In short
Five things to know.
- The Neuro Agent install is NZ$999, one-off. Below the NZ$1,500 per-purchase threshold for Tiers 1, 2, and 3. No pre-approval required.
- Ongoing Neuro Support (the Operational tier) is approximately NZ$500/month, billed monthly, cancellable any time. Also below the threshold.
- The service is a specialist disability support service. Not equipment, not therapy.
- Manawanui has previously approved a Neuro Agent purchase at the NZ$1,499 per-transaction level (April 2026, prior pricing architecture). The current pricing sits well within the same compliance envelope.
- The smartphone itself is the client's own equipment, a separate purchase from these invoices.
The service
What the Neuro Agent is.
The Neuro Agent is a personal support system set up on the client's own devices (PC and mobile, the client's choice). iPhone is recommended specifically for the one-press Action Button capture; modern Android (2020 or later) is supported with an alternative capture surface. De-emphasising the device is deliberate. The funded thing is the service, not any piece of hardware.
The system uses Claude AI (a conversational support agent) and Notion (a structured workspace), together with sensory-friendly device settings. Configuration is tailored to the client during a 90-minute install interview, where the specialist support worker (Jamie) and the client work through what the system needs to hold.
Once it is set up, the system externalises the parts of executive function that ADHD and autistic brains have the hardest time with. Working memory, time awareness, task initiation, prioritisation. These things get held in the system rather than in the client's head. The clinical basis is Russell Barkley's externalisation framework, the most established model for ADHD support.
The client owns everything that is set up. No subscription lock-in. No proprietary platform. No provider-held data. If the client stops working with Neuro Support, the install keeps running on their own Notion plan.
The rules
Why this qualifies for flexible funding.
Under the current flexible-funding rules (in force since 1 April 2026), there is no list of approved items or vendors. The relevant government page states plainly: "There is no set list of approved items, activities or services." The test is whether the purchase relates to the disabled person's disability support needs. Source: Disability Support Services, Flexible funding Q&A, retrieved 11 June 2026.
The Neuro Agent meets that test for a person with executive function difficulties. Specifically:
- Working memory. The system holds appointments, reminders, plans, ideas, current focus. Things the person no longer has to keep in their head.
- Time awareness. Calendar events surface on the Home page before they happen. Reminders fire when they're needed. The system makes time visible for a brain that has trouble feeling it.
- Task initiation. The next thing is visible without the person having to search for it. Removing the executive function barrier between intention and action is the heart of the install.
- Prioritisation. The system tells the person what to do next rather than asking them to choose from a long list.
- Sensory regulation. Device settings are configured to reduce sensory load. Notifications, contrast, motion, font, all set during install.
These are not generic productivity benefits. They are the disability-related supports the install is specifically built to deliver, for clients whose disability creates the executive function deficits the system addresses.
What Manawanui's guidance adds
The principle above is the load-bearing justification. Manawanui's published FAQ gives some host-precedent colour, but it speaks to device and technology purchases specifically. It confirms that tablet devices and self-management technology can be funded where they relate to disability needs: "if you need a computer, cell phone or tablet to help you manage your funding, you can use your funding to pay for this" (with cost-effectiveness conditions). Source: Manawanui FAQ, retrieved 11 June 2026.
The Neuro Agent install is a specialist support service rather than a device or software purchase, so this FAQ is not directly on point. But the principle it reflects, that disability-specific support tools relate to the person's support needs, applies here. A smartphone alone is not a disability support. An unconfigured Claude and Notion are not a disability support. The Neuro Agent install is the specialist support service that brings the device into actually-supporting-the-person territory.
Line items
What you'd buy under IF.
Neuro Agent install
NZ$999 · one-offInvoice line "Specialist support service: personal support system setup, configuration, and onboarding session (90 min)"
What it covers: a 90-minute support session with Jamie (specialist support worker, fifteen years' experience, BA Human Services, ADHD lived experience), plus the configured personal support system on the client's smartphone.
Neuro Support Operational tier
NZ$500/monthInvoice line "Ongoing specialist support service: Neuro Support Operational tier (monthly)"
What it covers: the Notion Business workspace covered by Neuro Support (no second invoice to the client), ongoing maintenance of the configured Custom Agents as Notion and Claude evolve, agent-driven Help inside the workspace, and content and Library curation.
The Operational tier is optional. The client can stop at any time. If they do, the install keeps running on the client's own Notion plan (approximately NZ$80 to NZ$110/month direct to Notion, depending on agent use). The install is durable; the ongoing layer is the variable.
Support Sessions
NZ$80 · 60 minInvoice line "Specialist support worker session: [date], 60 minutes"
Optional support-worker time, booked as needed, in person in Christchurch or online across NZ. Sub-threshold for all tiers; this is routine support-worker time, the most straightforward IF category to fund. (Shorter online session formats are being added; ask Jamie what's currently bookable.)
Not part of any invoice: the smartphone itself. That is the client's own equipment, purchased separately. If the client does not already own a suitable smartphone, equipment purchases through IF require pre-approval regardless of price.
Categorisation
Specialist disability support service. Not equipment. Not therapy.
This distinction matters because IF rules treat the three categories differently.
- Specialist support service: no pre-approval required under NZ$1,500 per purchase for Tiers 1, 2, and 3. The install and the Operational tier both sit below this threshold by design.
- Equipment: requires pre-approval regardless of price. The client's smartphone is in this category and is a separate purchase. The Neuro Agent install is not equipment.
