Monday, November 09, 2026
Nearly three in four NZ businesses have no employees. If you are one of them, here is the order to spend on advice, AI training and coaching, who each suits, and a 30-day plan you can run alone.
Last updated 10 November 2026. Published by Simple-Growth (Motherbase Limited). Market: New Zealand.
If you have been meaning to do something about AI and keep putting it off because of the cost, this is worth ten minutes. The government's AI Advisory Pilot co-funds up to half of an AI roadmap and its rollout, to a maximum of $15,000, for New Zealand businesses with fewer than 50 full-time staff. Applications are open to 30 June 2027. Here is what it pays for, what it does not, and the order to do things in so you do not lose the funding.
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this guide, and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith runs AI workshops and coaching for Simple-Growth, so he is not neutral. This page does not say that Simple-Growth is an approved provider under the pilot, and you should not assume it. Facts come from the government pages and news report named below, read on 10 November 2026 (New Zealand time). Check the current rules with a Regional Business Partner advisor before you commit money.
According to the business.govt.nz funding page, the pilot covers up to 50% of eligible costs. The cap is $2,500 for an AI roadmap, which means assessing what your business needs, spotting where AI could help and writing an implementation plan, and $12,500 for implementation support, which means putting AI into your processes and helping your staff use it. You pay at least half. Funding is competitive and limited.
The page says you need a New Zealand Business Number, fewer than 50 full-time employees, and to be established and ready to explore practical uses of AI to improve productivity. You apply by registering with the Regional Business Partner Network and talking to a growth advisor. The page estimates four to twelve hours for the application.
MBIE announced on 15 May 2026 that the pilot would support up to 150 businesses, up from 50, and run until 31 January 2027. On 22 September 2026, interest.co.nz reported that the pilot had been extended by six months to mid-2027, that 150 businesses had already been through it and that 120 more were joining. The business.govt.nz page now gives 30 June 2027 as the date applications are open to. That is the date to work to, but confirm it with your advisor, because funding is limited and can run out before the date.
This is not for you if you want AI to fix a business whose real problem is pricing, sales or a team that does not follow up. AI makes a clear process faster. It does not make an unclear one clearer.
According to the business.govt.nz funding page, up to 50% of eligible costs: a cap of $2,500 for an AI roadmap and $12,500 for implementation support, so $15,000 in total. You pay at least half, and funding is competitive and limited.
New Zealand businesses with a New Zealand Business Number and fewer than 50 full-time employees that are established and ready to explore practical AI uses. You apply through the Regional Business Partner Network.
The business.govt.nz page says applications are open until 30 June 2027. MBIE's May 2026 announcement gave 31 January 2027, and a 22 September 2026 report said the pilot had been extended by six months. Confirm the current date with a Regional Business Partner advisor.
No. The page says work completed before approval is not funded, so wait for approval before you book or pay for anything.
Not sure whether AI is your constraint at all? A 30-minute conversation will tell you honestly, and you are welcome to take the answer anywhere.
Sources (read 10 November 2026): business.govt.nz, AI Advisory Pilot (New Zealand); MBIE, More practical AI support for small businesses, 15 May 2026 (New Zealand); interest.co.nz, Govt extends $15,000 AI grants pilot, 22 September 2026 (New Zealand). Related: AI workshop for NZ business owners: what to check before you pay. Last updated 10 November 2026.
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