13 14

This involves determining information requirements and improving the use of information in the company’s decision-making processes.

Assistance is not available for:

• assessing hardware requirements
• data entry and computer programming
• general accounting work (eg. budgeting)
• tax consultancy
• company restructuring or takeovers
• financial services
• legal advice.

Quotes

Where individual consultant’s fees are in excess of $10,000 (grant of $5,000 or more sought) the applicant must either:

• attach evidence to their application form that competitive quotes have been sought; or
• explain why competitive bids have not been sought.

The Business Development Board reserves the right to require:

• more detailed Terms of Reference and/or quote;
• further details on the nominated consultant.

Note: Boards have the discretion to require applicants to supply competitive quotes for fees below this $10,000 level; if they do, they will note their reason(s) for this.

EAGS Conditions

In offering a grant to successful applicants each Board must use the prescribed approval letter which lists all 10 of the scheme’s conditions.

19. Enterprise Growth Development Scheme

Scheme Philosophy

The scheme aims to assist businesses to improve their competitiveness - to assist them to improve performance in all areas of their business so as to become more efficient and effective in marketing their goods and services.

Assistance Available

The EGDS is available throughout New Zealand and offers a maximum grant of $20,000 to any one applicant under this scheme, or this scheme and EAGS combined in any July-June year; it provides 50 percent of approved qualifying costs up to this maximum.

Applicants may lodge more than one application under any one of the scheme’s components, but the maximum grant per component cannot be exceeded.

Under the terms of the ANZCERTA, assistance cannot be provided under this scheme for activities directed at the Australian market.

Assistance is not available for activities directed at the South African market.

The scheme offers assistance in seven areas - each of these has a maximum grant component. These are:

Component 1 : Market Research into New Markets - 50 percent of qualifying costs to a maximum grant of $5,000.

Component 2 : Exploration Visits to New Markets - 50 percent of qualifying costs to a maximum grant of $7,500.

Component 3 : Trade Fair Participation - 50 percent of qualifying costs to a maximum grant of $10,000.

Component 4 : Promotion/Advertising in New Markets - 50 percent of qualifying costs to a maximum grant of $4,000.

Component 5 : Protection of Intellectual Property Rights - 50 percent of qualifying costs to a maximum grant of $2,000.

Component 6 : Proposal Costs for Development Projects, After Shortlisting - 50 percent of qualifying costs to a maximum grant of $5,000.

Component 7 : Costs of Undertaking Quality Assurance Audits/Certification - 50 percent of qualifying costs to a maximum grant of $3,500.

Eligibility Criteria

Any individual, business or organisation resident in New Zealand and registered for either income tax or goods and services tax purposes (ie based in New Zealand for the purposes of tax) meeting the following three criteria is eligible to apply:

1. Produces goods or provides services that already compete, or show potential to compete, in both domestic and international markets. This encompasses businesses that are selling or intending to sell in overseas markets and those that are selling in competition with imports; and

2. Has been trading for not less than 18 months (a business which has been in existence for this length of time, or more, but has not traded during this time would not be eligible); and

3. The good or service for which assistance is sought under this scheme is being produced or provided by the applicant in New Zealand.