- Therapy: therapy has its own treatment under IF. Complementary therapies need prior approval, and therapy that another government agency (Health NZ, ACC) is responsible for is explored with that agency first. The Neuro Agent is not therapy. Jamie is a specialist support worker, not a therapist, counsellor, or clinician. The service is support work, framed as a specialist support service throughout, which keeps it clear of the therapy categorisation entirely.
This is why the canonical invoice line uses "specialist support service" and "personal support system setup" rather than "coaching", "training", or "therapy". The framing reflects what the service actually is and keeps the categorisation clean.
The pathway
How to set this up with your host.
For most clients (Tiers 1, 2, and 3):
- 01Get in touch with Jamie at jamie@neurosupport.co.nz to confirm fit and book the install.
- 02Tell your IF host that you want to use flexible funding for a specialist support service: a personal support system setup. Mention the price (NZ$999 install, ~NZ$500/month Operational) and that both clear the NZ$1,500 per-purchase threshold for Tiers 1, 2, and 3.
- 03Receive your invoice from Jamie after the install is booked or after the Operational month is delivered. The canonical line is on every invoice. A one-page funder explanation attaches automatically for any host coordinator who isn't already familiar with the service.
- 04Your host processes payment. Sub-threshold transactions process without pre-approval. If your coordinator wants additional context, Jamie is reachable directly.
On Tier 4? The next section is for you.
Tier 4
For Tier 4 clients.
Tier 4 has a lower NZ$500 per-purchase threshold. The Neuro Agent install at NZ$999 crosses this, so the install starts with a pre-approval conversation with your host. Describe the purchase as a specialist disability support service setting up a personal support system on your smartphone. Manawanui has approved this exact purchase pattern previously (April 2026, prior pricing architecture at NZ$1,499). Your host can either approve the install as a one-off purchase or set up the arrangement as routine support worker time.
The Operational tier at NZ$500/month sits at the Tier 4 threshold rather than over it. Once your host has agreed to the ongoing arrangement, monthly invoices process routinely.
Talk to Jamie before that conversation if you want backup.
IF hosts
IF host providers in New Zealand.
Your host is the organisation that holds your flexible funding budget and processes your purchases. Most NZ clients are with Manawanui.
Common questions
What clients and coordinators ask.
Is this a subscription?
No. The install is one-off (NZ$999). The Operational tier is monthly (~NZ$500/month) and cancellable at any time. If you cancel, your install keeps running on your own Notion plan.
Is this equipment?
No. The smartphone is your equipment, purchased separately. The Neuro Agent is the specialist support service that configures the device into a working personal support system.
Is this therapy?
No. Jamie is a specialist support worker, not a therapist or counsellor. The service is support work, framed as a specialist support service throughout, which keeps it clear of the therapy categorisation (where complementary therapies need prior approval and clinically-funded therapies are another agency's responsibility). The Neuro Agent is not therapy.
Does this count as disability support, or is it software training?
The Neuro Agent install is disability support delivered via a digital medium, not software training. The 90-minute install is a support-worker session, not a tutorial. Jamie isn't teaching the client to use an app. He is conducting a support assessment (understanding the client's executive function challenges, goals, and current system), then building a personalised support system tailored to what he heard. The result is a working externalised executive function system, not a configured app. The difference is who does the work: in software training the client learns to operate the tool themselves; in the Neuro Agent install Jamie builds the system while the client talks and watches. On the worst day, with low executive function and no initiation capacity, the system still works, because the client never needed to master it in the first place.
Does Whaikaha approve this specifically?
Whaikaha does not approve specific vendors or products. The current government guidance states there is "no set list of approved items, activities or services". The test is whether the purchase relates to your disability support needs. The Neuro Agent meets that test.
Has any IF host approved this before?
Yes. Manawanui approved a Neuro Agent purchase at the NZ$1,499 per-transaction level in April 2026 under a prior pricing architecture. The current architecture (NZ$999 install + ~NZ$500/month Operational) sits well within the same compliance envelope. Other host approvals are added to this list as they happen.
What if my coordinator hasn't heard of Neuro Support?
A one-page funder explanation attaches to every invoice, and the public reference for coordinators is the funders page on this site. A more detailed coordinator reference sheet is available on request. If your coordinator wants to talk to Jamie directly, email jamie@neurosupport.co.nz. Jamie is available to answer host questions before, during, or after the purchase.
What about the smartphone? Can IF cover that?
The smartphone is treated as equipment under IF rules, which requires pre-approval regardless of price. Talk to your host about this separately. Many clients already own a suitable smartphone; the install works with what you have if your device is reasonably current (iPhone preferred, modern Android supported).
Can my family or support network use this too?
Yes, in the Team variant of the install. The system can be set up so a trusted support person (parent, partner, support worker, sibling) can write into the workspace alongside the client. The privacy architecture keeps personal content client-only by default. Ask Jamie about the Team variant during the install conversation.
What happens if I stop the Operational tier?
The install keeps running. You take over the Notion subscription directly (~NZ$80-110/month). The system stays with you. You can rejoin Operational later if you want the maintenance and Help layer back.
Coordinators: the public service reference (overview, pricing, pathway) is the funders and coordinators page.
Contact
Questions about funding? Email Jamie directly.
Jamie Robinson. Specialist support worker, fifteen years' experience, BA Human Services, ADHD lived experience. Christchurch; available online across NZ, in-person installs in Canterbury.