Here are some avenues of funding to support organisations hiring interns in Aotearoa. These programmes are all separate from Summer of Tech, but our programme can be a place to find candidates to fill your roles. Not all Summer of Tech candidates will qualify for the funding, so please check the fine print and chat with the funding folks if you’re unsure.

More below on these 4 funding options:

This is the most common source of funding support for employers in our programme. If you’re hiring interns to help your business accelerate R&D projects, then Callaghan Innovation R&D Experience Grants are worth checking out.

The R&D Experience Grants fund innovative businesses to employ tertiary-level students (NZQA levels 6-10) as full-time interns over their summer break. If your grant is approved, you will receive a reimbursement of $10,400 (plus GST) for 400 hours of full-time work upon proof of payment to the student.

NZQA level 6 is new for 2023, previously it was level 7 and above. What does this mean?

For the first time, students pursuing non-degree level qualifications are eligible. We love this - it gives you more flexibility and diversity options when considering who to hire. Think Dev Academy Aotearoa, Mission Ready HQ, Developers Institute, Yoobee and so many more non-traditional education pathways offering NZQA level 6 courses.

You’ll embed one or more students into the teams within your business that are undertaking research and development. They’ll get real-world experience of how science, technology, engineering and design work inside of a business, and how R&D creates appealing products and services. The awarded grant funds the entirety of the student’s wages during their internship.

In return, you’ll get access to inquisitive minds and fresh thinking that will help you overcome research challenges and accelerate the development of your products or services.

The aim is to create a new generation of Kiwi innovators, dreaming big and having a positive impact on Aotearoa New Zealand.

This is the most common funding for businesses sourcing candidates through Summer of Tech.

Unfortunately, the timing for grant applications is very late in the year, if your internship project is dependent on funding, then the best way for you to get certainty during our recruitment season is to submit your application form as soon as possible.

You’ll need to have a project plan and prepare the forms for submission. If it’s your first time, then we highly recommend reaching out to the Callaghan Innovation customer service team for help.

For more information, including who can apply, where to find suitable students (ahem, the Summer of Tech programme, of course!), and what kinds of projects are eligible… check out the Callaghan Innovation website.

What about post-grad students?
Callaghan’s Career Grant is available to support Masters and PhD students. We may be able to help you find these candidates through Summer of Tech, too.

The Cadetships fund is for kaitono (employers) to fund training and development and pastoral care for Māori kaimahi (staff) at any stage of their careers to help them move into higher-skilled and better-paid roles. 

Cadetships help Māori kaimahi to develop new skills, improve confidence and leadership abilities, and should lead to better employment

• Cadets must be Māori and may be at any age or stage of their career.

• Cadets must be developed for a minimum of six months, in permanent jobs (or in some industries, have an expectation of ongoing work with that kaitono)

• Kaitono (employers) can receive up to $10,000 per full-time cadet per year (less for part-time cadets) to contribute to the costs of training, development and mentoring. This may include formal certifications or qualifications.

Flexi-wage helps you hire staff and get them the skills needed to do the job. You get a wage contribution while they get training and ongoing support. Like the cadetship funding above, Flexi-wage jobs must continue after the Flexi-wage has finished (unless it’s a fixed-term project that benefits the community or environment and will help your employee gain the skills needed to get into work once it's finished).

Job seekers may be eligible for Flexi-wage if they:

• haven't worked for a long time

and/or

• have difficulty getting or keeping a job. For example, they might have barriers to finding a job because they need education or training, or their current job may be at risk.

You’ll need to contact MSD to help you find eligible candidates (or check if a Summer of Tech candidate meets their criteria). 

JobDUN is a paid internship programme for Dunedin businesses and tertiary students.

The programme aims to retain skills and talent in Dunedin by helping businesses find talented students to meet their business needs.

The funding of $1,000 per intern (excl. GST) is paid once the required intern, business and payroll reports have been submitted.

We’re not aware of any other funding available to support hiring digital interns in Aotearoa, so please let us know if you can point to any other incentives for businesses.