The New Zealand Initiative

What The New Zealand Initiative does

The New Zealand Initiative is a privately-held, Wellington-based public policy think tank founded in 2012 that produces independent research and policy advice for government policymakers, business leaders, and the New Zealand public. Its work spans economic policy, education, environment, government and politics, health, housing and local government, international affairs, and social policy, delivered through in-depth research reports, opinion articles syndicated to major New Zealand media outlets, podcasts, formal submissions to government consultations, a weekly Insights Newsletter, public events, and webinars.

The organisation does not develop proprietary technology products. Its core outputs are intellectual: research publications such as 'Head Start Done Right', 'Making Local Government Work', 'Guardrails for a Compulsory KiwiSaver', 'Prescription for Prosperity' (an annual briefing to the incoming government since 2017), and 'Half a Turnaround' on ACC rehabilitation. A supplementary data product, GDP Live, provides real-time New Zealand macroeconomic indicators including GDP growth, inflation, and the optimal Official Cash Rate.

The Initiative operates as a non-profit supported by business membership fees and donations from individuals and organisations. All research, opinions, podcasts, and events are provided free of charge to the public; membership and donation pathways are the primary revenue inputs. The organisation is led by Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich, with Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton and a bench of senior fellows including Nick Clark, Major General John Howard (Ret), Dr Michael Johnston, Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM, Roger Partridge (also Founder and Chair), and Dr Benno Blaschke.

Name

The New Zealand Initiative

Legal name

The New Zealand Initiative

Website

https://nzinitiative.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New Zealand Initiative is a Wellington-based, privately-funded public policy think tank founded in 2012. It produces independent research reports, opinion pieces, podcasts, and government submissions on economic, social, and local government policy for policymakers, business leaders, and the New Zealand public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Policy think tank
• Economic policy analysis
• Government submissions
• Policy commentary

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: The organisation offers membership to businesses, with prospective members directed to contact [email protected]. Members include major New Zealand businesses that support the think tank's research activities.
2. Donations: The organisation accepts donations from individuals and organisations. Donations can be made via bank transfer or cheque to support independent research and the mission of creating a competitive, open and dynamic economy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The New Zealand Initiative is an independent public policy think tank that produces evidence-based policy research, analysis reports, opinion articles, podcasts, formal government submissions, a weekly Insights newsletter, and public and member-only events covering economic policy, local government, housing, resource management, electoral reform, infrastructure, health, and social policy. Its outputs are distributed free of charge to the public and supported financially by corporate membership fees and donations from individuals and organisations. The organisation also operates the GDP Live real-time economic data tool hosted at gdplive.net.

Product overview

The New Zealand Initiative is a think tank and research institute offering a portfolio of policy research products and publications. The core offering consists of in-depth research reports on economic policy, local government, housing, resource management, electoral reform, and infrastructure. These are supplemented by opinion articles syndicated to major media outlets, podcasts featuring expert discussions, formal government submissions on legislative proposals, a weekly Insights Newsletter, and public events including webinars and member-only forums. The organization also provides live economic data through its GDP Live tool. The products work together to fulfill the organization's mission of contributing to public policy discussion and advocating for a competitive, open, and dynamic economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Reports In-depth policy research publications produced by The New Zealand Initiative covering economic policy, local government, housing, resource management, electoral reform, infrastructure, health, education, and social policy. Major titles include 'Head Start Done Right', 'Making Local Government Work', 'Guardrails for a Compulsory KiwiSaver', 'Prescription for Prosperity', 'Half a Turnaround', 'Finance Freedom', 'Beyond Targets', and 'The Martian Audit'. Available free of charge via the organisation's website.
• Opinion Articles Commentary and analysis pieces authored by senior fellows and published on the organisation's website and syndicated to major New Zealand media outlets including NZ Herald, The Post, Newsroom, and The Australian, covering current policy debates on local government, defence, ACC, professional bodies, and economic policy.
• Podcasts Audio programming featuring discussions between senior fellows and expert guests on policy topics, including 'Half a Turnaround: Why ACC's recovery must be built on rehabilitation, not exits', 'Iran, Hormuz and New Zealand's readiness', and electoral reform discussions. Distributed via iTunes, Spotify, and The Podcast App.
• Government Submissions Formal submissions to the New Zealand government on legislative bills and policy proposals, including submissions on the Better Regional Boundaries Bill, Planning Bill, Electoral Amendment Bill, Fast-Track Approvals Amendment Bill, Modern Slavery Bill, and the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill.
• Insights Newsletter Weekly email newsletter providing updates on the organisation's research, events, and policy commentary. Free subscription available via the organisation's website.
• Events and Webinars Public forums, member-only events, and webinars featuring policy discussions and report launches, including launch events for major reports with international guest speakers and panel discussions across subject areas such as economic policy, education, environment, government and politics, health, housing and local government, international affairs, and social policy.
• GDP Live Live economic data tool hosted at gdplive.net providing real-time New Zealand economic indicators including GDP Quarterly Change (-0.07%), GDP Annual Change (1.56%), Inflation (3.12%), Optimal OCR (2.37%), Optimal OCR Gap (0.11%), and Forecasted OCR Change (0.25%).

Quantifiable outcome

• Better rehabilitation could release 500 to 800 million dollars within two years according to ACC's external actuary.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER): Wellington-based economic research institute producing independent analysis on the NZ economy. Directly comparable as a domestic, membership-supported research body covering macroeconomic and policy issues; NZI differs by adding social-policy and regulatory breadth.
• Maxim Institute: Auckland-based NZ public policy think tank researching social, economic, and governance issues. Comparable as a similarly sized domestic think tank publishing reports, opinion, and policy submissions from a values-driven standpoint.
• Motu Economic and Public Policy Research: NZ's leading independent economic research institute, producing rigorous quantitative policy analysis with academic ties. Directly comparable as a Wellington-based, donor-supported think tank publishing working papers and policy briefs.

Broad incumbents

• Cato Institute: US-based libertarian think tank producing independent research on economic, foreign, and domestic policy. Comparable in mission and free-market orientation; far larger, US-based, and broader in scope.
• BusinessNZ: NZ's largest business advocacy body representing employers. Comparable in member-supported policy advocacy, particularly on regulation and economic policy, but acts as a peak lobby group rather than a research publisher.
• The New Zealand Treasury (Research and Analysis): Government's lead economic and fiscal advisor, publishing extensive policy analysis and briefings for the incoming government. Overlaps with NZI in mandate (independent policy advice to government) but is a state institution with materially larger resourcing.
• Fraser Institute: Canadian public policy think tank focused on economic freedom, regulatory reform, and evidence-based research. Comparable in free-market policy orientation and donor-supported model; significantly larger and more international.

Others

• Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA): London-based classical-liberal think tank and a model for free-market policy institutes globally. Comparable in ideological positioning, business-supported funding model, and focus on regulatory and economic reform; materially larger and international in reach.
• Productivity Commission (NZ): Independent NZ Crown entity providing evidence-based advice on productivity, regulatory quality, and economic performance. Adjacent — overlaps in regulatory and infrastructure research but operates as a statutory body with government funding.
• New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA): Professional membership body for NZ architects engaging on housing, urban planning, and resource management policy. Adjacent — comparable membership-funded policy advocacy model but sector-specific to built environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nzinitiative
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheNZInitiative
• Facebookfacebook.com/nzinitiative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-new-zealand-initiative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 The New Zealand Initiative