Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence

What Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence does

Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (Food and Fibre CoVE) is a non-profit Society Incorporated under New Zealand law, established in 2020 as a formal feature of the country's reform of vocational education. The organisation conducts applied research and develops frameworks, rubrics, and digital tools to measure and improve vocational education and training (VET) delivery across New Zealand's food and fibre sector. It works with 14 industry groups spanning apiculture, arable, dairy, equine and racing, forestry, fruit, grapes and wine, nursery and turf, poultry and livestock, seafood, sheep and beef, support services, vegetables, and veterinary services.

Its core outputs include the Vocational Excellence Framework (rubrics) for measuring VET quality, the Food and Fibre Skills Framework providing a common skills language across the sector, the ELEVATE self-assessment platform built on the rubrics, and an AI Agent for Oral Assessment piloted in 2025 with an accompanying playbook. Supporting resources include the Food and Fibre Employer Toolkit, RPL Toolkit, Internship Resource Kit, Power BI Careers Dashboard, MyLead leadership tool, Tautoko Māori toolkit, and Tech Enabled Learning website. Most assets are developed through commissioned research partners including Scarlatti, KPMG, PwC, Skills Consulting Group, and Rural Leaders.

The organisation does not operate on a commercial revenue model. It is funded through government investment as part of New Zealand's vocational education reform and distributes all research outputs, frameworks, and resources publicly without charge. According to its September 2025 newsletter, Food and Fibre CoVE is nearing the conclusion of its operations at the end of 2025, with the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board (ISB) being stood up in January 2026 to assume ongoing sector coordination functions.

Name

Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence

Legal name

Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence Society Incorporated

Website

https://foodandfibrecove.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Food and Fibre CoVE is a New Zealand non-profit developing vocational education frameworks, rubrics, and digital tools for the food and fibre sector. Founded in 2020, it serves 14 industry groups and government agencies, and is concluding operations at end of 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training Research

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce, Employability & Youth Skills Partnerships (EDADALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH), Formative & Benchmark Assessment Content (K–12) (EDAGADAH)

Keywords

• Vocational education research
• Skills framework development
• Workforce capability building
• Vocational excellence assessment
• Industry training standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Taradale, Napier

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Food and Fibre CoVE develops and disseminates vocational education research, frameworks, rubrics, and digital tools designed to measure and improve vocational excellence across New Zealand's food and fibre sector. It produces self-assessment platforms, skills frameworks, employer and learner toolkits, and pilots emerging technologies such as AI-based oral assessment to support training providers, employers, and government agencies. All outputs are made freely available as part of New Zealand's vocational education reform, with no commercial revenue model.

Product overview

Food and Fibre CoVE offers a portfolio of vocational education frameworks, tools, and resources focused on transforming vocational education and training in New Zealand's food and fibre sector. The core offerings include the Vocational Excellence Framework (rubrics) for measuring training quality, and the Food and Fibre Skills Framework providing a common skills language across 14 industry groups. Key digital tools include the ELEVATE self-assessment platform, the Power BI Careers Dashboard, and the Food and Fibre Employer Toolkit. The organization also produces AI-powered assessment solutions including an AI agent for oral assessment, along with various toolkits for internships, RPL implementation, and leadership development. Tech Enabled Learning provides an online learning platform for the sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELEVATE: An interactive self-assessment tool developed by Scarlatti for Food and Fibre CoVE's Vocational Excellence Framework, enabling those involved in VET to self-evaluate against an objective framework.
• Te Ara Whakapakari
• Food and Fibre Skills Framework
• Vocational Excellence Framework

Products and services

• Vocational Excellence Framework and Rubrics
• Food and Fibre Skills Framework
• ELEVATE Vocational Excellence Self-Assessment Tool
• Food and Fibre Employer Toolkit
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Toolkit
• Internship Resource Kit
• Power BI Careers Dashboard
• MyLead.co.nz Leadership Development Tool
• Tautoko Toolkit
• Tech Enabled Learning Website
• AI Agent for Oral Assessment

