New Broom
OPINION: The old saying 'a new broom sweeps clean' doesn't always hold up, if you ask the Hound.
Successful applicants will be showcased during the National Fieldays, set to be held 10-13 June, at Mystery Creek.
Now in their 58th year, the Awards recognise ideas, products, and services that lift performance and sustainability across the primary sector, while helping innovators move from concept to commercial impact.
With Fieldays and its sponsors providing more than $75,000 in cash, services, and products, entrants gain access to expert guidance, national and international exposure, and connections across the innovation ecosystem, including investors and advisors.
Long-term Fieldays Sponsor, AgriTech New Zealand has refocused their attention on the Fieldays Innovation Awards for 2026, strengthening the Awards’ reach through its national and international networks.
Brendan O’Connell, AgriTech New Zealand’s chief executive, and a member of the Innovation Awards judging panel, says the alignment with the Awards was an easy decision.
“The Innovation Awards continue to attract exceptional entries that shape the future of agriculture and food production, and this is something we are proud to support and advocate for,” says O'Connell.
“The Fieldays Innovation Awards are the leading showcase of primary sector innovation in New Zealand. Many of our members have taken part, and we’re using our global relationships to bring international innovators and their ideas to the New Zealand audience through Fieldays.”
Accepted entries will be showcased during Fieldays and featured along the Fieldays Innovation Trail and within the Fieldays Innovation Hub, a dedicated space for innovators to connect with thousands of visitors, industry leaders, and potential partners over four days.
Entries are invited from all areas of the primary sector, including dairy, meat, wool, forestry, horticulture (including viticulture), seafood (including aquaculture and fishing), arable farming, AgriTech, FoodTech, GreenTech, and manufacturing, as well as the technologies, machinery, and systems that support them.
There are three award categories, the Prototype Award supported by Sprout Agritech and Blender Design, the Early-Stage Award supported by Map of Ag, and the Growth & Scale Award supported by KingSt, representing the full innovation lifecycle. Additional recognition includes the Fieldays Young Innovator of the Year and the People’s Choice Award, voted for by Fieldays visitors. International entries are welcome in the Early-Stage and Growth & Scale categories.
“Each year we see practical problem-solving from people who understand the pressures and opportunities in the primary industries,” says Steve Chappell, programme manager at the National Fieldays Society.
“The Innovation Awards are about connecting those innovators to the people and opportunities that can take their ideas further, in New Zealand and beyond.”
Entry closes on Friday, 24 April 2026, with winners announced at a private awards function during Fieldays at Mystery Creek Events Centre on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
