Innovation partners with ambitious businesses of all sizes. It provides innovation, research and development services for all stages of growth. Callaghan is an organisation that empowers innovators and connects them with:

  • people
  • opportunities and networks
  • technical solutions
  • skills and capability development programmes
  • grants co-funding.

Key programmes

Lean programme

The Lean programme boosts business productivity and increases staff engagement with the Lean workshop and coaching programme.

Lean programme — Callaghan Innovation

Beyond IP

Beyond IP is suitable for businesses with products in the market. Experts will help to build and put in place strategies to maximise intangible assets.

Beyond IP — Callaghan Innovation

R&D experience grants

R&D experience grants help businesses turbo-charge their R&D projects with fresh talent, while career grants give students real-world industry experience.

R&D experience grants — Callaghan Innovation

R&D tax incentive

The R&D tax incentive offers a 15% tax credit on eligible R&D expenditures. Find out how to tap into it and if you are eligible.

R&D tax incentive — Callaghan Innovation

Pakihi Māori Tautoko

Callaghan Innovation’s Māori Economy team can connect you to R&D services, co-funding, opportunities and networks to help you innovate, commercialise, and grow faster.

Pakihi Māori Tautoko — Callaghan Innovation

A fraser Engineering worker checking over their work on fire trucks.

Find out if you’re eligible for R&D funding

To get funding through Callaghan Innovation your project needs to meet a certain level of criteria to be considered R&D. Here’s a guide to help you understand if R&D is the right next step for your business.

Does your project or initiative meet the definition of R&D?

The first step is to ensure your R&D project or initiative meets the definition of ‘research and development’.

  • Research is the process of working to gain new scientific or technical knowledge and understanding.
  • Development is the application of research findings (and other knowledge) to develop a new product or service.

If your project meets these definitions, then the next step is to determine how well your company and R&D project fits with Callaghan’s specific funding criteria.

Does your project meet Callaghan Innovation funding criteria?

You will need to provide information and evidence relating to the five key areas below. Callaghan will use this information to judge how well your company and R&D project fits their funding criteria.

Where to start

If you’re not sure where to begin, simply fill out the customer support form on Callaghan Innovation’s website.

Customer support — Callaghan Innovation

If you’re a registered business, fill out the business innovation support form.

Business Innovation support form — Callaghan Innovation