What is it?
Government funding. You could receive up to $10,000 per business for expert advice / training and implementation (up to $5000 per service). We are a registered Service Provider and would love to help you. Your business could be eligible for free digital marketing advice, training or implementation.
For who?
For businesses in specific regions (including the Queenstown Lakes district) that have been impacted by Covid-19 – including both tourism businesses and any business that provides services/ products to the tourism sector.
How to apply
Register your business with RBP. One of their advisors will help you determine what kind of advice will help you the most. If you would like to use our services, make sure to mention this to your advisor.
All other information and details:
The latest funding is available for businesses that have been impacted by Covid-19 – including both tourism businesses and any business that provides services/ products to the tourism sector.
· There are 2 Government support initiatives (more info below), which part of the overall $200 million Tourism Communities: Support, Recovery and Re-set Plan.
· The Otago Regional Business Partners (RBP) Network has been appointed to lead the roll out of the funding. They have a team of Growth Advisors to help.
· There is a variety of approved Advisory and Training services available for eligible businesses.
· The support can be accessed now! (It officially opened on Monday, 6 September 2021).
What support is available?
1. Business Advisory Support: This is for professional one-to-one advice to help your business adjust to the impact of COVID-19.
· Up to $5,000 per business for expert advice and training to support a response to COVID-19.
2. Advice Implementation Grant: These grants to help put that advice and planning into action – the implementation phase.
· Available for eligible businesses up to a maximum of $5,000 per business operation (excluding GST).
· The grant is paid directly to your business. Implementation grants are not administered on the Otago Regional Business Partners Network platform.
· It is intended to support businesses to implement advice they have received through the Business Advisory Support initiative or a satisfactory alternative provider.
· This advice may come from multiple providers, if the expense for each is approved, and the total across all providers does not exceed the total advice grant of $5000 per business operation (excluding GST).
· This grant is only available to implement advice that RBP Growth Advisors have approved but this advice need not have been funded through the RBP Network.
Further details of eligibility criteria, and information on how to apply can be found here.
Already registered with RBP? Contact one of their Growth Advisors.
Not registered with RBP? You will need to register on the RBP Platform here. One of the Growth Advisor team will have a Discovery Session conversation with you to determine your priority needs and then support you to access these two funds, if eligible.
Any other funding? The Government is making wider support available through the Tourism Kick-Start Fund ($49 million) to help tourism businesses in the five South Island districts prepare for the return of international visitors. We expect to have more details about this fund once we are closer to reconnecting borders.
Who do I contact? For all general enquiries regarding RBP network or technical support in relation to the website or platform (e.g. service registrations, claims, events and bookings) contact the Otago Regional Business Partners Network Helpdesk Support - phone: 0800 287 467 or email: info@regionalbusinesspartners.co.nz