Quantifiable outcome

• ELEVATE self-assessment tool has received wide acclaim for enabling VET providers to self-evaluate against the Vocational Excellence Framework
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT)coreOthersEIT hosts the Food and Fibre CoVE website and is involved in vocational education delivery. EIT currently offers the 'Post-Harvest' strand of the New Zealand Diploma in Horticulture Production (Level 5), primarily for students in the apple industry and local packing operations in Hawke's Bay.
• Muka Tangata (Workforce Development Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuka Tangata is the Workforce Development Council for the food and fibre sector. Food and Fibre CoVE worked closely with Muka Tangata on multiple projects including the Systems Approach to Micro-credentials, 21st Century Delivery and Assessment, and recognition of prior learning initiatives.
• Te PūkengacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Pūkenga is New Zealand's largest tertiary education provider. Food and Fibre CoVE collaborated with Te Pūkenga on vocational education reform and future network of provision planning for the food and fibre sector.
• Primary ITOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary ITO is the industry training organization for the primary sector. Food and Fibre CoVE collaborated on multiple projects including Digital Assessment Solutions and is being positioned as a subsidiary within the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board (ISB) starting January 2026.
• Scarlatti LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScarlatti Ltd is a primary research partner that has developed multiple foundational frameworks for Food and Fibre CoVE including the Vocational Excellence Framework, ELEVATE tool, Food and Fibre Skills Framework, and conducted numerous research projects on micro-credentials, recognition of prior learning, and learner pathways.
• Skills Consulting GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkills Consulting Group has been involved in multiple research projects including literature reviews, regional needs analysis, residential and group training research, and various sector-specific studies for Food and Fibre CoVE.
• KPMGsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPMG conducted the 21st Century Delivery and Assessment of Training in the Food and Fibre Sector research project (Project P031) in 2024, examining delivery, assessment and RPL methods.
• PwCsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPwC conducted the Retaining our People – Food and Fibre Retention Pilots project (Project P047) and the Industry-wide Training Levy research project (Project P072) examining potential industry training levy models.
• Horticulture New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorticulture NZ collaborated on the Leadership Alignment Programme and is one of 14 industry groups covered by Food and Fibre CoVE's work. Sponsorship of Growing Future Horticulturalists internship programme.
• Construction and Infrastructure CoVEsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly funded the Appreciating and Supporting Neurodiversity research project, demonstrating cross-sector collaboration in vocational education.
• Rural LeaderssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural Leaders conducted multiple leadership research projects including the State of Leader Development in New Zealand's Food and Fibre Sector and development of the Principles-centred Leadership Model.
• HTK GroupsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTK Group developed the Te Ara Whakapakari Māori Engagement Framework and the expanded Food and Fibre Skills Framework with skill descriptions and reflection scenarios.
• Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi Development TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Hiku o Te Ika Iwi Development Trust developed the Tupu programme, a group employment scheme for the horticulture industry, with support and evaluation from Food and Fibre CoVE.
• Ngā Pou ā Tāne (NPAT)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNgā Pou ā Tāne (National Māori Forestry Association) represents approximately 14,000 Māori members with vested interests in forestry. Food and Fibre CoVE collaborated on the Māori Forestry Leadership VET Framework project.
• 14 Industry GroupscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood and Fibre CoVE works with 14 industry groups across the food and fibre sector: Apiculture, Arable, Dairy Farming, Equine/Greyhounds/Racing, Forestry, Fruit, Grapes/Wine, Nursery/Turf/Gardening, Poultry/Pigs/Livestock Farming, Seafood, Sheep/Beef/Deer/Wool Farming, Support Services, Vegetables, and Veterinary Services/Animal Care.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Skills Consulting Group: NZ consultancy that conducted multiple research projects for Food and Fibre CoVE (literature reviews, regional needs analysis, sector studies). A niche research provider that competes for VET research mandates in NZ and could directly deliver similar work to other sectors.
• Scarlatti Ltd: Primary research partner for Food and Fibre CoVE that developed the Vocational Excellence Framework, ELEVATE tool, Skills Framework, and AI Oral Assessment agent. Effectively the technical engine behind CoVE's core IP, with potential to spin similar frameworks for other sectors.

Regional players

• Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT): Hosts the Food and Fibre CoVE website and is the Hawke's Bay-based polytechnic delivering food and fibre VET programmes including the NZ Diploma in Horticulture Production. Acts as a regional delivery partner for CoVE's frameworks.

Direct peers

• Construction and Infrastructure Centre of Vocational Excellence: New Zealand CoVE established under the same 2020 vocational education reform as Food and Fibre CoVE. Jointly funded the Appreciating and Supporting Neurodiversity research project with Food and Fibre CoVE, demonstrating identical operating model, funding structure, and government mandate.
• Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board (ISB): The successor entity being stood up in January 2026 to absorb Food and Fibre CoVE's functions. Will become the primary industry-led body for food and fibre workforce capability, taking over CoVE's frameworks, tools, and sector coordination role.
• Primary Industry Training Organisation (Primary ITO): Industry training organisation for NZ's primary sector and core partner of Food and Fibre CoVE. Being positioned as a subsidiary within the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board in January 2026, with CoVE projects like Digital Assessment Solutions feeding directly into its training delivery.
• Hauora Māori Centre of Vocational Excellence: NZ CoVE focused on Māori health workforce development. Shares the same institutional structure, government funding, and stakeholder engagement model as Food and Fibre CoVE, with parallel focus on indigenous workforce outcomes and culturally appropriate frameworks.
• Creative Arts Centre of Vocational Excellence: Another NZ CoVE established under the same reform, serving the creative arts sector. Operates with the same Society Incorporated structure, government funding model, and mandate to develop vocational excellence frameworks, rubrics, and research for its sector.

Broad incumbents

• Te Pūkenga: New Zealand's largest tertiary education provider and a core strategic partner of Food and Fibre CoVE. Operates as a broad incumbent across all vocational sectors whereas CoVE specialises in food and fibre, but both share the same overarching VET reform mandate.
• Muka Tangata - Workforce Development Council: The official Workforce Development Council for the food and fibre sector and CoVE's closest institutional partner. Sets standards and qualifications for the sector; CoVE's frameworks and rubrics are designed to feed directly into Muka Tangata's qualification-setting work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-and-fibre-centre-of-vocational-excellence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence