Across our rohe, innovation is already happening. It is being led by communities, whānau, organisations, businesses and changemakers who are finding creative ways to respond to local challenges and create opportunities for future generations.
The Toi Māui Innovation Summit was inspired by a simple belief: some of the most powerful innovations emerge from the grassroots. They begin with people who deeply understand the aspirations and realities of their communities and are prepared to try new approaches, build partnerships, and challenge traditional ways of working.
The Summit brings together innovators, community leaders, service providers, iwi, entrepreneurs, researchers, funders and decision-makers to connect, learn and share ideas. It is a space for celebrating what is already working, exploring new possibilities, and strengthening the relationships that help innovation thrive.
Through inspiring stories, practical insights and collaborative conversations, we hope to spark new thinking, foster meaningful connections, and encourage greater investment in solutions that create lasting impact for our people and places. The Summit is an opportunity to showcase the ingenuity that exists across our region while exploring how we can collectively accelerate positive change.
At its heart, the Toi Māui Innovation Summit is a celebration of grassroots innovation. It recognises the individuals, organisations and communities who are courageously testing new ideas, responding to complex challenges, and creating pathways towards a healthier, more connected and prosperous future for our rohe.
Check out our shortlisted applications for the Toi Māui Innovation Grants.
Long before we called it innovation, we had Māui.
Toi Māui celebrates the art of innovation, creativity and courageous thinking.
The Toi Māui Innovation Grant is grounded in that same spirit, backing bold, whānau-centred ideas that can strengthen hauora and wellbeing for generations to come.
We are inviting whānau, community groups, kaupapa Māori organisations, providers and changemakers to bring forward new ideas. Not business-as-usual. Not expanding existing services. We are looking for fresh thinking inspired by lived experience, community knowledge and a desire to create meaningful change.
Successful applicants will receive:
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Funding to develop and test their idea
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Support to strengthen and refine their concept
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Opportunity to pitch to other potential funders
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Access to a growing network of innovators and leaders
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Stage 1: Registration of Interest
Submit a short ROI outlining your idea.
Stage 2: Shortlisting
Applications are reviewed by an independent assessment panel.
Stage 3: Development Support
Shortlisted applicants receive support to further develop their ideas.
Stage 4: Toi Māui Innovation Summit
Successful initiatives receive funding to move forward.-
ROI Opens - 6 July 2026
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ROI Closes - 3 August 2026
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Shortlisting Completed - 10 August 2026
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Toi Māui Innovation Summit - 4 September 2026
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Click here to be directed to the Terms + Conditions page
Kaua e whakama! If you need additional support, reach out to us so we can connect you to partners who can help shape your ideas into a strong application.
Please reach out to Ellie Berghan with any other pātai you may have here
Endometriosis and Reproductive Health Hauora Hub
This kaupapa seeks to address the lack of culturally safe support available for wāhine living with endometriosis, PCOS, and other reproductive health conditions. The proposed hauora hub would provide a dedicated space for education, peer connection, wellbeing activities, and whānau support, helping to reduce isolation while improving access to information, advocacy, and holistic care.
Te Whare Okioki
Te Whare Okioki is a community-led response to homelessness in Whangārei. The initiative aims to establish a network of low-barrier overnight shelters that provide safe accommodation alongside connections to health, housing, and social support services. By meeting people where they are, the kaupapa seeks to create pathways toward stability, dignity, and long-term wellbeing.
Tokanui Waka Initiative
The Tokanui Waka Initiative uses the construction and operation of a traditional voyaging waka as a platform for learning, connection, and wellbeing. Participants will engage in cultural education, water safety, navigation, environmental stewardship, and leadership development, strengthening identity, confidence, and intergenerational knowledge-sharing while reconnecting communities to their maritime heritage.
Havyn
Havyn is an innovative maternal health product designed to support recovery following childbirth. The reusable postpartum garment incorporates integrated cold therapy to assist women experiencing perineal trauma, offering a practical, comfortable, and sustainable alternative to existing recovery products. The innovation aims to improve maternal recovery outcomes while enhancing comfort and confidence during a critical stage of motherhood.
Marae-Based Community Wellbeing Panel
This initiative proposes a marae-based model that brings together expertise from health, social services, policing, cultural leadership, and community organisations to strengthen responses to trauma, suicide, and crisis. By creating a coordinated and culturally grounded approach, the kaupapa aims to improve support for whānau while building resilience and collective capacity within communities.
