What Stellar Projects does

Stellar Projects Limited is a privately held, founder-owned New Zealand infrastructure consultancy founded in 2013 and headquartered in Takapuna, Auckland. It provides independent, client-side project management, contract administration, quantity surveying, and emergency response services to public-sector clients across transport, 3 Waters (water, wastewater, stormwater), and — more recently — energy infrastructure. The firm operates from four North Island offices (Auckland, Whangārei, Cambridge/Waikato, and Tauranga) and employs 51-100 staff, with senior leadership holding the highest tier (Level 4) of the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Engineer-to-Contract accreditation and credentials across RICS, Engineering New Zealand, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership frameworks. The firm is positioned around deep mastery of NZS 3910, 3916, and 3917 contract standards and operates an in-house cultural capability led by a Pou Tikanga and the Whai Hononga Framework.

The firm's revenue model is professional services fees — primarily time-and-materials and fixed-price contract engagements — on long-cycle infrastructure programmes. Visible engagements include senior roles on the $5.493 billion City Rail Link, the approximately $150 million Tīrau to Waiouru reinstatement programme, the $41.4 million Loop Road South, the Northland Recovery response, the Waioweka Gorge, the Ports of Auckland Outfall, and multiple district-council water, wastewater, and education projects. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and tender-based via NZ government and council procurement panels; in May 2026 the firm announced "Stellar Projects 2.0," a strategic restructuring and refocusing following December 2025 board expansion. Differentiation rests on independent advisory posture, regulatory and contract-framework depth, cultural capability, and emergency-response mobilisation in regional North Island catchments.

The company's core deliverable is professional judgement rendered by accredited engineers, contract administrators, and quantity surveyors — there is no proprietary technology platform, software product, or data asset in the disclosed material. Service delivery is enabled by standard digital tooling rather than a differentiated technology stack. Recognition to date is reputational rather than commercial-scale: 2025 RICS New Zealand Quantity Surveying Team of the Year, 2025 RICS Pacific Apopo Award, and a Stormwater Project of the Year honour.

Name

Stellar Projects

Legal name

Stellar Projects

Website

https://stellarprojects.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stellar Projects is a New Zealand-owned infrastructure consultancy providing independent project management, contract administration, quantity surveying, and emergency response services to public-sector clients across transport, 3 Waters, and energy from four North Island offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Infrastructure Consulting Services

NAICS

Utility System Construction (2371)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA), Greenfield Plant & Facility Commissioning (New Builds) (EUAEAJAA)

Keywords

• Infrastructure consultancy
• Project management services
• Quantity surveying services
• Contract administration
• Civil engineering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Takapuna

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Project & Programme Leadership: Stellar Projects provides independent project management, programme leadership, and governance for complex infrastructure projects across transport, water, and energy sectors. Revenue is generated through professional service fees on time-and-materials or fixed-price engagements with public sector clients.
2. Contract Administration & Independent Certification: The company provides Engineer to Contract (EtC), Contract Administration (CA), and Independent Certification services under NZS3910, NZS3916, and NZS3917 standards. These are billed as professional service engagements, typically embedded within major infrastructure delivery programmes.
3. Commercial & Quantity Surveying Services: Quantity surveying, cost management, risk analysis, bank funding verification, and commercial advisory services billed as consultancy fees across project lifecycle stages from pre-tender through to final account.
4. Emergency Response & Recovery Services: Rapid mobilisation and ongoing recovery support for infrastructure following severe weather events and natural hazards, engaged by government agencies (NZTA) on emergency and recovery programmes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stellar Projects provides independent project, programme, and commercial leadership for complex transport, water, and energy infrastructure projects across New Zealand. Services include Project & Programme Leadership, Contract Administration and Independent Certification under NZS3910/3916/3917, Commercial and Quantity Surveying, and Emergency Response and Recovery. Engagements are delivered to government agencies, councils, and public sector infrastructure owners through tender, direct negotiation, and panel agreements.

