The Regional Business Partner (RBP) Network is a gateway that connects you with the right advice, people and resources to help your business thrive.
Supported by MBIE, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Callaghan Innovation, the RBP is made up of Regional Business Partners around New Zealand, including the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce.
How the RBP Can Help You
Most business owners and managers are experts in the day-to-day delivery of their core product or service. However, when they experience rapid growth or disruption, scale up production and sales, venture into exporting, or simply take on their first employee, things sometimes get a little trickier.
Many owners and managers need to hone their skills and knowledge in particular areas, to enable them to be effective, responsive, and confident in leading their businesses into the future. The RBP can help you to identify and prioritise skills gaps, and offers referrals to training or coaching programmes that build your business management capability.
The RBP offers support for you to:
- Gain an outside perspective from the Chamber’s Business Development Advisor in a confidential environment
- Determine whether you are eligible for Management Capability Development funding, and/or Research and Development (R&D) funding (via Callaghan Innovation)
- Plan the next steps in developing your business
- Connect with the local business community and relevant industry networks
What the Chamber Can Offer You
Business Assessments
Our RBP Business Development Advisor will meet with you to discuss your business’s goals and challenges, and walk you through available business support options. Following this meeting, you will receive a feedback summary, outlining a clear path for accessing support. We will determine your eligibility for Management Capability funding support, and if you’re looking for R&D support, we will connect you with Callaghan Innovation’s Regional Business Advisor. We also collaborate with other local business support organisations such as Business Trust Marlborough, who are the local host for Business Mentors New Zealand, in case you need a sounding board, guidance or non-financial support.
Management Capability Funding
Under the RBP programme, after we have conducted an initial assessment, we can provide funding to qualifying businesses for management capability development activities. This funding is a partial subsidy of up to 50% towards any approved training workshop or one-on-one coaching offered by aa accredited business training provider. RBP funding is capped at $5,000 + GST per financial year (July to June) for any qualifying business.
Areas in which funding can be provided to improve your management capabilities include:
- Business planning e.g. vision, goals, growth strategies
- Business operations e.g. operational planning, lean manufacturing
- Business sustainability e.g. creating a sustainable business – economic, social and environmental sustainability
- Business systems e.g. operational systems and procedures, record-keeping
- Capital raising e.g. developing investment propositions, preparing for investment
- Export e.g. market entry strategies, market research capability, sales & negotiation
- Finance e.g. costing/pricing, budgeting and cash flow management
- Governance e.g. obligations under the Companies Act, roles and responsibilities of owners, managers and directors
- Marketing e.g. marketing and sales strategies
- Managing resources e.g. leadership skills development, employment compliance
Importantly, the available RBP funding is intended to support management capability development on the part of business owners and managers in these and other areas. It is not intended to fund the procurement of consulting services in these areas, or to fund individual professional development activities.