Fieldays® Innovation Awards

Fieldays is the ultimate launch platform for Innovation.

The Fieldays Innovation Awards represent the innovation lifecycle in three award categories: Prototype, Early-Stage, and Growth & Scale. 

Special recognition is also given to younger innovators, with an award for the Fieldays Young Innovator of the Year.

All Award participants are in the running for the People's Choice Award. 

The total prize package is worth over $70,000 comprising of cash, services and products to help innovators in their journey to accelerate the growth of their products.

Entry is for an individual product/service. The business story will support the entry but judging will focus on the entered product/service.

Entries are welcome from across the Primary Sector: Dairy, Meat, & Wool, Forestry, Horticulture (including Viticulture), Seafood (including Aquaculture and Fishing), Arable, and Agri Tech (including Food and Green Tech), and supporting activities, including machinery, processing, and manufacturing. 

International entries are welcome in the Early-Stage and Growth & Scale categories.

Awards participants can exhibit in the Fieldays Innovation Hub, or on a site elsewhere. All participants are included on the Innovation Trail.

Prototype Award

Test your idea with an audience of thousands and gather on-the-spot feedback!

Early-Stage Award

Network with investors and corporate decision-makers to launch your product to the next level!

Growth & Scale Award

Connect with industry professionals and showcase your international potential!       

Young Innovator of the Year Award

All entrants in any category who are 19 years old and younger can indicate they would like to also be considered for this award, and potentially win $2,000.

People's Choice Award

All participating Innovation Awards exhibitors will be in the running for People's Choice Award. The winning entrant will receive $2,000 cash from Fieldays, and a lucky voter will receive a prize to the value of $500. 

Innovation Award Judges

Meet the judging pool for the Fieldays Innovation Awards. These judges are sector experts, and represent a wide range of experience from around the innovation eco-system. 

Each year 15 of these judges participate in the judging process.

PETER DOWD

PETER DOWD

Anago Ltd

SHANE DOOLEY

SHANE DOOLEY

Callaghan Innovation

BRENDAN O'CONNELL

BRENDAN O'CONNELL

AgriTech New Zealand 

JACQUELINE ROWARTH

DR. JACQUELINE ROWARTH

Consultant

DR HAYDN READ

DR. HAYDN READ

Consultant

GIL MERON

GIL MERON

Sprout Agritech

Rosie Spragg

ROSIE SPRAGG

Consultant

PROF. TONY PARKER

PROF. TONY PARKER

Massey University

Dr. Juliet Ansell

DR. JULIET ANSELL

Bragato Research Institute

ANDRE WISSE

ANDRE WISSE

Emma Poole

EMMA POOLE

Jenny Cameron

JENNY CAMERON

Ministry for Primary Industries 

ANDREW COOKE

ANDREW COOKE

Map of Ag

OLIVER McDERMOTT

Blender Design

DON GRAY

DON GRAY

CRAIG WATKINSON

CRAIG WATKINSON

Katie Sizeland

KATIE SIZELAND

Plant & Food Research

Jason Tuck

JASON TUCK

James & Wells

KATHERINE SANDFORD

UBCO Electric Utility Bikes

SAMUEL PARKINSON

SAMUEL PARKINSON

James & Wells

JONATHAN PRINCE

JONATHAN PRINCE

Caliber Design

STEPHEN HOFFMAN

STEPHEN HOFFMAN

NZNFS Life Member

Protecting your Innovation FAQs

A patent is a proprietary right in an invention. It provides the owner with the exclusive right for up to 20 years to make, sell or use a product or process. In exchange for this monopoly, the patent is published so others can see how the invention works and build on that knowledge. Once the patent lapses or expires, the invention is available for the public to use.

In New Zealand, no. Only the true and first inventor of the subject matter of the patent application, an assignee of that inventor or the estate of the inventor/assignee can apply for a patent in New Zealand. The assignee may be a person or a company.

 You can apply for a patent up to six months after displaying your innovation at the event as Fieldays will gazette the event as an industrial or international exhibition with IPONZ, 

No, to be patentable the subject matter of the application must be novel (i.e. new), inventive, and must have utility (i.e. be useful). In New Zealand patentable subject matter can include apparatus and products, processes, new uses of known products, foodstuffs and associated methods of manufacture, and some business methods and applications. However, some subject matter is excluded, such as methods of medical treatment of humans, schemes or plans, pure discoveries without an industrial use and naturally occurring substances or organisms.

Thanking and spotlighting our Fieldays Innovation Sponsors

Fieldays sponsor

Fieldays sponsor

Fieldays sponsor

Fieldays sponsor

Fieldays sponsor

Fieldays advocate

Innovation Awards FAQs

  • Fieldays Innovation Award - Prototype
  • Fieldays Innovation Award - Early Stage
  • Fieldays Innovation Award - Growth & Scale
  • Fieldays Young Innovator of the Year Award

The entry and Judging criteria can be viewed on our website.

We’ll be happy to help you find the right category to enter. Please call our Programme Developer Steve Chappell on 021642882 or email him at steve.chappell@nznfs.co.nz

Yes, you can – and we encourage you to! You are best suited to enter Prototype Innovation category where you can showcase ideas, design and prototypes that have the potential to improve rural practices

Partners and Premier Sponsor

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