$1m funding up for grabs for business scholarships

BNZ have today announced they are extending their business capability scheme to include senior managers of SMEs.

Forty BNZ scholarships to subsidise The ICEHOUSE’s Leadership Development Programme (LDP) will be made available as part of the $1.5m funding commitment BNZ and NZTE have made to support the growth and development of New Zealand businesses.

More than 40 businesses have already accessed the fund by participating in The ICEHOUSE’s Owner Manager Programme (OMP) with a further $1m available until June 2013 for OMP and LDP scholarships.

With the extension of the fund, senior managers of owner-managed companies will now have the opportunity to up skill and gain an insight into what it’s like to operate as an owner-manager, driving and leading business success, managing and measuring performance, and systems thinking.

The LDP is a seven day course aimed at SME businesses with a need to develop the capabilities of their senior management team.

The OMP is a 17 day course held over five months that provides owner-managers with the skills they need to grow and fine tune their established business by providing a framework for strategic growth.

BNZ Director – Partners, Anthony Healy says, “Improving the capability of both owners and senior staff of small and medium businesses is key to boosting business performance.

“We’re dedicated to growing the SME sector, which, at around 97% of the New Zealand business landscape, is the lifeblood of New Zealand’s business community and presents this country’s most significant opportunity to boost our OECD ranking.”

The LDP scholarships provided by BNZ will enable senior managers to apply to have the $8,500 cost of The ICEHOUSE LDP reduced by $3,000. Businesses that that have met with an NZTE Regional Business Partner may also be able to access a further $3000 of NZTE Management Capability Vouchers to use towards the cost of the programme. Regional Business Partners are based around New Zealand and provide a range of advice and access to funding and support for assisting them to grow their business.

ICEHOUSE CEO Andy Hamilton says, “New Zealand needs more internationally capable businesses in order for us to grow our economy. At The ICEHOUSE we believe that one of the best ways we can do this is through providing senior management teams in SME businesses with the right management skills and capabilities to allow for this growth.  The generous voucher schemes provided by the BNZ and NZTE demonstrate their commitment to helping SME businesses”  

To apply for funding through this scheme and for information about the LDP and OMP courses, business owners can contact Samantha Copland at The ICEHOUSE on s.copland@theicehouse.co.nz or phone  09 308 6228.