Product overview

Stellar Projects is a focused, people-led infrastructure consultancy offering a unified suite of professional services rather than a modular software product. The company provides independent project, programme, and commercial leadership across Transport, 3 Waters, and Energy sectors through four integrated core service lines: Project & Programme Leadership, Contract Administration & Independent Certification, Commercial & Quantity Surveying, and Emergency Response & Recovery. These services are delivered by multidisciplinary teams providing end-to-end infrastructure delivery support from early planning through to completion. The company operates across New Zealand from four regional offices (Auckland, Whangārei, Cambridge/Waikato, and Tauranga) serving public sector and government clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project & Programme Leadership Independent project management services for complex infrastructure projects, covering planning, management, and successful delivery for public sector and government clients with expertise in procurement strategy and contractual systems.
• Contract Administration & Independent Certification Contract administration services under NZS3910, NZS3916, and NZS3917 standards, including Engineer to Contract (EtC), Independent Certification (IC), and expert determinations on variation entitlement and extension of time claims.
• Commercial & Quantity Surveying Specialised quantity surveying expertise in transport and civic infrastructure, civil works, and multi-stage developments, supported by integrated risk management including estimating, value engineering, cashflow forecasting, cost analysis, and commercial management.
• Emergency Response & Recovery Critical emergency response and infrastructure recovery services to restore safe access and essential services following severe weather events, natural hazards, or unplanned network failures, providing rapid mobilisation and coordinated oversight.
• Transport Sector Services End-to-end oversight across roading, rail, ports, and airport infrastructure as the independent client-side project manager, providing value creation, risk management, and programme management for complex transport projects.
• 3 Waters Sector Services End-to-end oversight across water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure, optimising value, managing risk, and keeping complex programmes on track for growing communities.
• Energy Sector Services Independent project management and expert strategic advice for energy projects, including large-scale electricity infrastructure supporting renewable generation through complex regulatory and approval pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• City Rail Link — 13 work packages delivered over 10 years for New Zealand's largest transport infrastructure project ($5.493 billion)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStellar Projects was appointed as project managers for the Waioweka Gorge Recovery (SH2), with Beca engaged for design services. This is a structured project team arrangement under NZTA's governance for major resilience works.
• GeovertminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeovert was awarded a physical works contract for geotechnical work as part of the Waioweka Gorge recovery programme under NZTA's coordinated response.
• Waiotahi Contractors LtdminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWaiotahi Contractors Ltd was awarded a physical works contract for infrastructure repairs as part of the Waioweka Gorge recovery programme under NZTA's coordinated response.
• Link AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStellar Projects team members worked within the Link Alliance to deliver City Rail Link across 13 packages from 2016–2026. The Link Alliance comprised City Rail Link Ltd, Auckland Transport, and multiple construction and design partners delivering New Zealand's largest transport infrastructure project.
• KiwiRailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStellar Projects provided project management and quantity surveying services on KiwiRail's Northland Recovery Works, coordinating across 51 sites to restore rail corridor infrastructure following significant storm damage.
• Ngāti Whātua ŌrākeicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStellar Projects worked closely with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei as part of the Ports of Auckland Outfall Upgrade project, managing iwi engagement alongside Ports of Auckland, Auckland Council, and Auckland Transport.
• Engineering New Zealand Te Ao RangahaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeena Tapara Luke, Stellar Projects' Pou Tikanga, was appointed to the Papaki Parihau Rōpū, the Māori advisory group at Engineering New Zealand, representing Stellar Projects' commitment to Te Tiriti partnership and cultural capability within the engineering industry.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Beca Group: One of New Zealand's largest employee-owned engineering and consulting firms, providing design, advisory, and project management across transport, water, and energy. Stellar partners with Beca on Waioweka Gorge, and Beca is a broad incumbent competitor across most of Stellar's sectors.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering, management, and development consultancy with an active NZ presence in transport and water. Frequently competes for NZTA and council PM/QS engagements alongside Stellar.
• AECOM New Zealand: Global infrastructure consulting firm with established NZ operations across transport, water, and environment. Competes for the same government client mandates and offers a broader bundled service portfolio than Stellar.
• WSP in New Zealand: Global professional services firm with a substantial NZ presence (including the legacy Opus International Consultants business). Competes for the same government infrastructure mandates and offers end-to-end design plus PM services.
• Stantec New Zealand: Global design and consulting firm with significant NZ operations serving water, transport, and community development clients. Direct overlap with Stellar's 3 Waters and transport infrastructure advisory services.
• Aurecon: Asia-Pacific engineering and infrastructure advisory with strong NZ and Australian footprint. Competes for major transport, water, and energy advisory mandates, and operates a similar client-side advisory model on complex public programmes.

Direct peers

• Tonkin + Taylor: New Zealand-based environmental, engineering, and infrastructure consultancy with deep local government relationships. Directly comparable in providing independent advisory, project management, and specialist services to NZ public sector infrastructure clients.
• RCP (Resource Co-ordination Partnership): New Zealand-based independent project management consultancy providing programme leadership, PMO, and contract administration to public and private clients. Closest direct peer to Stellar in scope, size, and client-side model.
• Calibre Professional Services: Asia-Pacific quantity surveying, cost management, and project management consultancy with strong NZ and Australian presence. Direct competitor on QS, contract administration, and infrastructure advisory engagements for public sector clients.
• Woods (formerly known as Woods Bagot / NZ): NZ-based consultancy providing project management, quantity surveying, and advisory services across infrastructure and built environment. Directly comparable mid-sized peer with similar government and infrastructure client focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stellarprojectsltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stellar Projects