Te Mata o Roiroi
Te Mata o Roiroi is a marae-based wellbeing programme designed to strengthen the identity, resilience, and aspirations of rangatahi tāne. Through tikanga Māori, whakapapa learning, mentoring, physical activity, and mau rākau, the kaupapa creates opportunities for young men to deepen cultural connections, build confidence, and develop the skills needed to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
Māori Digital Hauora Platform
This innovation reimagines how hauora is measured and supported by recognising Māori expressions of wellbeing such as waka ama, kapa haka, māra kai, and kī-o-rahi. Grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā, the platform captures a holistic view of wellbeing while encouraging stronger connections to whānau, culture, community, and te taiao.
Taheke United Community Centre
The development of the Taheke United Community Centre aims to create a thriving rural resilience hub that supports the wellbeing of the wider community. Bringing together emergency preparedness, cultural revitalisation, learning opportunities, and wellbeing programmes, the centre will provide a welcoming space where people can connect, learn, and support one another across generations.
Te Ara Mauri
Te Ara Mauri is an eight-week kaupapa Māori wellbeing programme that combines traditional healing practices with practical hauora education and personalised support planning. Participants are supported to strengthen their physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural wellbeing while developing sustainable strategies that can be applied within their daily lives and whānau environments.
Personalised Māori Health Insights Programme
This initiative combines modern DNA and epigenetic testing with culturally grounded hauora approaches to provide personalised health insights for whānau. Guided by Te Whare Tapa Whā, the programme aims to empower participants with a deeper understanding of their health while supporting positive lifestyle changes through a holistic Māori wellbeing framework.
Ūkaipō
Ūkaipō is a kaupapa Māori maternal wellbeing service designed to support mothers during pregnancy and early parenthood. Through practical in-home assistance, culturally safe care, and opportunities for community connection, the initiative seeks to reduce isolation, strengthen maternal wellbeing, and help rebuild the village of support that has traditionally surrounded māmā and whānau.
Rural Container Gym Network
This initiative proposes the establishment of relocatable, shipping-container gyms in rural communities where access to fitness facilities is limited. By creating locally accessible spaces for physical activity, the kaupapa aims to improve fitness, support mental wellbeing, increase youth engagement, and encourage stronger social connections within communities.
He Kohinga Mārama
He Kohinga Mārama is a kaupapa Māori approach to capturing, protecting, and sharing the experiences of whānau affected by cancer. The initiative ensures communities retain ownership of their stories while creating opportunities for lived experiences to inform service design, improve health outcomes, and support more culturally responsive cancer care.
MAP Home
MAP Home is a digital platform designed to guide whānau through every stage of the home ownership journey. Combining educational resources, planning tools, financial guidance, and information about alternative housing pathways, the platform aims to make housing information more accessible and support whānau to make informed decisions about their future.
Pā Harakeke Support Model
The Pā Harakeke Support Model delivers practical assistance, parenting support, and culturally grounded guidance directly into the homes of young parents and growing whānau. Drawing inspiration from traditional systems of collective care, the initiative seeks to strengthen confidence, capability, and wellbeing while creating stronger foundations for future
Te Whare Kōpu
Te Whare Kōpu is a creative wellbeing hub that uses mahi toi, parenting education, rongoā Māori, and cultural learning as pathways to improved hauora. Supporting hapū women, māmā, and whānau, the initiative creates opportunities for healing, self-expression, connection, and cultural strengthening during significant life transitions.
Māori Gaming for Wellbeing Programme
This innovative wellbeing programme harnesses the popularity of gaming to engage rangatahi in positive personal development. Through a Māori Superhero framework, the initiative promotes healthy digital habits, strengthens cultural identity, builds resilience, and encourages holistic wellbeing in ways that are relevant and engaging for young people.
Accessible Mātauranga Māori Resources
This kaupapa aims to make mātauranga Māori more accessible for whānau hauā through the development of inclusive learning resources. Integrating New Zealand Sign Language, tactile learning, movement, visual storytelling, and digital technology, the initiative seeks to ensure knowledge can be shared, understood, and celebrated by diverse communities and future generations.