A variety of government grants and support for your established business becomes available once it is past the start-up phase. This support includes government grants, mentoring programs, and specialised assistance schemes designed to cater to specific industries and diverse business objectives.
Assistance from the government should not be confused solely with grants. A lot of the support provided is intended to help you develop your skills and knowledge, establish strong business foundations, and venture into new areas.
Grants and help for your new business
Tip
Be cautious of funding scams, where scammers deceive you into paying fees to uncover grants.
If a company asserts its ability to assist you in obtaining grants, conduct thorough research beforehand. Consider referring to the Commerce Commission for details on counterfeit grant-finding services.
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
To receive guidance and information about the assistance you may qualify for, please register, and your regional Business Partner will get in touch with you. They can also assist in identifying any areas of improvement or potential opportunities for your business.
Your local business advisors can:
- provide you with information and tools to enhance your skills and knowledge
- advise on additional government support that might be accessible
- introduce you to business networks
- connect you with other experts and advisors specialising in various aspects of your business
- support your research and development activities.
There are 14 Regional Business Partners located across New Zealand.
Contact details — Regional Business Partner Network
Support for Māori business owners
Agency: Te Puni Kōkiri
Aimed at: Māori business owners, primarily focusing on small to medium enterprises
How to get it: Register online
Te Puni Kōkiri – Māori Business Growth Support strives to enhance the skills and knowledge of Māori businesses. Te Puni Kōkiri, in collaboration with other business support services, assists established Māori businesses in charting their paths towards realising their growth potential.
If deemed eligible, a needs assessment will be conducted for each business to identify the specific information or business support needed.
Māori Business Growth Support — 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 aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of Māori collectives and trusts.
Through the fund’s Commercial Advisor scheme, collectives receive co-funding to collaborate with an advisor who can assist them in their growth journey by providing business advice and mentoring.
Commercial advisor scheme eligibility — MBIE website
Find more on Support for Māori business — 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:
- talk to an RBP Growth Advisor to explore how they can assist you
- show your genuine commitment to enhancing your management capability.
- be prepared to contribute financially and dedicate time to developing your management skills.
Partial funding may be available to support workshops, courses, and training programs focused on improving your management capability. However, since this is a co-funding arrangement, your business will be responsible for covering at least 50% of the training costs.
Training is offered in the following fields:
- 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 New Zealand Government is allocating $3 billion over a span of three years to the Provincial Growth Fund, which focuses on supporting various projects and initiatives in the country’s regions. This includes both commercial and quasi-commercial ventures that bring broader benefits to the respective regions.
The fund’s objective is to foster the growth of New Zealand’s regions, enabling all citizens to actively participate in a sustainable, inclusive, and productive economy.
Guide to the Provincial Growth Fund [PDF]— Kānoa, Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit
Provincial development unit — Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Mentoring
A mentor is an individual you trust and seek guidance from for business advice and support to aid your business or professional growth.
A mentor should:
- typically be someone outside your immediate team or even from outside your organisation
- be a good listener, offering practical solutions based on their experience
- serve as an exemplary role model
- challenge your ideas.
Consider finding a mentor and encourage senior employees to do the same.
Business Mentors New Zealand is an independent nationwide business mentoring service dedicated to supporting the small business sector in New Zealand.
Learn more about Business Mentors New Zealand
Tip
A mentor serves as your business guide.
Establish clear goals from the start to make the most 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 provides a variety of services to assist businesses in advancing and commercialising technology. These services encompass:
- technical and scientific expertise
- unbiased advice
- training to enhance innovation skills
- access to industry networks.
These services aid businesses in accelerating and strengthening their product development, mitigating risks, and gaining a competitive edge in the market.
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
There are various grants accessible to support businesses engaged in research and development (R&D).
Some grants cater to businesses in the initial stages of R&D or those new to it. Others provide long-term investment opportunities for established R&D businesses or facilitate student involvement in R&D activities.
R&D grants — Callaghan Innovation
Contact details — Regional Business Partner Network
Fact
Research and development (R&D) is about innovation.
R&D endeavours strive to create new technology or push the limits of existing ones. They also aim to progress science and technology by addressing uncertainties in these fields.
Grants for primary industry businesses
Agency: Ministry for Primary Industries
Aimed at: All businesses in the primary sector and those utilising primary industry materials to manufacture products, such as food and beverage manufacturers.
How to get it: Apply via MPI’s online grants portal
MPI provides grants and co-investment funding opportunities for businesses in the primary industry sector aiming to expand exports, enhance sustainability, boost productivity, or safeguard New Zealand against biosecurity risks.
Eligible projects 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 — Ministry for Primary Industries
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