The Government has allocated funding to support small and medium sized businesses.
Below are two different types of subsidies which you may be able to access when using our services: 1. the Regional Business Advisory Fund, and 2. ACC subsidies.
Below we cover the following for each subsidy:
What services we have registered under the funding i.e what services are available to you.
The criteria for applying
The process
We encourage to reach out if you would like anything clarified, we are more than happy to advise you. martin@managecompany.co.nz, or 021 322 286.
RBP network
Business Advisory Fund
Small and medium sized businesses may qualify for funding to help pay for advisory services. This fund renews every year and typically a business has up to $5,000 available. The scheme is a co-funded set up meaning that you pay half the cost and the RBP Network pays the other half.
The Business Advisory Funding can provide support in areas such as HR, health and wellbeing, business continuity, cashflow and finance management, marketing and digital enablement strategy.
Funding is only available through the Regional Business Partner Network (RBP) Growth Advisors. You can find your local Growth Advisor at: www.regionalbusinesspartners.co.nz. For more information read below or, drop Martin an email: martin@managecompany.co.nz, or phone: 021 322 286.
1. What services we provide under the funding scheme:
Business Continuity
A one-on-one Business Continuity planning programme. We support and teach you how to create a plan and how to test it.
By the end you will have a Business Continuity plan that is tailored to your business.
This process typically takes 6 weeks (or quicker depending on your time availability) and we work through 11 steps over the period.
We aim to have weekly touch points where we work through the next section and what information needs to be collated.
For businesses with 1 - 25 staff the cost is $2,990 plus GST. For 26 - 50 staff the cost is $3,990 plus GST. For larger businesses the price will be on application. Your subsidy will be up to 50% of the marked price.
This programme is delivered via phone, ZOOM, email and where applicable in person.
Health & Safety
A health & safety review and implementation programme. We review your existing system, make recommendations, and then support and teach you how to implement and practice it. Where needed we will provide templates, policy wording, etc. Our approach is aligned to the 'lean' principals
By the end you will have a health & safety system that is based on compliance and that you understand how to use it.
This process typically takes 6 weeks (or quicker depending on your time availability) and we work through a set framework with you.
We aim to have weekly touch points where we work through the next section and what information needs to be collated.
The cost is $4,490 plus GST for businesses up to 50 workers. For larger businesses the price will be on application. Your subsidy will be up to 50% of the marked price.
This programme is delivered via phone, ZOOM, email and where applicable in person.
ManageCLAIMS
A workplace claim management and implementation programme under our ManageCLAIMS division. We provide you our system (not IT based), teach you how to use it, implement and practice it. Our system captures ACC's process requirements and we tailor it to suit your business. Our approach allows you to control the claim, control the process including doctors & medical certificates, and control ACC. The result is getting workers back to work quicker (less cost to the business) and lower penalties on your ACC levies via Experience Rating.
You will have ongoing access to our Allied Health Network at no cost.
The implementation process typically takes 6 weeks (or quicker depending on your time availability) and we work through a set framework with you.
We aim to have weekly touch points where we work through the next section and what information needs to be collated.
The cost is $4,990 plus GST regardless how big your business is. Your subsidy will be up to 50% of the marked price.
This programme is delivered via phone, ZOOM and email.
Please note this programme works alongside your health & safety and HR processes.
2. Criteria for applying:
Businesses must:
Businesses must have fewer than 50 full time equivalent employees
Be GST registered in New Zealand
Have a New Zealand Business Number
3. How it works:
1. Register - https://app.regionalbusinesspartners.co.nz/Business/SelfRegister
You will need your IRD number, Company Office registration and NZ Business Number (you can find them here https://companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/). The application is straight forward enough. Under ‘referred by’ please put ‘Service Provider’.
2. Email & Phone Call
You will receive two automated emails – one to confirm your registration and the other a welcome on board message. You will also receive a phone call over the next 2 working days from a Growth Advisor. The Growth Advisers takes a birds-eye look at your whole business, then help you connect with the right resources and experts so you can build capability and grow. At this point you share with the Growth Advisor that you have been discussing the (insert Health & Safety solution / Business Continuity solution) with your Service Provider which for you is Manage Group.
