Small Business Support Programme
Auckland’s City Rail Link is the country’s largest transport infrastructure project and will bring considerable benefits to Tāmaki Makaurau. Building an underground train station in the middle of a city comes with significant challenges, and being a good neighbour is just as important as our construction. That’s why the Link Alliance (CRL’s main delivery contractor) has developed its Small Business Support Programme (SBSP), to provide direct support for businesses during construction. The SBSP returns for 2022 with an increased level of support, following a successful pilot programme in 2021.
Free independent advice from a business connector to identify ways to boost resilience and adapt to a changing environment
Adapt or enhance your business operations with a $3000 microgrant
Programme overview The SBSP provides an independent business connector for businesses to help identify their needs and to provide individualised, free, accessible support and specialist services. The business connector guides businesses to existing support options, including a Link Alliance microgrant.
The SBSP is available for businesses in the Te Wai Horotiu Station (Aotea) and Karanga a Hape Station (Karangahape) communities*. The programme has been developed with the support of the business associations – Heart of the City and Karangahape Road Business Association. It forms part of a comprehensive approach to supporting businesses throughout construction, which includes wayfinding, advertising and activation, wellbeing support, artworks around site and best practice noise mitigation.
* Official use of gifted station names is subject to New Zealand Geographic Board decision. Page 2
Microgrant eligibility To be eligible, you must be a small retail, service, or hospitality business within the Te Wai Horotiu Station or Karanga a Hape Station area (see FAQs for detailed maps). The business must be located on the ground or first floor of your building. Businesses may apply for a financial grant, offered across six suggested categories of support. The independent business connector works to help tailor the grant application according to the needs of individual businesses. For 2022, the grant amount is $3,000 per business (plus GST if applicable).
Microgrant categories: a) Digital marketing b) Outdoor dining c) Business adaptation and innovation d) Activations e) Signage and advertising f) Wellbeing
Success stories In the 2021 round of the programme, most businesses within the Te Wai Horotiu and Karanga a Hape Station areas applied and were successful in their microgrant applications. Examples of successful applications include: • Digital marketing advice and training • Direct financial support for social media spend (e.g. Facebook or Google Ads) • Equipment upgrades (e.g. refrigeration system, new hairdressing equipment, point-of-sale system upgrade) • New business signage • Mini activations such as support for live music The business connector can work with you to tailor your application, so it meets your business needs.
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Application process
Business connector meets with business to discuss needs and possible grant application
Business connector supports business to complete application form (with quote if applicable) and submits on business’ behalf to Link Alliance
Business or supplier to send invoice to Link Alliance for payment (see below for invoice instructions)
Business connector provides Purchase Order number to business or supplier
If a business or supplier is not already setup in Link Alliance payment system, business connector provides these setup forms for the business to complete
If application meets criteria, it is approved by Link Alliance
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Want to find out more or apply? Please contact the independent business connector, William Keung on william@werkits.com or call 0274 908501.
2021 & 2022 Business Connector, William Keung
If English is not your first language we can organise a translation of this information. Please contact us if you need this service. Mēnā ehara te reo Pākehā i tō reo tuatahi ka whakarite mātou i tētahi whakamāoritanga o ēnei mōhiohio. Tēnā whakapā mai mēnā e hiahia ana koe ki tēnei ratonga.
若英语不是您的第一语言，我们可以安排将本信息翻译成中文。 若您需要此项服务，请联系我们。 Kapau ʻoku ʻikai ko e lea ‘Ingilisi hoʻo fuofua lea´ ‘oku mau lava ke fokotu‘utu‘u hano liliulea ʻo e fakamatala´ ni´. Kātaki ʻo fetuʻutaki mai kiate kimautolu´ ‘o kapau ʻoku ke fiemaʻu ʻa e sēvesi ko ʻeni´.
영어가 모국어가 아닌 분들께는 본 정보의 번역본을 제공해드립니다. 번역본이 필요하신 분은 연락주시기 바랍니다. Afai e lē o sau gagana muamua le faʻa-Peretania e mafai ona matou fesoasoani atu e faʻatulaga se faʻaliliuga o lenei pepa o fa‘amatalaga. Faʻamolemole faʻafesoʻotaʻi mai i matou pe afai e te manaʻomia lenei auaunaga.
