Our Impact 2024-25

The Social Investment Agency works to transform how New Zealand invests in social outcomes. We prioritise relationships, integrate evidence and delivery, foster innovation, and build enduring systems for lasting positive change.

Below we highlight achievements since the Agency's establishment as a central agency in July 2024, demonstrating our commitment to ensuring people and communities can reach their full potential.

Read more in the SIA Impact Report 2024-25 [PDF, 598 KB].

Please note: information correct as at 21 Jan 2026.

Social Investment Board appointed

November 2024 | 250+ applications

Nine board members appointed for two-year terms:

Chair: Dr Graham Scott

Members: Laura Black, Hon Te Ururoa Flavell, Helen Leahy, Katie Murray, Julie Nelson, Debbie Sorensen, Mike Williams, David Woods

Impact: Ensures grassroots experience, practical knowledge, and expertise in social investment, data, commissioning and community service delivery is embedded in the design of social investment initiatives and policy advice.

Agency establishment

July 2024

Re-established as a standalone central government agency with mandate to drive system change across government.

Impact: Positioned alongside Treasury, DPMC, Public Service Commission, and Ministry for Regulation as a central agency with authority to set standards, monitor implementation, and drive consistency across all social sector investment.

Budget 2025 allocation

Announced May 2025

$190 million in new funding allocated over four years to test and demonstrate the social investment approach at scale.

Combined with Pathway Two contract consolidation covering approximately $24 million annual spend (~$100 million over four years), the total Social Investment Fund programme represents over $290 million in targeted social investment.

Impact: Dedicated funding enables robust testing of outcomes-based contracts, data sharing protocols, and impact measurement – evidence-based and with community involvement – before scaling approach across the social sector. The combination of new investment and existing contract consolidation maximises resources while reducing administrative burden.

Demonstration Initiatives

Budget 2025

Three demonstration initiatives testing outcomes-based agreements and impact analysis:

Impact: Tried and tested data sharing protocols and impact analysis methodologies before scaling approach from August 2025.

Pathway One: New Investment

Since Fund establishment | $50 million Round One

7 initiatives progressed since Fund establishment to support 1,620+ children and their families with targeted, evidence-based interventions.

Seven initiatives funded in Round One:

Impact: Testing robust evaluation, data sharing, and outcomes measurement across health, safety, housing, education, and employment outcomes. These initiatives demonstrate early intervention approaches that prevent crisis and break cycles of disadvantage.

Pathway Two: Contract Consolidation

Opened September 2025

Enabling organisations to consolidate multiple government contracts into single outcomes-based agreements.

Achievement: From 57 applications received, 30 were shortlisted and 12 applications recommended to Ministers for contract consolidation.

Scale of consolidation:

• ~$24 million annual spend (~$100 million over 4 years)
• 44 current contracts expected to be consolidated
• 8 contract holders across central government

Impact: Reducing administrative burden on organisations, allowing them to focus on service delivery rather than multiple reporting requirements. Each consolidation represents multiple contracts being simplified into one outcomes-focused agreement. Organisations spend less time writing reports for Wellington and more time helping people. The consolidation of 44 contracts across 8 government agencies will demonstrate real progress in breaking down silos and enabling integrated service delivery.

Regional Data Tool and Cohort Explorer

Launched 2024-2025

Two data tools launched to enable communities, decision makers, and organisations to see aggregated data and insights about the populations they support.

Impact: Communities and organisations gain insights without needing to conduct their own complex analysis. Supports evidence-based decision making at the frontline, enabling local leaders to understand population needs and service gaps in their regions.

IDI Access Improvements

In progress with Stats NZ

Making the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) more accessible to the social sector.

The IDI is New Zealand's world-leading data asset that brings together de-identified data from government agencies, Statistics NZ surveys, and NGOs to enable research and analysis on social outcomes. By making it more accessible, we enable organisations, and communities to understand the long-term impact of their services and make evidence-based improvements.

Impact: Enabling data-driven decision making and outcome measurement for organisations. Supporting iwi to access and use their own data for community benefit. Breaking down barriers so frontline organisations can see how their interventions affect people's lives over time.

