MGRNZ — AI Readiness, Automation & Implementation
Government-funded AI support for New Zealand businesses
The AI Advisory Pilot has expanded to support up to 150 New Zealand businesses. Eligible businesses may access 50% co-funding, capped at $15,000, to identify AI opportunities and implement practical solutions.
MGRNZ helps business owners turn AI interest into practical action: clear use cases, automation opportunities, risk-aware implementation plans, and delivery support.
What is the AI Advisory Pilot?
The AI Advisory Pilot is a New Zealand Government initiative delivered through the Regional Business Partner Network. It is designed to help eligible small and medium-sized businesses explore how AI can be used safely and practically in day-to-day operations.
The programme provides co-funding for expert support to develop an AI plan tailored to the needs of the business, its workers and its customers.
Where MGRNZ helps
Many businesses know AI matters, but do not know where to start. The risk is spending time and money on tools before identifying the right business problem.
MGRNZ helps you work backwards from business outcomes, then identify where AI and automation can create measurable value.
AI Readiness Assessment
Review your current processes, systems, workflows, data, risks and opportunities.
Opportunity Mapping
Identify where AI or automation could reduce manual effort, improve response times or support growth.
Pilot Roadmap
Prioritise use cases and define a practical pilot plan with clear benefits, risks, cost estimates and next steps.
Implementation Support
Move from advisory to action with workflow automation, AI-assisted processes and practical delivery support.
Practical AI opportunities for SMEs
AI does not need to be complicated to be valuable. For many businesses, the first opportunity is not replacing people — it is removing repetitive work and improving visibility.
- Customer enquiry handling and response drafting
- Quote, proposal and document generation
- Sales follow-up and CRM workflow automation
- Internal reporting and management information
- Operations, scheduling and job administration
- Policy, compliance and knowledge-base support
- Marketing content workflows and campaign support
How MGRNZ supports the AI Advisory journey
MGRNZ helps businesses move from interest in AI to a practical, risk-aware adoption plan that can support grant conversations, decision-making and implementation.
AI Opportunity Review
Identify where AI and automation could support growth, reduce administration, improve customer service or increase productivity.
Readiness Assessment
Review the data, processes, people, technology and knowledge assets needed to support practical AI adoption.
Pilot Roadmap
Define a clear pilot pathway covering scope, benefits, risks, implementation steps and decision points.
Implementation Support
Support the build, testing, deployment and adoption of practical AI and automation solutions where appropriate.
The D.R.I.V.E® Framework
The D.R.I.V.E® Framework provides a structured and repeatable approach to AI adoption while remaining adaptable to each organisation’s environment. Business goals, processes, systems, people and technology will differ from one organisation to another; the framework provides consistency without imposing a one-size-fits-all solution.
The framework consists of five stages:
- Discover — Strategy, Opportunity, Concept, Plan, Approve.
- Ready — Data, Process, People, Technology, Knowledge.
- Implement — Pilot, Build, Test, Deploy, Adopt.
- Validate — Benefits, Users, Performance, Risk, Optimise.
- Evolve — Monitor, Learn, Adapt.
The D.R.I.V.E® Framework is designed to adapt to the organisation, not the other way around. While the framework provides a consistent structure for AI adoption and automation, the activities within each stage evolve to suit the organisation’s goals, people, processes, technology and operating environment.
Why MGRNZ?
MGRNZ is led by Mike Robinson, an experienced technology, risk and transformation professional with more than 25 years across enterprise systems, SAP delivery, data migration, project management, business transformation and AI workflow automation.
Our approach is practical and risk-aware. We do not start with tools. We start with the business problem, the workflow, the people involved, and the outcome you need.
- Technology risk and controls background
- Enterprise systems and transformation experience
- Project and delivery leadership
- Data migration and process understanding
- Hands-on AI and workflow automation capability
Who this is for
This is designed for New Zealand businesses that want practical AI support, not hype.
- Small and medium-sized businesses exploring the AI Advisory Pilot
- Business owners unsure where AI could help
- Teams spending too much time on repetitive administration
- Businesses with manual quoting, reporting, sales or operations processes
- Organisations that want to adopt AI safely and responsibly
Book a free AI discovery call
If you are exploring the AI Advisory Pilot, or simply want to understand whether AI could create value in your business, book a free 20-minute discovery call.
We will discuss your business, your current bottlenecks, and whether AI or automation is worth exploring further.
Note: MGRNZ does not determine grant eligibility or approval. Eligibility and funding decisions sit with the relevant programme administrators and Regional Business Partner Network process.