Strategy & Funding Advisory for NZ’s Primary Sector

From concept to co-investment, we help you move faster - with less friction.

About

Paul Burke, NZ strategy & funding advisor for primary industries.

Paul Burke
Strategy & Funding Advisor

Hi, I’m Paul Burke, founder of Path Forward. I help New Zealand primary sector organisations turn ambition into action - mapping the clearest route to their commercial goals and converting strategy into funding-ready plans.

With over a decade of experience working alongside high-growth Kiwi exporters, I understand the pressures leaders face when scaling - tight resources, evolving regulations, and the need to keep teams focused on delivery. That’s where I come in.

I work in parallel with leadership teams to bring structure, pace, and clarity to early-stage ideas - stress-testing assumptions, surfacing risks, and building investable roadmaps. From there, I help secure government co-investment and support confident execution.

If you’re ready to move faster with less friction, let’s turn your vision into a clear and compelling growth plan that secures government funding.

Services

  • Strategic roadmap for primary sector initiatives

    Strategic Roadmapping

    Turning early-stage ideas into clear, fundable plans
    I help primary sector leaders scope early-stage initiatives into focused, investable strategies. From commercial goals to delivery milestones, I bring structure and clarity - reducing ambiguity and accelerating decision-making.

  • Securing government co-investment funding

    Government Co-Investment

    Winning PSGF/SFFF support to accelerate delivery
    I develop compelling funding applications that secure government co-investment - including ROI modelling, counterfactuals, and clear alignment with funder priorities. I handle the detail so your team can stay focused on delivery.

  • Preparation for execution readiness in projects

    Execution Readiness

    Aligning teams and resources behind what matters
    I make sure your project is ready to go - filling in the gaps, surfacing risks, and aligning stakeholders. From business cases to board confidence, I help you move forward with practical steps and credible momentum.

View the latest Global Trends across the Seafood / Aquatic sector.

View the latest issue of Future Horizons:

Global Trends in Seafood / Aquatic Q3 2025

Global seafood is pivoting to frontier-led growth: EU’s digital border makes data the ticket to trade, while gene editing, AI-native farms and digital twins move from plan to pilots. Supply risk is hedged by insect protein and algae omega-3; offshore wind co-location, parametric insurance and new public funding open scale and finance routes.

What Clients Say

“Paul helped us go beyond a science-led proposal to deliver a funding case that was strategically aligned, economically compelling, and nationally significant.”

- Tony Martin, Prevar

“Paul very quickly got up to speed with the nuances of our AI meat inspection opportunity, and the industry context. He was a trusted pair of hands, allowing us to move quickly, and allowing me to focus on other priorities while he did the legwork on pulling together a clear and compelling investment case.

- Matt Scott, AsureQuality

Contact

I am based in Lincoln and work with clients across New Zealand.

Let’s talk about turning your vision into a clear and compelling growth plan that secures government funding.

+64 021 923 590

paul@pathforward.co.nz