About the scheme
To help ease the shortage of rural veterinarians working with production animals, MPI set up the Voluntary Bonding Scheme for veterinarians. The scheme aims to attract and retain graduate vets into rural practice. It provides a payment to recently graduated vets who work in an eligible practice with a primary focus in production animals.
Participants entitled to $55,000 over 5 years
People taking part in the scheme are entitled to $55,000 ($11,000 each year) over the 5 years of the scheme. MPI will pay the first instalment in your third year in the scheme, with the second and third instalments made after the fourth and fifth years respectively.
Tax and student loan deductions
Income tax is deducted automatically, and if you have a student loan, MPI will pay Inland Revenue to pay off any outstanding loan. If you have no student loan, the balance (after income tax has been deducted) will be paid directly to you.
Graduates must meet criteria to apply
You can apply for the scheme if you graduated from Massey University's Bachelor of Veterinary Science in the 12 months prior to submitting your application and you:
- are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- are registered to practise in New Zealand and hold a current practising certificate, and
- have a permanent, full-time position, in an eligible practice, whose focus is production animals, or
- have been offered a role in an eligible practice but haven't started working yet.
All successful applicants stay in the scheme for 5 years, as long as they remain eligible.
Download the full terms and conditions for the 2016 scheme
Up to 30 vets a year accepted
The scheme is capped at 30 participants. MPI runs a ballot if it gets more than 30 eligible applications. Another ballot of remaining applicants is run to make a secondary list of candidates. MPI uses the secondary list if someone leaves the scheme in their first 2 years or there aren't enough applicants in the next application round. In such cases, the first eligible person on the secondary list will be asked to join the scheme.
Changes to your situation during the scheme
If you transfer to another eligible practice, you need to tell MPI before your move to your new practice. You'll still be eligible for the grant. Email a transfer of practice application form to funding@mpi.govt.nz .
Download the transfer of practice application form
If you change workplace and your new workplace is not an eligible practice, you'll no longer qualify for payments under the scheme. Let MPI know if you stop working for an eligible practice. Email funding@mpi.govt.nz .
Before you take extended leave or parental leave, email details of your leave to funding@mpi.govt.nz .
MPI will review your eligibility and your bonding period might be changed. The terms and conditions explain the rules around leave.
Download the terms and conditions of the vet bonding scheme
2016 funding round
Applications for the 2016 Voluntary Bonding Scheme will open at 9am on Tuesday 9 February and will close at 3pm on Tuesday 23rd February.
Download the full terms and conditions for the 2016 scheme
How to apply for the scheme
To apply you must use the online MPI grants portal.portal, which will open in February 2016. Once the portal opens, you will first need tocan register to use the portal, then you can applyportal to set up a username and password. Check back to this page closer to the opening of the application round for a link to the schemeportal and submit the required documentation.an application guide. The Getting Started Guide hasguide will have information about how to register online and what documents you'll need to supply as part of your application.
Who to contact
If you have questions about the vet bonding scheme, email funding@mpi.govt.nz .