The 2026 Innovation Investment Round 2 is now open for low-emissions farming innovation
Seeking innovative approaches to agricultural emissions
The Ag Emissions Centre (AgEC), in partnership with AgriZeroNZ, is seeking innovative approaches that could contribute to a step-change in agricultural greenhouse gas reduction or measurement.
The round is seeking genuinely novel approaches, and approaches that could significantly strengthen or accelerate emerging opportunities towards practical, farm-level solutions for New Zealand.
Three research challenges
- New approaches to reducing nitrous oxideBiological or soil-management technologies that could reduce N₂O emissions by enhancing N₂O consumption and/or preventing nitrite accumulation, with potential to scale within New Zealand pastoral systems.
- New approaches to measuring nitrous oxideRobust, routine in-situ approaches for quantifying N₂O intermediaries and processes under urine-patch conditions, including N₂ production, nosZ activity and nitrite dynamics.
- Novel approaches to reducing methane and/or nitrous oxideNovel approaches that could rapidly bring about a step-change in reducing enteric methane and/or N₂O from deposited urine in grazing ruminants.
Two pathways are available
Full R&D | Up to NZ$2 million
For developed research propositions with a research team in place. Individual projects can run for up to two years. Collaboration and co-funding are encouraged.
R&D Ideas | Up to NZ$50,000 per project
For promising ideas that require further development before progressing to a larger R&D programme. Up to four projects may be funded for up to six months, and a full project team is not required.
Applications are invited from New Zealand and international organisations and individuals. Applicants should demonstrate a plausible pathway to relevance and application within New Zealand agricultural systems.
Round opens: 29 September 2026
Round closes: 18 November 2026
Questions: [email protected]