The Complete Guide to the MBIE AI Advisory Pilot (2026)

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) launched the AI Advisory Pilot in early 2026 as part of the Government's broader Digital Strategy for Aotearoa. The programme is designed to accelerate AI adoption among New Zealand's small and medium businesses by co-funding up to 50% of eligible AI consulting costs, to a maximum of $15,000 per business.

Eligibility is broader than most businesses expect. Your organisation needs to be a New Zealand-registered business with fewer than 500 employees, operating for at least 12 months, and not already receiving other government AI funding. You do not need to have any existing AI capability. In fact, the programme is specifically designed for businesses that are just getting started. The consulting engagement must be delivered by an MBIE-registered advisory firm, and it must produce a documented AI strategy or implementation plan as a deliverable.

The application process is straightforward. You submit a brief proposal outlining your business, the consulting engagement you are planning, the expected outcomes, and a quote from your chosen advisory firm. MBIE reviews applications on a rolling basis, with most decisions returned within three to four weeks. Once approved, the co-funding is paid directly to your advisory firm, meaning you only pay your 50% share upfront. There are no clawback provisions as long as the engagement is completed within six months of approval.

The most common mistake we see in applications is being too vague about expected outcomes. MBIE is looking for specifics: which business processes will be assessed, what deliverables will be produced, and how the business plans to act on the results. Applications that articulate a clear "before and after" scenario have a significantly higher approval rate. We help every client with their MBIE application as part of our onboarding process, and to date, every application we have supported has been approved.