Data products for iwi 

2024-2025

Produced 3 data products comprising over 87 indicators for iwi helping them understand their people using data from the IDI and census.

Impact: Empowering iwi to understand their people through data and insights to support their strategic aspirations.

Raising IDI output checking capacity

In collaboration with Stats NZ, our staff designed and developed a confidentiality checking tool. This tool automates much of the process of confirming that results from microdata meet confidentiality standards and are safe to release. The tool has tripled the capacity of the team at Stats, and reduced wait times for researchers significantly.

Impact:  Reduced wait times for researchers from 30 days to 1-3 days

Priority cohorts for Social Investment Fund focus 

2024

Analysed and visualised data on 100,000 children and their families in one or more of three groups prioritised for investment by the Fund:

• children whose parent(s) are currently or have recently been in prison
• children of parent(s) who experienced the care system
• children that were stood down or suspended from school when they were 12 or younger.

Impact: By identifying these cohorts, we can target resources early to children most at risk and measure whether interventions are reaching those who need them most.

Community Commissioning Engagement

September-November 2024

Between 21 September and 30 November 2024, engaged with leadership from 8 regions on community commissioning, including:

• Iwi and hapū leaders
• Mayors and chief executives of local and regional councils
• Regional public service agencies
• Community Trusts
• Philanthropic groups
• Public service leaders

Impact: Building the foundation for community commissioning (Pathway Three) by understanding local needs, strengths, and aspirations. Ensuring that when we are able to shift decision-making to communities, it's informed by genuine partnership and local knowledge.

National Iwi Chairs Forum

Waitangi 2025

Met with and presented to the National Iwi Chairs Forum at Waitangi 2025, sharing the social investment approach and listening to iwi priorities.

Throughout 2024-2025, Agency leadership and Executive Leadership Team met with  iwi, hapū and Māori leaders to build relationships and ensure Māori perspectives shape social investment implementation.

Impact: Social investment approaches are designed grounded in Te Tiriti partnership and responsive to Māori aspirations so they work for communities across the motu.

Value and Impact Measurement Standards

Developed 2024

Developed Guidance for the Value and Impact Measurement Standards that enabled a more disciplined approach for measuring impact and value when evaluating government's social spend. Some agencies started applying the standards across their portfolios of programmes to:

• Review and report evidence of outcomes, impact and value
• Identify gaps in evidence and plan to improve them
• Guide policy and re-prioritisation decisions across programmes
• Work with organisations and partners to agree how to measure outcomes, impact and value.
• Design and implement new programmes or proposals so that they can better measure impact and value

This guidance is supported by a Social Investment Framework designed for government agencies responsible for developing social policy and delivering or commissioning social services. The framework sets out the key criteria on social investment design, evidence, portfolio design, etc.

Impact: Improving the standard of evidence and consistency in how impact and value are understood and measured across social sector agencies. Enabling agencies to have a shared language and framework for using and generating evidence to inform investment decisions.

Funding Reviews

2024-2025

Six funding reviews across government agencies, assessing value and outcomes achieved from social sector spending.

Impact: Helping government agencies redirect resources to what works. Ensuring taxpayer funds are invested in evidence-based interventions that deliver real outcomes for vulnerable New Zealanders.

Impact reviews

2024/25

In 2024/25, SIA completed two impact reviews, covering 167 programmes and initiatives, and making recommendations and findings in respect of over $730m per year of spend.

Impact: A portfolio neutral approach centered those that needed support  so we could adequately review the impact of over 167 services using data and evidence supplied through the IDI.

Social Investment Fund Pathways Three and Four

Expected 2026

Impact: Shifting power to communities, leveraging local knowledge, and pooling resources to test innovative approaches government cannot fund alone.

Influencing the system

Expected 2026

Advice that shifts the system: Audit and accreditation settings, funding reviews, social outlook report, social investment standards

Impact: Embedded best practice in the wider government social system that catalyses change and enables better support for those who need it most.