How to access funding.
The process for accessing government funding for your business depends on your business needs. We will discuss the relevant options with you.
If you are interested in the NZTE Capability Development Voucher scheme, you will need to first complete a capability assessment with our business development manager. This assessment will cover all areas of your business and will give us an overall understanding of your business. This is a joint process: we will work with you to develop an action plan for addressing the needs of your business, and how these are prioritised.
To register your interest in the Regional Partner programme, please complete and submit the online PDF form
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
NZTE is New Zealand’s national economic development agency. It has a role of supporting and developing internationally competitive, profitable and capable New Zealand businesses.
NZTE provides a range of services to help businesses innovated and grow, build business capability and address systemic barriers to growth. Their services include:
International trade promotion
Domestic business capability building
Regional development
Encouraging innovation
Investment services.
NZTE Capability Development Vouchers
Small businesses may qualify for vouchers to help pay for services such as training workshops, courses and coaching that build the management capabilities of their owners, operators and key managers.
The Capability Development Vouchers are only issued by Regional Business Partners. To qualify, your businesses must:
have undergone a capability assessment with a Regional Business Partner
demonstrate a desire to innovate and grow
be operating in a commercial environment
be registered for GST in New Zealand
have fewer than 50 full time employees
be privately owned, or a Maori Trust or incorporation under the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 or similar organisation managing Maori assets under multiple ownership
The Regional Business Partner has the discretion to determine the value of vouchers for each business - up to a cap of $5000 (excluding GST) in any year. The vouchers may be used to help pay up to 50 percent of the cost of the services from registered training providers in the following areas:
business planning
marketing strategies
finance
business systems
managing resources
governance
sustainability
lean manufacturing/business operations
exporting
Assessment criteria
When considering if a business owner qualifies for a voucher, the following assessment criteria will be taken into account:
The potential of the business for growth and innovation
Commitment from the business to improve management capability
There is an identified gap in the business’s capability that can be addressed through management capability building and training.
Relevance to the region and the regional economy
To register your interest in the Regional Partner programme, please complete and submit the online PDF form
Ministry of Science and Innovation
The Ministry of Science and Innovation (MSI) was formed on 1 February 2011 by merging two government agencies: the Ministry of Research, Science & Technology and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. MSI is responsible for the policy and investment functions of both those agencies and is the lead agency charged with driving the science and innovation sector. It is also tasked with directing knowledge and technology transfer from the research, science and technology sector to businesses and other research users.
MSI has some key roles and functions such as advising the Government on New Zealand’s science and innovation system, overseeing RS&T investment and supporting infrastructure and fostering commercialisation, enhancing productivity and achieving wider benefits for NZ through the application of research results.
TechNZ
TechNZ is the business investment programme of MSI. Significant funding is available to businesses through TechNZ to help fund R&D projects, and to build the capability of businesses to undertake and gain benefit from research and development.
Regional Business Partners will work with companies in three areas:
An early stage start-up business with little research capability, but a great idea. This company may be part of an incubator or cluster;
A domestic firm that has an idea that could transform their business, but little or no research capability to implement; and
A firm with potential opportunities and characteristics to develop into a high growth business.
If you are interested in discussing the TechNZ programme, please complete and submit the online PDF form.