Amplify grants launched to grow local businesses

Published on 16 November 2022

Whanganui & Partners media release

Good businesses become great when their potential is amplified with the right support at the appropriate time. Giving businesses the boost they need is the aim of Whanganui & Partners’ Amplify grants – funding created to help businesses grow.

Amplify offers one-off grants of $4000. The funding is designed to enable existing businesses to take a step towards meaningful growth.

Suz Hepi, Strategic Lead – Business at Whanganui & Partners, said the economic development agency had refined its existing funding streams to offer Amplify.

“If you have a business that needs a boost to progress, Amplify is for you. We want our creatives, agri-businesses, and any business with high-growth potential to apply for this funding when they aspire to take their operation to the next step.”

The first round of Amplify funding is open now and will close on December 9, with the successful applicants announced before the end of the year.

The funding will be awarded quarterly, Hepi said, and applications would remain live for a year after their submission. “So if you miss out this time, there’s still a chance your application will be successful in a future round.”

The grants could be used by different businesses to different ends, Hepi said. Amplify should boost or sustain a business or organisation in a measurable way.

“You might apply for Amplify to enable a website upgrade, to purchase specialist equipment, to put in place a new ticketing system, or to get behind-the-scenes support unique to your work – every application will have a distinct need relative to the business’ aims.”

The provision of funding to help businesses grow and adapt was about investing in Whanganui’s future, Hepi said.

“We have great local businesses with initiative and ambitions. There are a lot of motivated and inspired people ready to take action and we want to help those businesses meet their potential.”

There will be four $4000 allocations in each quarterly round of Amplify. The applications will be judged against set criteria, with the accessors’ discretion also playing a part in the decision-making.

Hepi said Amplify applications would be assessed by representatives from Whanganui & Partners along with an external assessor brought in by the agency.

The grants will replace the once-yearly creative industries Amplify grants and quarterly Business Boost funding previously offered by Whanganui & Partners.

“We saw the positive impact those funding streams had on the local businesses which received them and took the opportunity to refine those offerings and make them available to all existing Whanganui businesses on a quarterly basis.”

Applications should be submitted here by 5pm, December 9. For more information and the terms and conditions for the grants, check out the Amplify page or get in touch with Whanganui & Partners.