Fieldays® Innovation Awards
Fieldays is the ultimate launch platform for Innovation.
Learn about the Awards categories and find out how to apply.
About the Awards
The Fieldays Innovation Awards deliver a global platform for problem-solvers to showcase their innovation to the primary industries while providing the opportunity to be recognised as a Fieldays Innovation Award winner. Awards participants can exhibit their entry in the Fieldays Innovation Hub during the event, 11-14 June 2025.
Important dates
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Entries open | Open now |
| Entries close | 1pm, Thursday 24 April 2025 |
| Successful Participants confirmed | 5 May |
| First round judging | 5-19 May |
| Finalists announced | 21 May |
| Online Judging session for Finalists | 4 June (if required) |
| Onsite Judging of Finalists | Wednesday 11 June |
| People's Choice Award voting | Throughout Fieldays 11-14 June |
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 $75,000 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.
Award categories
Prototype Award
Supported by Sprout Agritech and Blender Design
Test your idea with an audience of thousands and gather on-the-spot feedback!
Early-Stage Award
Supported by Map of Ag
Network with investors and corporate decision-makers to launch your product to the next level!
Growth & Scale Award
Supported by NZME and King St
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.
Watch our recorded info session about the Fieldays Young Innovator of the Year Award.
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.
Join the eco-system
Get information and updates about the Fieldays Innovation Awards before anyone else.
Fieldays Innovation Awards finalists announced
Gordon Eagleson shares about his win at the Fieldays Innovation Awards in 1976
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 a selection of these judges participate in the judging process.
PETER DOWD
Anago Ltd
SHANE DOOLEY
Callaghan Innovation
BRENDAN O'CONNELL
AgriTech New Zealand
DR. JACQUELINE ROWARTH
Scientist
DR. HAYDN READ
Consultant
GIL MERON
Sprout Agritech
ROSIE SPRAGG
Consultant
PROF. TONY PARKER
Massey University
DR. JULIET ANSELL
Bragato Research Institute
ANDRE WISSE
EMMA POOLE
JENNY CAMERON
Ministry for Primary Industries
ANDREW COOKE
Map of Ag
OLIVER McDERMOTT
Blender Design
DON GRAY
MICHELLE GOOD
Fonterra
CRAIG WATKINSON
KATIE SIZELAND
Plant & Food Research
JASON TUCK
James & Wells
KATHERINE SANDFORD
Independent Director
JUSTIN WHITE
Zespri
SAMUEL PARKINSON
James & Wells
JONATHAN PRINCE
Caliber Design
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
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.
Please contact our Programme Manager Steve Chappell at innovation@fieldays.co.nz who will be able to guide you on which category is best suited to your idea or invention.
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
Partner and Premier Sponsor
