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Tauola Business Fund

Tauola Business Fund

The Tauola Business Fund is now closed.

The fund supports Pacific businesses in Aotearoa to foster growth, create employment opportunities, and build resilience in the face of challenges. Aimed at empowering Pacific businesses, the Fund invests in initiatives that promote productivity and strengthen their capacity to thrive.

Key Objectives

  • Employment creation: Building pathways for Pacific peoples to secure sustainable jobs.
  • Business growth: Enabling businesses to scale, increase productivity, and contribute to economic development.
  • Resilience: Supporting businesses to withstand economic shocks and remain competitive.

Tauola Business Fund is closed for applications 

Applications are now closed for the Tauola Business Fund. 

This year we looked to fund businesses that demonstrated they contribute to the following objectives: 

  • increase productivity and innovation to stimulate growth 
  • strengthen Pacific-owned businesses to be more successful and sustainable 
  • improve Pacific peoples’ participation in the labour market 
  • create employment pathways for Pacific peoples 
  • increase resilience to withstand economic shocks.

How much was funded? 

Applicants could apply to one of our four funding pools: 

High-value Projects 

 $100,001 - $400,000
Tier 1 Fund

$80,000 - $100,000 
Tier 2 Fund 

$40,000 - $79,000
Tier 3 Fund

Under $40,000 

Key dates 

Please ensure you allow enough time to register and submit.  Applications will close strictly at 12pm on 16 December. Any applications received after this time will not be processed further. 

Applications closed on Monday 16 December at 12.00pm 

We aim to inform applicants of the outcome of their application by mid-January 2025.

We aim to provide successful applicants with funding from late January 2025.

Who could apply? 

To be eligible for the High-value Projects category, applicants must:  

  • be a Pacific owned / registered company 
  • operate commercially and be GST registered 
  • have a minimum annual turnover of $100k 
  • have been trading for at least 3 years 

To be eligible for the Tier 1 funding, applicants must:  

  • have at least 50% Pacific ownership, and sole traders must be 100% Pacific owned 
  • operate commercially and be GST registered 
  • have a minimum turnover of $60k per year 
  • have been trading for at least 12 months 

To be eligible for the Tier 2 funding, applicants must:  

  • have at least 50% Pacific ownership, and sole traders must be 100% Pacific owned 
  • have been trading for at least 12 months 

To be eligible for the Tier 3 funding, applicants must:  

  • Start-up businesses, have at least 50% Pacific ownership, and sole traders must be 100% Pacific owned 
  • have a clear economic growth pipeline 

About the fund

For High-value projects only

You will be required to upload the following documents as part of your application:

Supporting Documents

Financials

Please provide the following financial information for your business.

  • Balance Sheet Statement for two consecutive periods [01 April 2022 – 31 March 2023 and 01 April 2023 – 31 March 2024]
  • Profit and Loss Statement for two consecutive periods [01 April 2022 – 31 March 2023 and 01 April 2023 – 31 March 2024]
  • Cashflow Statement

Acceptable Document Formats

Please make sure your documents are only saved in .doc, .docx, .jpg, .png or .pdf file format and please include your full organisation name in the filename before uploading.

The Tauola Business Fund is available for Pacific businesses who can demonstrate the following:

  • An ability to create employment opportunities for Pacific peoples
  • A commitment to improving Pacific participation in the labour market
  • An ability to increase productivity and scale up
  • Job creation within 6 months of receiving funding
  • Build capacity and capability to participate in economic development projects
  • Good health and safety practices.

The Tauola Business Fund has been instrumental in enabling Pacific businesses to invest in tools and resources that enhance their operations and productivity. These investments have allowed businesses to scale their capabilities, improve service delivery, and innovate within their industries.

  • Businesses upgraded technology with tools like software systems and screen-printing equipment to improve efficiency and expand services. 
  • Funding helped purchase essential equipment, including vehicles, gym machines, and excavation tools, enabling businesses to take on more work and grow. 
  • Specialised equipment, like heat press machines and wellness tools (ice baths and floats), allowed businesses to offer new services and reach more customers. 

