On 11 June 2026, Small Business Minister Cameron Brewer announced Government funding for AI-powered SME support: $400,000 to Business South to expand its AcceleratorNZ programme to over 500 additional businesses within 12 months, and $82,000 to Business Mentors New Zealand to build an AI 'Digital Mentor' tool serving its ~1,500 mentored SMEs each year. AcceleratorNZ uses AI to analyse a business's own data and produce a practical growth action plan; the BMNZ tool sharpens mentor matching and knowledge capture.
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NZ govt funds AI tools for small business: $400k AcceleratorNZ, $82k AI mentor
Why this matters for founders
Early-stage NZ founders can tap subsidised AI-driven diagnostics and mentor matching by applying to AcceleratorNZ via Business South or getting matched through Business Mentors New Zealand, rather than paying for private growth advisory.
Source: Beehive.govt.nz (NZ Government)
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