2026 Innovation Investment Round - Round 2

Overview The Ag Emissions Centre (AgEC) and AgriZeroNZ invite Expressions of Interest (EoI) from innovators worldwide to develop transformative agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation solutions or substantially advance emerging technologies with the potential to deliver practical, farm-level outcomes for New Zealand farmers and growers. Preference will be given to proposals that explore novel concepts, mechanisms, or technologies beyond well-established research areas and demonstrate a credible pathway to emissions reduction, adoption, and deployment at scale within a commercially relevant timeframe. Scope As part of this round, ideas are welcomed that specifically address the following research challenges: Development of biological and soil-management technologies that reduce N₂O emissions by enhancing N₂O consumption (reduction of N₂O to dinitrogen, N₂) and preventing the accumulation of nitrite (NO₂⁻), a key precursor of N₂O formation. Technologies must be able to be applied at scale and suitable for NZ pastoral systems, i.e. nitrous oxide emissions from urine patches Development of robust, routine in situ approaches for quantifying the key intermediaries and processes governing N₂O emissions under urine patch conditions, including accurate measurement of N₂ production and/or nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) activity, as well as nitrite formation, pool sizes, and concentration dynamics Submissions addressing novel approaches to reducing nitrous oxide emissions from ruminant animal deposited urine and/or methane emissions from enteric fermentation that can rapidly bring about a step-change in emissions at scale in grazing ruminants, and where investment could accelerate or unblock barriers to commercialisation, where the idea does not fit the challenges above Eligibility The two step tendering process is open to New Zealand and international organisations to apply Co-funding is strongly encouraged Organisations can submit a full proposal, or for ideas focussed on feasibility that may not have a full team assembled yet, an ideas proposal can be submitted Instructions to Tenderers Please review the guidelines for further information on the submission requirements for a full proposal or an ideas proposal. Questions can be submitted to innovation@ag-emissions.nz. An FAQ document will be kept updated and available to view at www.ag-emissions.nz/innovation. Please submit responses to innovation@ag-emissions.nz. No hard copy is required. Enquiries Contact: Tania Brown Phone: +6463518334 Email: innovation@ag-emissions.nz