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.
Returning for a final year in 2024, Link Alliance’s Small Business Support Programme (SBSP) will be offered to eligible businesses around Karanga-a-Hape Station, where it will run alongside Auckland Council’s Karanga-a-Hape Small Business Support Programme.
Programme overview
The SBSP provides an independent business connector to help businesses identify their needs and provides individualised, free, accessible support. Businesses are also eligible for a $3000 microgrant.
The SBSP has been developed with the support of the 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.
Karanga-a-Hape Station – eligible business areas shown in greeen
Microgrant eligibility
To be eligible, you must be a small retail, service, or hospitality business within the Karanga-a-Hape Station area (see FAQs for detailed maps). The business must be located on the ground or first floor of the 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 2024, 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 previous years of the programme, most businesses within the Te Waihorotiu 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 and shopfront or fitout upgrades
• Mini activations such as support for live music
The business connector will work with you to tailor your application to suit your needs.
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
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
Business connector provides Purchase Order number to business or supplier
Business or supplier to send invoice to Link Alliance for payment (see below for invoice instructions)
Link Alliance approves invoice for payment
Want to find out more or apply?
Please contact the independent business connector, William Keung on william@werkits.com or call 0274 908501.
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.
FAQS
What is the eligibility criteria?
• Small businesses within the Karanga-a-Hape Station area. Businesses who are eligible for Auckland Council’s Karanga-a-Hape Small Business Support Programme cannot also apply for the Link Alliance Small Business Support Programme.
• 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
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 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.
What are the support categories available to businesses?
Funding is provided across six suggested categories of support listed below
a) Digital marketing
• Development of e-commerce and social commerce platforms
• Social media strategy
• Social media advertising
c) Business adaptation and innovation
• Review opportunities with regards to change in demographic of customers
• Encourage Link Alliance staff and contractors to frequent local businesses via targeted promotions
• Digital adaptation such as point of sale, e-commerce, finance and digital business management tools
b) Outdoor dining
• Space utilisation and attractiveness of outdoor area
• Funding for items to facilitate outdoor dining. For example, businesses may need to acquire new equipment or undertake minor works
d) Activation
• Co-ordinated activations with other neighbouring businesses to attract customers to the area
• Leverage 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
• Yoga sessions, or other identified mental stress, physical resilience type activities
Coffee promo
Microgrant Application Form
Date of application
Registered business name
Company # / NZBN #
Address
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.
