NZTE wins award for supporting businesses to go global

April 18, 2008

Dragons Den-style “pitching” sessions and customised training workshops for first-time exporters have won recognition for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and its Path to Market programme.

NZTE won the Government Department category in the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards 2008, based on the work its Business Services Team had done to develop the Path to Market programme in the past two years.

Path to Market helps capable, emerging exporters to quickly and successfully enter overseas markets. It bundles a range of NZTE services into a comprehensive programme, culminating in a market visit around an industry event so the companies can put what they have learned into practice.

The programme includes a customised training workshop, one-on-one coaching, and Dragons Den-style “pitching” sessions. NZTE also organises a tailored programme of meetings and networking opportunities for participants while visiting the overseas market.

NZTE is planning to run four more Path to Market programmes to Australia this year following the success of those supported by Export Year 2007. The 2008 programmes will be open to companies attending selected trade events in the food and beverage, agri-technology, and specialised manufacturing sectors.

NZTE Chief Executive Tim Gibson said Path to Market was an excellent example of a value-added service that has been developed by putting the needs of businesses first.

“It is a tailored programme that provides first-time exporters with the combined experience and knowledge of NZTE and private sector experts.”

Another NZTE programme – Better by Design – was nominated for the High Growth category at the awards. The programme helps New Zealand exporters differentiate themselves in global markets by producing superbly designed products and services.

“Improved export performance is critical to the future prosperity of New Zealanders but we also recognise that exporting can be challenging. Programmes like Path to Market and Better by Design are designed to help businesses overcome these challenges and make the most of the opportunities that exporting offers.”