Mana Whaikaha

What Mana Whaikaha does

Mana Whaikaha is the MidCentral demonstration site for the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach, operating in the lower North Island of New Zealand. The site supports disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori (Māori with disabilities) along with their whānau (families) to exercise greater choice and control over their support arrangements. Its core function is the practical delivery of the EGL model, which is built on principles of disabled people leading decision-making, mana (authority) and rangatiratanga (self-determination), and the redesign of supports around the person's life rather than around service categories. Operationally, the site works alongside disability providers, Māori advocacy groups, and whānau networks to coordinate support in the MidCentral region. It is one of three EGL sites in New Zealand, alongside sites in Christchurch and Waikato.

The site is not a commercial product or technology platform. Its "technology" consists of the EGL framework itself, including personalized planning processes, support coordination practices, and culturally grounded engagement with tāngata whaikaha Māori, as well as a public-facing website at manawhaikaha.co.nz. There is no proprietary software, no commercial tech stack, and no AI or data product disclosed. With approximately 8 employees, the unit is sized for regional coordination and demonstration rather than scaled service delivery.

Mana Whaikaha's business model is institutional rather than commercial. It is publicly funded as part of New Zealand's disability support system. In 2024, the site was transferred into the Ministry of Social Development's (MSD) Disability Support Services, formalizing its position as a government-administered service. There is no pricing model, revenue stream, or commercial go-to-market. The "customer" is effectively the Crown, and the end beneficiaries are disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, and whānau in the MidCentral region who access the program.

Name

Mana Whaikaha

Legal name

Mana Whaikaha

Website

https://manawhaikaha.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Flexible personalised budgets
• Connector kaituhono services
• Person-centred disability support
• Community disability services

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Core offering

Mana Whaikaha is a regional disability support service that delivers a connector/kaitūhono service and flexible personalised budgets to disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, and whānau in New Zealand's MidCentral district under the Enabling Good Lives approach. It operates as a demonstration site transferring authority and choice from government systems to disabled people and their families.

Product overview

Mana Whaikaha is the MidCentral site of Enabling Good Lives (EGL), a government disability support approach developed in 2011 by the disability community. It is not a technology product but rather a regional disability support service site operating within the New Zealand Ministry of Social Development's Disability Support Services. The EGL approach provides disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, and whānau with a connector/kaitūhono service and flexible personalised budgets as part of its support framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mana Whaikaha - MidCentral EGL Site A regional Enabling Good Lives site in the MidCentral district providing disabled people and their families with access to a connector/kaitūhono service and flexible personalised budgets, with emphasis on enabling disabled persons to build a good life within their community.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• Life Unlimited: A New Zealand disability support provider historically active in the MidCentral region (merged into the IHC Group in 2022). Comparable as a regional disability services provider operating in the same MidCentral geography as Mana Whaikaha.

Direct peers

• Enabling Good Lives Canterbury (Christchurch EGL Site): The Christchurch regional EGL demonstration site operating under the same EGL vision and principles, serving disabled people in Canterbury with connector support and personalised budgets. Most directly comparable peer to Mana Whaikaha as a sister demonstration site.
• Enabling Good Lives Waikato: The third EGL demonstration site in Waikato, applying the identical self-determination and person-directed budget framework in a different region. Directly comparable as a peer demonstration site for the EGL approach.

Broad incumbents

• Whaikaha — Ministry of Disabled People: New Zealand's separate Ministry of Disabled People, a broader statutory entity responsible for disability policy and system stewardship. Comparable as a larger, government-led counterpart in the NZ disability support ecosystem, with overlapping remit on disabled people and personalised funding.
• National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA, Australia): The statutory agency administering Australia's NDIS personalised funding scheme. Comparable as the international benchmark for self-directed, personalised disability budgets — directly relevant to Mana Whaikaha's flexible personalised budget model.
• Disability Support Services (MSD): The host business unit within the Ministry of Social Development that Mana Whaikaha now sits under. Comparable as the national policy, funding, and contracting entity that shapes the operating environment for regional EGL sites.

Emerging players

• Disabled Persons Assembly NZ (DPA): A national disability rights organisation led by disabled people. Comparable as a community-led voice that aligns with Mana Whaikaha's self-determination and disabled-people-led principles, and was instrumental in shaping the EGL approach.
• Carers NZ: A national NZ non-profit supporting family carers, including those caring for disabled whānau. Comparable as a community-based organisation serving overlapping populations (whānau of disabled people) within the same disability ecosystem.
• Parent to Parent NZ: A nationwide support and information network for parents of disabled children. Comparable in serving whānau of disabled people and aligning with the 'beginning early' and relationship-building principles of the EGL approach.

Others

• Think Local Act Personal (TLAP), UK: A UK sector partnership promoting personalised, community-based support for disabled people and people with long-term conditions. Comparable as an ecosystem/thought-leadership peer for the self-directed support and personalisation principles Mana Whaikaha operationalises.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mana-whaikaha

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Mana Whaikaha