Aims: Ageing is the strongest risk factor for dementia, and New Zealand (NZ)’s ageing demographic means people with dementia will triple in 30 years. Reliable prevalence estimates are lacking in NZ, particularly for ethnically diverse populations. The Impact of Dementia mate wareware and Equity in Aotearoa (IDEA) programme is the first comprehensive dementia prevalence study in NZ, aiming to establish true prevalence across major ethnic groups. Methods: This is a cross-sectional screen–interview survey of individuals aged ≥65 years. A door-knocking approach is employed in selected urban and rural meshblocks in Auckland and Christchurch. Trained multi-ethnic interviewers, proficient in relevant languages, conduct doorstep cognitive screenings and recruit participants for in-depth interviews using the 10/66 dementia diagnostic protocol. With a 3% margin of error and 5% confidence level, target recruitment includes 485 European, 410 Chinese, and 425 Indian/Fijian-Indian participants. Results: In the first 24 months, 30,933 doors were approached, with 4,387 participants screened. Of these, 1,150 (87% of intended) completed interviews; 33% refused doorstep screening, 31% declined full participation. Engagement strategies, community partnerships, and culturally competent communication by multi-ethnic interviewers were critical to recruitment success. The presentation will outline both successes and challenges. Preliminary findings provide emerging insights into dementia prevalence patterns across ethnic groups, highlighting potential disparities. Conclusions: The IDEA programme represents a critical step toward understanding dementia prevalence in NZ’s diverse populations. By providing accurate, population-specific data, this study will inform equitable and culturally appropriate health service planning and contribute to improved outcomes for people with dementia in NZ.