The Growth Advisor will talk about what you need regarding this.
Please note that due to volume the Regional Business Partners are dealing with, you may get another person doing the first call – a bit like a preliminary call.
We will also provide you with a reference number that you will need to insert into the application. Don’t worry, it’s all much easier than it sounds.
3. We may get a Phone Call
Once the Growth Advisor has chatted with you they talk to the Service Provider and about the suggested solution. When everything stacks up you will then receive a confirmation email.
4. Confirmation Email
Again you will receive two emails, one a generic confirmation that you have been accepted to receive a ‘voucher’ for $XX. The second email is very specific and links your voucher to your service provider. Please note you have 48 hours to activate the voucher and the instructions will be listed in the email.
5. We start
Time to get started – the service provider will contact you to get the show on the road.
ACC subsidies
Manufacturing
The ACC subsidy is available to businesses who fall under the manufacturing levy code. The following subsidies are available:
· $500 - for business with up to $3m in payroll
· $1,300 - for business with up $3m - $6.1m in payroll
The logic behind the subsidy is to provide access to H&S professionals for the small to medium sized manufacturer. The subsidy is relatively broad in that it has to cover risk area(s) in your business. Typical areas can include:
a. Focus on Machinery and Guarding
b. Review of Hazardous Substances
c. Review of claims and creating a tailored solution
Construction
ACC provides subsidies covering health & safety (H&S) advice and training focused on the wider construction industry. Target audience is employers with 6 - 99 employees.
Consulting: The logic behind the subsidy is to provide access to H&S professionals for the small to medium sized business. The amount of the subsidy is slightly different to that of manufacturing (employee bands are approximate).
$500 for businesses with 6 - 19 staff
$1,200 for businesses with 20 - 49 staff
$2,400for businesses with 50 - 99 staff
This subsidy will be focused on two risk areas:
Moving vehicles and equipment
Falls from height
Both are pretty popular when it comes to accident statistics so no surprises really.
The subsidy is intended to help with the first or next step in the journey of improving H&S performance. It is not intended to absorb all the costs associated with H&S. The following gives you an idea of what can be done.
Action Plan: The plan should respond to the question: what are we going to do to have better health and safety in this workplace? An action plan is a documented list of objectives, activities, tasks, timelines, responsibilities and other information that outlines how a H&S gap will be addressed or the overall H&S of a workplace improved.
Improvement Activity: It should respond to the question: what has the health and safety consultant helped us to implement to improve the health and safety of our workplace? An improvement activity are the actions and/or tasks that have been implemented to address a gap or improve the overall health and safety of a workplace.
We specialise in this area and we know more about ACC and Worksafe than most. We currently have the capacity to guide you through either the Action Plan or the Improvement Activity.
Training: health & safety training for leaders in your business (Supervisors, Forman, Leading Hands, Managers, etc) with one of four preselected training providers (NZQA based).
Again there are 3 subsidy bands (employee bands are approximate).
$350 for businesses with 6 - 19 staff
$850 for businesses with 20 - 49 staff
$2,000 for businesses with 50 - 99 staff
First things first, let’s find out if your business is eligible. We can check this either with ACC directly via completing this ACC authority form or if you know your ACC code, then let us know that.
If you want to find out more about the construction focused subsidy then please contact John Gould, our ManageOSH Manager on john@managecompany.co.nz or 0800 747 569.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss this and answer any questions you have.
How it works:
Contact us and we can check your eligibility – please note this may involve completing an ACC Authority so we can check things out with ACC.
On confirmation of eligibility, we chat to you over the phone to determine what needs to be done i.e. what is a priority for you in the business
We do the work and provide the appropriate proof for ACC i.e. plan, or outcomes, etc.
This then gets lodged with ACC to sort out the payment
If you need help with the process, please get in touch with us: martin@managecompany.co.nz, or 021 322 286.
“Thank you Martin. I really appreciate you sharing your skills knowledge and experience. Very simple and easy to understand. Excellent resources
YOU ROCK”