Te Wai Māori Trust
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Te Wai Māori Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Te Wai Māori Trust
- Legal name
- Te Wai Māori Trust
- Website
- https://waimaori.maori.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Te Wai Māori Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indigenous Fisheries Funding Services
- NAICS
- Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592), American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (92115)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Trust Funds & Multi-Donor Pooled Funds (BPADAOAE), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)
Keywords
Where Te Wai Māori Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Te Wai Māori Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Funding Distribution Model: Te Wai Māori operates as a charitable trust distributing funds to Māori organizations for freshwater fisheries projects. Funding sources include Ministry for the Environment's Essential Freshwater Fund. The trust does not generate commercial revenue but distributes pooled funding through programs including Wai Ora Fund ($250,000 available 2026, up to $50,000 per project), Tiaki Wai Fund (up to $7,500 per project), Wai Māori Scholarship ($40,000 total), and Pou Taiao Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant ($12.8 million).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Wai Ora Fund - Major project funding |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Tiaki Wai Fund - Minor project funding |
| Other | Annual | Wai Māori Scholarship - Academic funding |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant - Major capacity building fund |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Te Wai Māori Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Te Wai Māori Trust is a statutory charitable trust that advances Māori interests in freshwater fisheries by distributing grant funding to iwi, hapū, and whānau, commissioning research on taonga freshwater species, providing policy advisory services to government, and convening the Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference. Its programs include the Wai Ora Fund (up to $50,000 per project), Tiaki Wai Fund (up to $7,500 per project), Wai Māori Scholarship ($40,000 total), and Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant ($12.8 million pool).
Product overview
Te Wai Māori Trust operates as a centralized funding and advocacy organization offering multiple interconnected programs and resources. The core offerings include the Wai Ora Fund (larger grants up to $50,000), Tiaki Wai Fund (smaller grants up to $7,500), Wai Māori Scholarship (for students), and Pou Taiao Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant ($12.8 million). Supporting these are the annual Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference and research publications including climate vulnerability assessments, species population studies, and hydroelectric dam impact reports. The He Reo Whakamana documentary series provides educational resources. Together, these programs advance Māori interests in freshwater fisheries through funding, research, education, and advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wai Ora Fund: A fund providing up to $50,000 per project to iwi, hapū and whānau to support freshwater fisheries aspirations through development, research and education. Over $2.5 million distributed to more than 70 projects since 2012.
- Tiaki Wai Fund
- Wai Māori Scholarship
- Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant
- He Reo Whakamana
- Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference
- Te Mana o Ngā Tuna
Products and services
- Wai Ora Fund A funding program providing up to $50,000 per project to iwi, hapū, and whānau to support aspirations for freshwater fisheries, including wānanga, research, and work to safeguard freshwater taonga species and their kainga. Requires a 20% minimum cash or in-kind contribution from applicants.
- Tiaki Wai Fund A smaller funding program providing grants up to $7,500 to promote and advance Māori interests in freshwater fisheries through development, research, and education. Targets hapū and whānau-led restoration and monitoring initiatives.
- Wai Māori Scholarship A scholarship program supporting Māori students pursuing freshwater or freshwater fisheries research or study at postgraduate or undergraduate (from second year) levels, with a total fund of $40,000 available per round. May be awarded to a single recipient or split among multiple recipients.
- Pou Taiao Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant A $12.8 million three-year grant fund from Te Pou Taiao (Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group), supported by the Ministry for the Environment's Essential Freshwater Fund, to develop hapū and iwi capability and capacity in their aspirations for freshwater taiao through planning support and resourcing of kaimahi (full-time employees).
- Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference An annual conference bringing together kaitiaki wai Māori from around Aotearoa to share expertise and knowledge, identify opportunities, and support indigenous freshwater fisheries and their habitat. Functions as a knowledge exchange and networking forum for Māori freshwater guardians.
