Partnership Opportunities
Partnering with Te Ara Pōtiki builds globally capable Māori leaders with real-world commercial experience that strengthens Aotearoa’s agrifood future.
Building Global Capability for Māori in Agrifood
Te Ara Pōtiki partners with iwi, corporates, community organisations and public sector entities that recognise the importance of developing Māori talent beyond academic and domestic career pathways. Our programme is deliberately small, selective and outcomes-focused, providing participants with hands-on experience inside high-performing agrifood businesses in the United States.Partnership investment enables:
Global commercial exposure for Māori STEMM professionals
Capability development aligned to iwi and organisational priorities
Stronger innovation pipelines within agrifood and sustainability sectors
Long-term leadership development for Māori enterprises and communities.
DID YOU KNOW
Agriculture and food production are New Zealand's largest export earner, with the food and fibre sector projected to hit a record $62 billion in export revenue for the year ending June 2026, accounting for over 80% of all goods exports.
Māori interests represent approximately 35% of assets across the primary sector, spanning land, forestry, horticulture, fisheries and related enterprises.
Māori represent a significant and growing proportion of Aotearoa’s future workforce. One in three New Zealanders under the age of 27 is Māori, and over the next two decades Māori will become one of the most influential demographic groups in the country.
How Partnership Works
Te Ara Pōtiki Trust manages the end-to-end programme design, candidate selection, placement matching and pastoral support.
The Trust:
Designs and delivers the programme
Recruits and assesses candidates
Matches participants to suitable host companies
Provides pastoral care and reintegration support
Host companies typically provide in-market support through project access, mentorship and workplace integration. Partner funding supports agreed participant expenses and contributes to the operational delivery of the programme.
Pōtiki Partner | NZD $25,000
A Pōtiki Partnership typically supports:
Return international airfares
Up to six weeks of accommodation support in-market (estimated at NZD $15,000)
NZD $10,000 contribution to programme delivery, pastoral care and administration
Partnership arrangements can be tailored to align with sponsor objectives, including:
Supporting a Pōtiki connected to a specific iwi, hapū or Māori entity
Corporate or philanthropic sponsorship of selected candidates
Secondment-style placements where participants remain employed by the Partner.
Each partnership is structured to meet the needs of the Pōtiki, the Partner and the Trust.
Scroll down for further partner opportunities
Why Partner with
Te Ara Potiki?
Partnering with Te Ara Pōtiki is an investment in long-term capability, not short-term outcomes.
As a Partner, you are supporting:
The development of globally capable Māori leaders
Stronger stewardship of Māori assets
Increased innovation and commercial confidence across the sector
Intergenerational benefits for whānau, hapū and iwi
The programme is intentionally selective. Over the next five years, Te Ara Pōtiki aims to place 25 Māori participants into international agrifood businesses, building a connected cohort of leaders with shared global experience and deep sector understanding.
Iwi & Organisational Partnerships
Te Ara Pōtiki works closely with iwi and Māori organisations seeking to invest in their people and future leadership.
Partnerships create pathways for Māori to gain global experience that can be reinvested into:
Iwi asset management and governance
Agrifood innovation and sustainability initiatives
Commercial development and enterprise growth.
Our partners play an integral part in our journey and help us accomplish our goals.
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Waikato-Tainui Iwi
Waikato-Tainui is a growing iwi of more than 90,000 people, continuing a legacy of voyagers and pioneers through an ever-evolving story of leadership, innovation and opportunity.
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MBIE
MBIE is a large ministry entrusted with a big responsibility – to grow New Zealand’s economy and to share the benefits with everyone who lives here. MBIE is working towards delivering an integrated approach to both regulation and service delivery, leveraging our size and scope.
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Simpson Grierson
Simpson Grierson is one of New Zealand's leading full-service commercial law firms, and also one of the largest. Simpson Grierson stands committed to shaping a prosperous future for its people, clients, and Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Kea
Founded in 2001, Kea nurtures a diverse and vibrant community of Kiwi and friends of New Zealand, who share a strong passion for New Zealand and the success of its people and businesses with operations in Auckland, London, New York and Beijing.
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Tapuwae Roa
Tapuwae Roa (formerly Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust) is a leading Māori social impact organisation with a focus on funding, investment, and advocacy of targeted social change within a tikanga-based framework.
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Pōtiki Partners support candidates with airfares (return to US) and up to six weeks accommodation support in-market. We estimate this to be approximately $15K, and the Trust will ask for a $10K donation for administration & pastoral care support of the Fellow as a component of the Sponsorship.
Partnerships can be customised to the specific goals of the Partner to reflect for example, alignment around support of a Pōtiki from the iwi, hapū or Māori Trust/entity. In corporate or philanthropic sponsorships, we will curate the list of qualified candidates that can be supported with a donation to the Trust, which in turn will administer the placement and assignment.
We also welcome Partners who have qualified Māori personnel who would be placed under a secondment/work experience engagement while they remain in the Partner’s employment, as opposed to being paid by the Host company.
Ultimately, this is a highly curated and flexible partnership that will be tailored to meet the objectives of the Pōtiki candidate, the Partner and our Trust.
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We invite Government, Community and Philanthropic organisations to contribute to the development and administration of the Te Ara Pōtiki and/or continue to support us as we expand our initiatives and reach with services in-kind.
Our initial Government Partner is the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) over our first three years until 2025/6.
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Te Ara Pōtiki has unique access to international start-ups and investment networks, and the potential for significant impact that the development of globally aware and connected technology entrepreneurs can have on Māori and Aotearoa economic development.
We are seeking a Principal Partner for a five year commitment to support the outreach and engagement of future Pōtiki Māori candidates, through support of the Trust, and to occupy the named Partnership for Te Ara Pōtiki program. We anticipate the Partner will benefit from:
If desired, public recognition of support for the mission and organisation.
Connection into the expansive agrifood start up network in the US through our Māori talent capability build.
Alignment of Research & Development to industry strategic problems to solve.
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Our initial Māori partner organisation is Tapuwae Roa. (see ww.tapuwaeroa.org)
A charitable entity formed with a grant from the Māori Fisheries Commission, it promotes Māori leadership in governance and management.
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Te Ara Potiki trust is seeking a Media partner to promote the Trust’s programs to candidates, report on outcomes from the successful applicants and their companies, Iwi, communities; support online media and website/social engagement.
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The Trust will host an annual Hui to provide opportunities from the Pōtiki to share their experience, research and outcomes. This event will also enable networking from our Partners and supporting organisations. The 2024 event was hosted by Waikato-Tainui at the Novotel Hotel at Auckland International Airport. Future events will be recorded and webcast.