Supplier diversity around the world · New Zealand
Supplier Diversity in New Zealand
Supplier diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand runs through Amotai, the national intermediary that verifies Maori- and Pasifika-owned businesses and connects them to a buyer network of corporates, government entities, not-for-profits, and iwi. Registration is free, and verified businesses appear in Amotai's supplier directory.
By Mario Bailey, Editor-in-Chief · Reviewed against official New Zealand sources · Last verified July 2026
Quick answer
Supplier diversity in New Zealand runs on its own certifications, not US ones. Amotai certifies Maori- and Pasifika-owned businesses. Certification requires at least 50% ownership by the diverse group, and corporate supplier diversity programs operating in New Zealand recognize these certificates.
Certifying bodies in New Zealand
Each body certifies a different ownership category and runs its own application, documentation review, and site assessment. Start with the one that matches your ownership.
Amotai
Maori- and Pasifika-owned businesses
Aotearoa's supplier diversity intermediary verifies businesses at least 50% owned by Maori and/or Pasifika people (per class of shares or partnership interest) and lists them in its verified supplier directory. Began in 2018 as He Waka Eke Noa, an initiative of Auckland Council's The Southern Initiative.
Official site ↗How certification works
The shape is the same across certifying bodies: prove at least 50% ownership by the diverse group with corporate documents, financials, and owner identification; complete the review, which for most bodies also tests management and control and may include a site assessment. Registering with Amotai is free for Maori- and Pasifika-owned businesses.
Government procurement
Amotai grew out of the public sector: it began in 2018 as an Auckland Council initiative to diversify the council's supply chain, and its buyer network now includes government entities alongside corporates, not-for-profits, and iwi, with more than 2,200 verified Maori- and Pasifika-owned suppliers.
Selling into US and global corporate supply chains
Amotai and NMSDC, the US minority supplier council, have a partnership to open opportunities for Maori and Pasifika entrepreneurs beyond New Zealand, and New Zealand is represented in the Global Supplier Diversity Alliance network that multinational programs use across markets.
WEConnect International
Certifies businesses at least 51% owned, managed, and controlled by women in over 100 countries, and connects them to member buyers running global supplier diversity programs.
WEConnect International ↗Get found by buyers with global programs
US and multinational buyers use our directory to source certified diverse suppliers. List your certified New Zealand business so their programs can find you.
Join the supplier directory → · How buyers source suppliers →Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies as a Maori- or Pasifika-owned business?
Businesses where Maori and/or Pasifika people own at least 50% of each class of shares, partnership interest, or trust assets. Maori identity is verified through whakapapa; Pasifika covers descendants of the indigenous Pacific ethnic groups as defined by Statistics New Zealand.
What does Amotai registration cost?
Registration is free for Maori- and Pasifika-owned businesses. Once verified, a business is listed in the Amotai supplier directory where buyers search.
How big is the Amotai network?
More than 2,200 verified Maori- and Pasifika-owned suppliers and more than 180 buyers, including corporates, government entities, not-for-profits, and iwi.
Other markets
Doing business in the United States?
US certifications (8(a), MBE, WBE, and the rest) have their own eligibility rules and issuing bodies. Our US guide compares every one.
The US certification guide →