- He Reo Whakamana A three-part mini documentary series giving voice to tuna (eels) and their kainga, traveling to different waterways to capture the state of tuna and feature kaitiaki working to protect and enhance these taonga. Produced as an educational and advocacy resource.
- Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Reports Collaborative reports with NIWA analyzing the effects of climate change on freshwater taonga species, including species profiles for tuna, piharau, kōura, īnanga, and other native freshwater species.
- Understanding Taonga Freshwater Fish Populations Report A 2017 environmental scan of freshwater fisheries in Aotearoa-New Zealand commissioned by Te Wai Māori from NIWA, covering species including tuna, piharau, kōura, whitebait, kākahi, and other taonga species.
- Hydroelectric Dams and Fish Passage Report A 2014 report covering hydroelectric dams in New Zealand, their locations, consent holders, renewal dates, and fish passage conditions, designed to support tangata whenua in negotiations for proper fish passage conditions.
- Drains are Waterways Resource A resource produced in collaboration with Kitson Consulting on the ecological importance of modified waterways (drains), the species living within them, and guidance on good management practice for drain maintenance.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $2.5 million distributed to 70+ projects since 2012
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Te Wai Māori Trust
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Te Wai Māori Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Te Wai Māori Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and supporting.
- Poipoia LtdcorePoipoia Ltd partnered with Te Wai Māori Trust to administer, manage, and distribute the $12.8 million Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant from Te Pou Taiao (Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group) funded by Ministry for the Environment's Essential Freshwater Fund. The grant supported hapū and iwi capacity building in Te Mana o te Wai approaches.
- Te Pou Taiao (Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group)coreFreshwater Iwi Leaders Group formed in 2007 to advance iwi interests in freshwater, biodiversity, biosecurity, oceans and climate. Developed Te Mana o te Wai framework embedded in Resource Management system in 2011. Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Fund presented by Te Pou Taiao with support from Te Wai Māori Trust and Poipoia Ltd.
- Ministry for the Environment (New Zealand)coreMinistry for the Environment provided $12.8 million to Te Pou Taiao as part of the Essential Freshwater Fund to support iwi and hapū engagement in Te Mana o te Wai. Te Wai Māori Trust and Poipoia Ltd administered the grant distribution.
- Te Ohu KaimoanacoreTe Ohu Kai Moana Group is the parent organization of Te Wai Māori Trust. Te Wai Māori is a product of the Māori Fisheries Settlement (Deed of Settlement 1992) and entity of the Te Ohu Kai Moana Group. The trust works closely with Te Ohu Kaimoana on policy and government engagement.
- NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)majorTe Wai Māori commissioned NIWA to produce the 2017 environmental scan of freshwater fisheries in New Zealand and collaborated on the 2020 Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for 10 taonga freshwater species. NIWA provided scientific expertise and internationally recognized assessment methodology.
- Kitson ConsultingminorCollaborated with Kitson Consulting to produce the 'Drains are Waterways' resource on modified waterways, their ecological importance, taonga species habitat, and good management practices for drain maintenance.
- Fish FuturessupportingFish Futures supported whānau attendance at the 2023 Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference. Additional conference sponsors included Moana (oyster bar), Naturally Nelson, and Sealord (product in attendee bags).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Te Wai Māori Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fish & Game New Zealand: Statutory manager of freshwater sports fish habitat and angler licensing in New Zealand; the primary Crown-recognised counterpart to Te Wai Māori on non-customary freshwater fisheries. Shares the freshwater advocacy, habitat restoration, and policy submission remit, although focused on sports fish rather than taonga species.
- Forest & Bird (Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand): New Zealand's largest independent conservation NGO, active on freshwater policy, habitat restoration, and advocacy through local branches. Operates similar convening, fundraising, and Crown-facing advocacy functions to Te Wai Māori, but for the general public rather than the Māori freshwater fisheries constituency.
