In association with
Government grants and help for your established business
Once your business is past start-up phase, the range of government support opens up, from grants and mentoring to tailored support schemes for different industries and different business goals.
Beware of funding scams, in which fraudsters trick you into paying fees to find grants
If a company claims to be able to help you get grants, do your research first. Try the Commerce Commission for information on bogus grant-finders.
Help from the government shouldn’t be mistaken for grants and grants alone. Much of the assistance available aims to help you build your skills and knowledge, lay solid business foundations and launch into new areas.
Your first step
Agency: Regional Business Partner Network
Aimed at: All businesses, including the self-employed, at any stage
How to get it: Register for free
For advice and information on what help you might be eligible for, register and your local regional Business Partner will contact you. They can also help identify any gaps or opportunities in your business.
Your local business advisors can:
- give you information and tools to help build your skills and knowledge
- advise you on other government assistance that may be available
- introduce you to business networks
- connect you to other professionals and advisors who can help in different areas of your business
- support your research and development activities.
There are 14 Regional Business Partners throughout New Zealand.
Contact details — Regional Business Partner Network
Support for Māori business owners
Agency: Te Puni Kōkiri
Aimed at: Māori business owners with a primary focus on small to medium enterprises
How to get it: Register online
Te Puni Kōkiri - Māori Business Growth Support aims to help build the skills and knowledge of Māori businesses. Te Puni Kōkiri, together with other business support services, help existing Māori businesses plan their pathways to realise their growth potential.
If eligible, a needs assessment will be completed with each business to determine the appropriate information or business support required.
Māori Business Growth Support(external link) — Te Puni Kōkiri
Agency: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Aimed at: Māori collectives
How to get it: Apply in the annual call for proposals
The Māori Innovation Fund seeks to build the skills and knowledge of Māori collectives and trusts.
Find more on Support for Māori business(external link) — MBIE website
Management Capability Funding
Agency: Regional Business Partner Network
Aimed at: Business owners looking to grow their business
How to get it: Register with your local Regional Business Partner to discuss your business needs with a Growth Advisor.
You will need to:
- chat to an RBP Growth Advisor to see how they can help
- show you’re serious about improving your management capability
- be willing to co-fund and commit time to developing your management capability.
Money may be provided to partly pay for the workshops, courses and training aimed at developing your management capability. But, as this is a co-funding arrangement, your business will need to pay at least half the training costs.
Training is available in the following areas:
- business planning
- business systems
- business sustainability
- capital raising
- exporting
- finance
- governance
- intellectual property
- lean manufacturing/business operations
- managing resources
- marketing.
Contact details — Regional Business Partner Network
Provincial Growth Fund
Agency: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Aimed at: Businesses in regional New Zealand (excludes Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch).
How to get it: Follow the instructions on the Provincial Growth Fund webpage.
The Government is investing $3 billion over three years in New Zealand’s regions through the Provincial Growth Fund. The fund invests in a range of projects and initiatives, including commercial and quasi-commercial projects that have wider regional benefits.
The fund aims to grow New Zealand’s regions so all New Zealanders can participate in an economy that is sustainable, inclusive and productive.
Guide to the Provincial Growth Fund [PDF, 1.3MB](external link)— Kānoa, Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit
Provincial development unit(external link) — Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Mentoring
A mentor is someone you trust, and who you can consult for business advice and guidance to assist your business or professional development.
A mentor should:
- usually be someone outside your immediate team, or even someone from outside your company
- be a good listener, with the experience to suggest practical solutions
- set an example
- challenge your ideas.
Consider finding a mentor, and encourage senior employees to do the same.
Business Mentors New Zealand is an independent national business mentoring service supporting New Zealand’s small business sector.
Learn more about Business Mentors New Zealand(external link)
A mentor acts as your guide to business.
Map out clear goals at the start to get the best out of your mentoring relationship.
Services for high-tech businesses
Agency: Callaghan Innovation
Aimed at: High-tech businesses
How to get it: Your Regional Business Partner will connect you to Callaghan Innovation if eligible
Callaghan Innovation offers a range of services to help businesses develop and commercialise technology. These include:
- technical and scientific expertise
- impartial advice
- training to improve innovation skills
- access to industry networks.
These services help businesses speed up and strengthen their product development, reduce risk and create market advantage.
Callaghan Innovation(external link)
Contact details — Regional Business Partner Network
Grants for research and development
Agency: Callaghan Innovation
Aimed at: Businesses who do, or want to start, R&D
How to get it: Your Regional Business Partner can help you decide which grants to apply for
A range of grants is available to help businesses doing research and development (R&D).
Some are for businesses in the early stages of, or new to R&D. Others offer long-term investment for established R&D businesses, or for getting students to assist with R&D.
R&D grants(external link) — Callaghan Innovation
Contact details — Regional Business Partner Network
Research and development (R&D) is about innovation.
R&D activities seek to develop new technology or push the boundaries of existing ones. They also attempt to advance science or technology by solving uncertainties in these areas.
Grants for primary industry businesses
Agency: Ministry for Primary Industries
Aimed at: All primary sector businesses and those who use primary industry materials to make products, eg food and beverage manufacturers
How to get it: Apply via MPI’s online grants portal
MPI offers grants and co-investment funding to primary industry businesses that want to export, increase sustainability, improve productivity or protect New Zealand from biosecurity risks.
Projects eligible for funding include:
- irrigation scheme upgrades
- sustainable farming initiatives
- research and innovation programmes
- work to maximise the productivity of land in Māori collective ownership.
Funding and programmes (external link) — Ministry for Primary Industries
