About Capability Building Grants

• About the Programme
• Who can apply for funding?
• How much funding is available?
• How and when do I get funding?
• What can funding be used for?

About the programme

Enterprise Development Grants for Capability Building help businesses reach their growth potential by co-funding the cost of increasing skills and expertise.
Funding can be used to purchase the expert help and advice needed to undertake a significant new project.

NZTE will contribute up to half of the total cost of the project up to $20,000.

We fund a broad range of activities, such as employing a mentor, undertaking advanced technology training and hiring expert advisors.

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Who can apply for funding?

To be eligible you or your business must:

• Have no more than 20 full-time equivalent employees.
• Have annual turnover of less than $5 million.
• Be resident in New Zealand for tax purposes.
• Be registered for GST if required.
• Be a commercial entity and able to show how you would finance the project.

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How much funding is available?

The minimum amount of funding is $1,000 per application a year.

The maximum is $20,000 a year. You can file applications for several different projects in one year, so long as the total funding sought is below the annual maximum of $20,000.

All amounts include GST.

The money is provided on a co-funding basis this means that NZTE contributes up to half the project costs, while you contribute the rest. Your contribution must be monetary.  In-kind contributions such as resources are excluded. For more information see What am I expected to contribute?

Funding is allocated on a first come, first served basis.

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How and when do I get funding?

Funding is paid out through a claims process.

Claims usually take about three weeks to process after we receive them. It can take longer if we’re processing a high volume of claims, or if the documentation you supply is incomplete.

Approved activities undertaken in the 12 month funding period of your contract can be claimed up to the end of that contract period. We will send you a letter telling you when this period starts and ends. Claims can be made any time within this 12 month period.

For more information see How do I make a claim?and Can I vary the contract?

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What can funding be used for?

You can use the funding to gain additional business skills, and get external expertise and advice. These skills and expertise should be used to undertake a significant project for your business, and should offer long term benefits.
Eight types of activity are funded:

• Strategic business development
• Feasibility studies
• Business and operational excellence
• E-commerce and e-business strategies
• Market development - strategy development only
• Business mentoring 
• Management and technology-based training
• Business advisory boards

Not all costs are eligible for funding. For more information on what is and isn’t funded see Eligibility and Costs