24 February 2017
By Email:
[FYI request #5281 email]
Dear IP Expert NZ,
In response to your Official Information Act request of 26 January:
1. “The article mentions that a review of the Innovation IP Programme has been
conducted. Please share the review and its conclusions.”
The review referred to in the NBR article of January 26, 2017, was undertaken by Deloitte
with the aim of assisting Callaghan Innovation to draw maximum benefit from having
undertaken the pilot Innovation IP programme through the transfer of learnings from the
pilot programmed into the future permanent programme. These learnings were
incorporated into the new programme provider RFP process that took place after receipt
of the review.
The review included feedback from a representative sample of programme stakeholders
and business participants that was provided on a confidential basis to stimulate free and
frank responses. It is not appropriate that the review be publicly released as it would inhibit
the development of other programmes and services by Callaghan Innovation by
discouraging honest feedback from individual pilot programme participants.
Therefore, we are withholding the review under Section 9(2)(g)(I) of the Official Information
Act 1982.
2. “Please provide a statement on the scope of services AJ Park, Catalyst
Intellectual and Potter IP. Why was more than $150K spent with these providers
without an RFP?”
The amounts referred to in the NBR article and extracted from the Callaghan Innovation
2015/2016 Annual Review presented to the Education and Science Select Committee are,
except for Potter IP, unrelated to the Innovation IP programme. The published costs relate
to service fees of the supplier (less than $40k) and overseas disbursements to third parties
(the balance) incurred by Callaghan Innovation for services required by it, to transition a
patent portfolio to new assignees following the formation of Callaghan Innovation. This
expenditure was therefore not covered by the Second Edition of the Government Rules of
Sourcing, which applied at the material time the expense was incurred.
3. “Furthermore, Callaghan provided me with a formal response on the 14th of July
2016 to my OIA specifying how much was spent on the Innovation Programme.
The response contradicts the figures mentioned in the NBR. Please explain the
difference and rectify the response or the article.”
“As at 31 May 2016 the total financial amount of support provided since the
programme’s inception is $769,612 excluding GST.”
The figures mentioned in the NBR article cannot be compared with the figure for the total
financial support for Innovation IP specified in our response to your previous OIA request,
for the following reasons:
The total financial support of $769,612 ex GST provided to you in our response of
14 July 2016 includes both sums reimbursed by Callaghan Innovation to Innovation
IP participants and covered by co-funding agreements – the principal component –
as well as other costs to develop and deliver the programme during its pilot phase.
Included in the latter were special deliveries to targeted groups such as technology
incubators, Maori economy business ventures, technology clusters and venue and
travel expenses.
The amounts quoted by NBR in relation to Innovation IP programme suppliers -
excluding A J park and Catalyst IP who were not suppliers as explained above –
do not include the financial support paid directly by Callaghan Innovation to
businesses participating in the programme. In the case of EverEdge IP the amount
reported in the 2015/2016 Annual Review Annex 1 also inadvertently includes
payment for work undertaken by EverEdge IP for Callaghan Innovation outside of
the Innovation IP programme.
4. “Please also remove me from any unsolicited PR mailings, like the one sent out
on December 15 2015.”
We are happy to remove you from the Callaghan Innovation mailing list, please can you
supply your email address so we can action your request.
You have the right to request a review of this response, by the Ombudsman at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by contacting 0800 802 602. Please contact
[email address] if you require any further information.
Yours sincerely
Cas Carter
GM External Relations
