From now until 29 July 2016, the The New Zealand Innovation Awards (NZIA) is on the hunt for the next wave of innovators, innovations and organisations that have invested in developing new products, services and ventures, as well as improving the performance of their people and teams.

NZIA have helped many organisations across a variety of industry sectors get connected to a wide range of partners, multinational organisations and private investors searching for great Kiwi companies to work with and invest in.

“It doesn’t matter what industry you are working in, or what stage of growth you are at – you may have an innovation project that is still in development, a product or service that you have just launched to market, or a business that you have been growing for many years,” says NZ Innovation Council CEO, Louise Webster.

“Regardless of your size or stage of growth, we want to hear about your contribution to innovation. We’re on the hunt for innovators and innovations of every description. We’re looking for game-changers across a broad range of businesses and industries.”

Stephen Henry, CEO of the 2015 Supreme New Zealand Innovators Award winner, Kode Biotech, says he never imagined the impact the win would have on Kode’s business: “The awards have raised the profile of Kode Biotech and it has made it much easier for us to raise capital, which was a very nice bonus.”

Glenn Martin, Founder and Former CEO of Martin JetPack, who in the same year won Most Inspiring Individual, says that “…you don’t do it for accolades but it is nice to have a group of people whom you respect, recognise that what you have done is actually inspiring and useful.”

Organisations, teams and individuals can enter products, services, business processes or new business ventures, across ten industry categories which include:

• Innovation in Agribusiness & Environment

• Innovation in Design & Engineering

• Innovation in Education, Training & Development

• Innovation in Financial & Professional Services

• Innovation in Health & Science

• Innovation in Food & Beverage

• Innovation in Technology Solutions

• Innovation in Marketing & Communications

• Innovation in Media, Mobile & Entertainment

• Innovation in Sustainability & Cleantech

From these categories, the evaluators will select winner for the following eleven business discipline categories:

• Bayer Supreme New Zealand Innovator

• Innovation Excellence in Research

• Start-up Innovator of the Year

• Emerging New Zealand Innovator

• Sustained Innovation Excellence

• Export Innovator of the Year

• Excellence in Social Innovation

• Innovation in Maori Development

• Most Inspiring Individual

• Young New Zealand Innovator

• The People’s Choice – Idealog’s online award (a personal highlight)

Click HERE for more information on how to enter