- Te Pou Taiao (Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group): Coalition of iwi leaders advancing freshwater, biodiversity, biosecurity, oceans and climate interests; co-developed the Te Mana o te Wai framework. Partners directly with Te Wai Māori on the NZ$12.8M Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant and convenes overlapping iwi and hapū stakeholder networks.
- Te Ohu Kai Moana: Parent entity of Te Wai Māori Trust and statutory umbrella group for Māori fisheries interests under the 1992 Deed of Settlement. Operates a closely related fisheries and quota management mandate, sharing governance structures, iwi engagement, and policy influence pathways with Te Wai Māori.
Broad incumbents
- Department of Conservation (Te Papa Atawhai): Crown agency responsible for conservation including freshwater ecosystems on public conservation land; a key government counterpart to Te Wai Māori on policy and co-funded restoration projects, with a much broader mandate and budget.
- Waikato-Tainui: Major North Island iwi that negotiated the Waikato River Settlement and operates an active freshwater strategy; Te Wai Māori's current Chair Donna Flavell is CEO of Waikato-Tainui. Comparable as a treaty-settlement iwi with substantive freshwater interests and funding programmes.
- Ngāi Tahu (Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu): Largest South Island iwi with treaty-settlement-derived capital and a substantial environmental portfolio including freshwater management (e.g., Waikato-Tainui–style freshwater strategy expertise is shared between iwi). Operates adjacent restoration and advocacy functions to Te Wai Māori, but at iwi scale rather than as a national freshwater trust.
Emerging players
- Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust (Whitebait Connection): Trust delivering freshwater education, riparian restoration, and whitebait (taonga species) community projects across Aotearoa. Comparable to Te Wai Māori as a non-profit trust focused on community-led freshwater restoration, but without the Māori statutory mandate.
- Cawthron Institute: New Zealand's largest independent marine and freshwater science institute, producing comparable research on taonga species, climate vulnerability, and ecosystem health. A research and policy partner/substitute for Te Wai Māori's NIWA-commissioned work.
Others
- Environmental Defence Society (EDS): New Zealand environmental law and policy NGO that files submissions and litigation on freshwater and Resource Management issues; an adjacent advocacy peer to Te Wai Māori, focused on legal/policy interventions rather than iwi-led funding distribution.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Te Wai Māori Trust social profiles
Digital presenceTe Wai Māori Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Te Wai Māori Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Te Wai Māori Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Te Wai Māori Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Te Wai Māori Trust
What does Te Wai Māori Trust do?
Te Wai Māori Trust is a statutory charitable trust that advances Māori interests in freshwater fisheries by distributing grant funding to iwi, hapū, and whānau, commissioning research on taonga freshwater species, providing policy advisory services to government, and convening the Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference. Its programs include the Wai Ora Fund (up to $50,000 per project), Tiaki Wai Fund (up to $7,500 per project), Wai Māori Scholarship ($40,000 total), and Te Mātāpuna o te Wai Grant ($12.8 million pool).
Is Te Wai Māori Trust a public or private company?
Te Wai Māori Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Te Wai Māori Trust founded?
Te Wai Māori Trust was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Te Wai Māori Trust based?
Te Wai Māori Trust is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Te Wai Māori Trust make money?
One revenue line is on record: funding Distribution Model.
Who are Te Wai Māori Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fish & Game New Zealand, Forest & Bird (Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand), Te Pou Taiao (Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group) and Te Ohu Kai Moana. Broad incumbents are Department of Conservation (Te Papa Atawhai), Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu (Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu). Emerging players are Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust (Whitebait Connection) and Cawthron Institute. Environmental Defence Society (EDS) is listed as an others.
Does Te Wai Māori Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Te Wai Māori Trust.
What industry is Te Wai Māori Trust in?
Te Wai Māori Trust's product category is Indigenous Fisheries Funding Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation, with a secondary code of BPADAOAE, Trust Funds & Multi-Donor Pooled Funds. Its NAICS code is 52592 and its SIC code is 8300.