On 13 January 2026, New Zealand’s government launched the AI Advisory Pilot, a government co-funded programme to help small businesses adopt AI. Eligible businesses receive up to 50 percent co-funding capped at NZ$15,000 to develop an AI plan tailored to their business, workers and customers.
The pilot runs from 19 January 2026 to at least 30 June 2026, delivered through the Regional Business Partner Network (15 regional service providers). An initial NZ$765,000 was allocated from existing MBIE appropriations with a minimum of 51 SMEs expected to participate.
Advisors provide guidance on privacy, data management and responsible use. The programme is explicitly positioned to test whether targeted expert support and step-by-step guidance accelerates digital adoption.
The NZ AI Strategy (2025) projects that adopting generative AI could add NZ$76 billion to the economy by 2038 (15 percent of GDP).
Score impact: Dim 13 evidence strengthened — government-funded AI literacy/advisory resources now extend to small businesses via co-funded advisory services, not just free public resources. Existing score of 1 is confirmed and may warrant elevation.