“This pilot programme will give small business owners practical support from trusted experts so they can confidently use AI tools that lift productivity and help them stay competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.”
Eligible businesses will receive co-funding of up to 50%, capped at $15,000, to develop an AI plan tailored to the needs of their business, workers and customers, Penk said.
Invitation-only
“The pilot is being run through the Regional Business Partner Network for existing customers at present,” a spokeswoman for Penk said.
“From next Monday, RPB providers will send out invitations to businesses currently working with growth advisers.
“As these businesses have a relationship and history with their RBP provider, for the sake of a pilot this will allow for better benchmarking around digital capability and confidence using AI tools.”
Advisers in the network will help small businesses implement their AI plans.
The MBIE-funded Regional Business Partner Network worked with 15 organisations nationwide, typically the local chamber of commerce.
The pilot will last for six months.
The 15 partners are listed on the RBP site here.
‘Tiny step in the right direction’
“From the viewpoint of driving AI diffusion deeper into the productive economy, this is a tiny step forward in that direction,” AI expert and Memia director Ben Reid said.
“It’s positive that they’re going to be measuring productivity gains to evaluate the pilot,” he added.
“I’d also like to see some kind of lens of AI sovereignty around this. In particular, ensuring that open-source AI solutions get a look-in as well as commercial US Big Tech.
“Otherwise, there’s the danger that this ‘advisory’ just turns into an unofficial sales channel for Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini licences.”
‘$76b’ opportunity
“AI has enormous potential to drive economic growth and increase productivity,” Reti said.
“New Zealand’s Strategy for Artificial Intelligence estimates that adopting generative AI alone could add a staggering $76 billion to the New Zealand economy by 2038, which equates to 15% of national GDP,” he added.
“Through our AI strategy, the Government is also investing up to $70m over seven years through the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology to support innovative AI research and applications, develop world-class expertise, and sharpen New Zealand’s competitive edge.”
The $70m was from savings yielded from scrapping Callaghan Innovation, which was defunded in Budget 2025.
The NZ Institute for Advanced Technology is expected to be in operation later this year, based in Auckland rather than the capital (home of Callaghan) after lobbying by Mayor Wayne Brown.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
