What is NZFIN and what do we really do?

Startups & new products

New idea but need help? We offer expert advice, business and technical resources.

New product development
Developing a new product or process can be an exhilarating yet exhausting journey.

Our national network of food and beverage production facilities have all the equipment you need for early-stage product trials right through to commercialisation.

Come to us for expert advice, helpful resources, and a network of connections from research providers to commercial operators. If we can’t help you, chances are we know someone who can.

5 steps to launching a new food product

Get started with this quick guide to developing a new food or beverage product.

Scale Up

Ready to grow? Scale up with our facilities and expertise.

Innovation and business development
We offer a range of resources to help your food business innovate and grow.

• Product and process development
• Facilities to help you fast track R&D and trial commercial runs
• Access to new food technologies
• Connections to industry and export experts
• Advice and consultancy services

Innovation doesn’t just mean new products and processes. We’re all about connecting you with experts who can help optimise your business model, de-risk your investment decisions, and maximise your chances of success. A busy programme of technical and business workshops, courses, and events keep you up to date with market innovation, and on top of your game.

Funding
Business planning comes before applying for funding. The more fully formed your business idea is, the more support you’ll get from advisors, mentors, and funding officers.

We don’t provide funding but our Business Development Managers can discuss your funding options, support you with your business planning, and connect you with the right people.

Funding support for food & beverage innovation
Here is a quick guide to get you started…

Commercialisation

De-risk your product investment decisions. Run commercial trials and production at our hubs to smooth transition to a contract manufacturer or test the case for investing in your own processing facility.

Commercial production
Maybe you’ve run out of capacity or you simply don’t want to interrupt your usual production to run trials. Perhaps you’re ready to commercialise your product but not quite ready to invest in a plant. Come to us for low-risk commercial production in facilities certified for local and export markets.

Process optimisation
Looking to make your manufacturing cheaper, faster, safer, and better?
We can help you improve your processes by:

• Providing you with advice
• Connecting you with experts
• Identifying and testing equipment options
• Planning trials, analysing results and making recommendations

Export

Get your first product out into the world with our export facilities and compliance support.

Ready to grow beyond these shores?
Get export ready. Use our export-accredited facilities and compliance programmes to produce everything from small samples to commercial volumes. If we don’t have the equipment you need, we’ll tap into our extensive network to find you a contract manufacturer who does.

Courses & events

Grow your knowledge and gain an edge over your competition.

Stay ahead of the game
Innovation is constant, so we partner with food industry experts to help you to thrive with training for startups and ambitious food businesses looking to grow. Past training has covered areas such as equipment technology, processing, and business capability building.

• How to start a successful food business
• Export basics
• Food regulations
• Product development
• Dealing with retailers
• Funding options
• Specialist technical training (such as extrusion and UHT)

We also regularly run webinars to share market updates and food and beverage industry best practice from around the world.