यदि अंग्रेज़ी आपकी प्रथम भाषा नहीं है तो हम इस जानकारी के अनुवाि की व्यवस्था कर सकते हैं। यदि आपको यह सेवा चाहहए तो कृपया हमें संपकक करें।
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Microgrant Application Form Date of application Registered business name Company # / NZBN # Address Telephone
Website
Contact person and title
Support category (please select one)
l Outdoor dining l Activation l Wellbeing
l Business adaptation and Innovation l Signage and advertising l Other (please state)
Purpose of grant (100 words max)
Grant request (up to $3000). Include a supplier quote to support your application, if applicable. Page 6
FAQS What is the eligibility criteria? • Small businesses within the Te Wai Horotiu Station (Aotea) and Karanga a Hape Station (Karangahape) perimeters. See page 10 for specific eligibility maps • Small businesses employing fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees or contractors • Must be a retail, service, or hospitality business • Business is situated on the ground or first floor of the building • Business should complete the necessary procurement paperwork as a registered Link Alliance supplier • The grant is used and complete within 12 months of application • The successful applicant completes a Link Alliance survey about the programme • Grant approval is at the sole discretion of the Link Alliance
What are the support categories available to businesses? Funding is provided across six suggested categories of support listed below a) Digital marketing •D evelopment of e-commerce and social commerce platforms • Social media strategy • Social media advertising
b) Outdoor dining • Space utilisation and attractiveness of outdoor area •F unding for items to facilitate outdoor dining. For example, businesses may need to acquire new equipment or undertake minor works
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c) Business adaptation and innovation • Review opportunities with regards to change in demographic of customers •E ncourage Link Alliance staff and contractors to frequent local businesses via targeted promotions
•D igital adaptation such as point of sale, e-commerce, finance and digital business management tools
d) Activation •C o-ordinated activations with other neighbouring businesses to attract customers to the area
Coffee promo
•L everage promotion of businesses as part of area-wide destination marketing initiatives
e) Signage and advertising • Street poster campaign • Improved business signage to gain better visibility • Promoting marketing initiatives
f) Wellbeing • Additional counselling support • Mindfulness training •Y oga sessions, or other identified mental stress, physical resilience type activities
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How must your invoice be addressed? Your invoice must: • Be addressed to CRL Construction JV, 12 Morgan Street, Newmarket, Auckland • Include the following Purchase Order number, which is a five digit number preceded by PUR (e.g. PURxxxxx) • Show a Tax Invoice Number • Show the GST portion Email invoice to invoices@linkalliance.co.nz and copy in william@werkits.com and either aotea@linkalliance.co.nz or karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz If your invoice does not follow these instructions, unfortunately the Link Alliance payment team will be unable to process the payment. Please note the payment process can take up to eight weeks.
How is the Link Alliance Small Business Support Programme different from the CRL Targeted Hardship fund? Can businesses apply for both? The Targeted Hardship Fund (THF) is a $12m ex gratia financial support fund to help businesses affected by construction on City Rail Link’s main contract of works. The THF is governed by criteria set by project Sponsors - the NZ Government and Auckland Council - and is administered by third party consultants TSA Management. The THF is completely separate from the Link Alliance Small Business Support programme – and businesses can apply for both schemes if eligible. If you receive a Link Alliance grant this will not affect your THF application in any way. For more information on the THF visit www.cityraillink.co.nz/targetedhardshipfund
The Small Business Support Programme first ran in 2021. What was the uptake and how successful was the programme?
46% a Hape Station The majority of businesses in both the Te Wai Horotiu and Karanga areas successfully applied and participated in the 2021 programme. In the evaluation survey of the first year of the programme 89% of respondents found the programme somewhat, or very useful in helping their business and almost all businesses indicated they would apply again. To reflect feedback from 93% participants, the grant amount has also been increased from $2000 in 2021 to $3000 in 2022.
89% of respondents found the programme helped their business
89% Page 9
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Karanga a Hape (Karangahape) – eligible business areas highlighted
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