The Tauola Business Fund does not provide support for:

  •  Feasibility studies: Costs for exploring or testing the viability of business ideas are excluded.
  •  Travel and accommodation: Funding cannot cover costs related to travel, accommodation, or fact-finding trips.
  •  Social housing: Projects focused on housing for community purposes are ineligible*. 
  •  Infrastructure projects: Construction of major infrastructure like roads, bridges, power stations, or water facilities is not funded.*
  •  Exploration activities: New mineral or resource explorations are excluded, though expanding or diversifying an existing exploration business may be eligible.
  •  Building renovations: Renovating or repairing commercial buildings is not eligible unless tied to productive business expansion and job creation.
  •  Overseas activities: Projects or programs delivered outside New Zealand, including in Pacific realm countries, are excluded.
  •  Activities like digital marketing, financial literacy, business mentorship, project management, or strategic planning are not funded under this scheme.**
  • Capital expenditure: General infrastructure and equipment investments are not eligible.
  • Academic activities: Research or other academic initiatives are excluded.
  • Debt repayment: The Fund cannot be used to repay or service existing loans. iT cannot be used to pay rent or leases. 

Notes:

  • *Third-party contractors providing labour or equipment for eligible construction or infrastructure projects may qualify.
  • **Pacific Business Village offers support and funding for excluded capacity-building services.  

A business that is operating commercially for profit (with a turnover of more than $60,000 per annum) where all profits are directed or redirected towards the commercial operations of the business.     

Yes, businesses already accessing other government funding or grants from different agencies can apply for the Tauola Business Fund.  

No, only individual businesses can apply, not businesses applying for groups of businesses. 

No, businesses can only submit one application for one tier only.  

If your business has been operating for less than 12 months, you will only be eligible to apply for Tier 3 funding. 

The Ministry has allocated the total pool of funding based on Census 2023 Pacific population counts across the country. This helps to ensure that funding split is equitable and proportionate to the number of Pacific peoples in each region.  

The Tauola Business Fund is one part of the Ministry’s Pacific Business Village initiative. The other part of the Village initiative is the regional networks and providers that support Pacific businesses to gain access to localised, culturally responsive business support.   

A list of regional networks and providers can be found here: Pacific Business Village

If you have further questions about the fund, please email [email protected] 

Previous fund recipents

List of recipients for the first round of Tauola Business funding are as follows:

  • A & P Huahulu Ltd 
  • Fair & Square Building Services Ltd 
  • Flying Geese Pro Ltd  
  • Game Changer Inspiring Others Ltd 
  • Isupps Wellington CBD 
  • Jitel Contracting Ltd 
  • King Furniture Movers Ltd 
  • Laura Aileone Ltd
  • MCL Contractors Ltd 
  • Meth Test Canterbury  Ltd
  • O Studio Ltd
  • Polynesian Choice  
  • Poporazzi Productions Ltd
  • RPS Roof Painting Specialists
  • Sefs Painting Service 
  • Simply Staged Ltd 
  • SWET 
  • Tokotoko Solutions Ltd 
  • Wright Brothers Building Ltd  
  • Zenith Fitness 

The list of recipients for the second round of Tauola Business funding are as follows:

  • Bolster Design Limited
  • Gumboots Consulting Engineers Ltd
  • Ace Birdproofing Solutions Limited
  • Johnson Building Limited
  • The Island Food Company
  • Tauranga Scaffolding Ltd
  • TK Productions Limited T/A Deep Dive Division
  • Shaolin Electrical
  • Pro-pare Athlete Management Trust
  • Limelight DJ & Entertainment Ltd
  • Coolkona Forestry 1 Limited
  • Bluespur Consulting Ltd
  • JNP Aviation Limited
  • Nasita Productions Ltd
  • Momentum Fabrication Limited
  • Nspyre Red Boutique Hair Lounge & Nspyre Red Hair Studio
  • GREENSIDE INSULATION LIMITED
  • Benny Tui Projects
  • Pacific Express (NZ) Company Limited 
  • Loaves and Fishes Catering
  • Tautoko Whanau Ora
  • Positive Screenprinting
  • Gray Builders Ltd
  • Access Masters Scaffolding 
  • G Force Plumbing and Building Limited
  • Dymond Construction
  • JRA Limited
  • NAUA COURIER LIMITED
  • Danika Cooper Jewellery Limited
  • Four Shells Kava Lounge - Kumete Group Limited
  • Trust & Loyalty Security Limited
  • IMAGE CENTRAL
  • Samuel Manu Plastering Limited
  • Secure Board-Ups Limited
  • MMB Builders Ltd
  • OPSEC Solutions Limited
  • Alas Engineering Ltd
  • Whangarei Fitness Limited - F45 Whangarei South
  • Galaxy Childcare
  • WillFix Construction Limited
  • Sweet and Me Ltd
  • Zion Concrete
  • Chooice
  • Ashburton Fruit Berry Ice Cream
  • Affirming Works
  • Elika Consulting Group
  • Pacific Business Hub