How to apply for the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund

The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme, commonly shortened to SFF Futures, is one of the New Zealand government's main investment streams for primary sector innovation. Run by the Ministry for Primary Industries, it backs projects that improve economic, environmental, and social outcomes across the food and fibre sector. Because the scheme pairs grants with repayable loans, applicants need a strong commercial story alongside their sustainability pitch.

For Australian operators, the fund matters because trans-Tasman collaboration is actively encouraged. Many agribusinesses from the Barossa to the Riverina already partner with Kiwi counterparts in wool, wine, horticulture, and aquaculture, and SFF Futures is one of the cleanest ways to lock in co-funding for shared research, product development, or supply-chain pilots. The steps below walk through what the fund covers, who can apply from this side of the Tasman, and how to put a competitive proposal together.

Understanding the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund

SFF Futures sits inside MPI's wider investment portfolio, alongside programmes focused on forestry, mātauranga Māori, and rural communities. The aim is to back ideas that wouldn't happen, or would happen far more slowly, without public co-investment. Typical projects range from regenerative pasture trials and low-emission fertiliser work, right through to high-value product development and new export market pilots.

Funding rounds are usually announced annually, and each round sets out priority areas such as horticulture, seafood, mānuka honey, and red meat. Because the priorities shift, applicants should read the current round's investment signal before locking in a project idea. The fund tends to favour work that delivers measurable regional uplift and demonstrates a clear pathway to commercial returns.

Eligibility from an Australian angle

SFF Futures is officially open to New Zealand-based entities, but there are legitimate pathways for Australian involvement. Cross-Tasman projects frequently include partners from both sides of the ditch, particularly in viticulture, wool, and emerging crop sectors. If your operation is based in places like the Barossa Valley, the Riverina, or the Sunraysia, you might join a bid led by a New Zealand business, university, or iwi/Māori organisation.

Applicants typically need to be legally registered, solvent, and able to contribute at least 20 percent of project costs. From the Australian side, this means holding a registered Australian Company Number with ASIC, or being a sole trader with an ABN. You'll also need to handle the practical realities of operating across time zones — there's a roughly two-to-three-hour gap depending on daylight saving — and you'll be working in both AUD and NZD throughout the project.

Putting your application together

A strong SFF Futures application tells a coherent story with measurable outcomes. The proposal template asks for a clear problem statement, a description of the innovation, expected benefits, milestones, and a detailed budget that separates cash and in-kind contributions. Reviewers want to see evidence that the project would not happen, or would happen much more slowly, without public co-investment.

When you sit down to draft, give yourself a few solid days rather than trying to knock it out in an arvo. Most successful applicants spend at least a fortnight shaping the narrative, lining up partners, and getting their financials in order. Make sure someone outside the project reads the proposal too — a fresh pair of specs can spot gaps you've stared past for too long.

Key elements to include in your proposal:

• A concise one-page summary that names the lead applicant, partners, region, and the dollar figure being requested
• Background research with citations, market figures, and a clear statement of how the project advances sustainability
• A workplan broken into six-to-twelve-month milestones with named people responsible for each
• A risk register covering biosecurity, supply disruption, and regulatory hurdles on both sides of the Tasman
• Letters of support from buyers, industry bodies, or iwi partners

What assessors look for

MPI assessors score proposals against four big buckets: impact, feasibility, alignment with industry priorities, and value for money. Impact covers economic uplift, environmental gains, and social outcomes such as jobs in regional towns. Feasibility is about whether the budget adds up, whether the team has the right skills, and whether the milestones are realistic.

Industry alignment matters a lot. The scheme tends to favour projects that tie into government priorities like regenerative agriculture, low-emission food production, and mātauranga Māori-led innovation. From an Australian perspective, projects that demonstrate collaboration with Māori agribusinesses, or that develop technology adaptable to Australian conditions, often score well because the broader impact story is stronger.

Value for money includes the level of co-funding. The higher the proportion of cash and in-kind support you can bring, the better your proposal looks. Many Kiwi-Australian collaborations pool resources — for example, a Marlborough wine research house might team up with an Adelaide Hills grower to trial low-intervention viticulture techniques that work in both climates.

Submission, follow-up, and funding flow

Applications are submitted online through MPI's funding portal, typically during open funding rounds announced each year. After submission, expect a preliminary check for completeness, then a more detailed evaluation that can take up to three months. Successful applicants are contacted directly, while unsuccessful ones get a brief summary of the assessors' reasoning.

Once a project is approved, funds are usually released in tranches tied to milestone delivery. You'll need to file progress reports, hold project records for audit purposes, and acknowledge the fund in any public communications. From an Australian partner's perspective, it's worth getting tax advice early — co-funding from a foreign government can have GST and transfer pricing implications, so having an accountant who understands both the ATO and IRD side of the ledger is fair dinkum essential.

Practical tips once your application is in:

• Reply promptly to any clarification request from the assessors
• Keep your milestones and budget aligned as the work progresses
• Build a working relationship with your contract manager before the first payment
• Track every dollar of co-funding, including in-kind contributions
• Plan your final report early — it usually takes longer to write than expected

If you're keen to explore whether your idea fits, the New Zealand Small Business Assistance Centre can help you compare programmes and line up the right paperwork. Pop over to the directory's contact page and the team can point you to current rounds and matching opportunities for trans-Tasman applicants.