South Canterbury COVID-19 Support Team Business Assistance

 

The South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce is the official South Canterbury Covid-19 Response Team for business advice and funding support. 

This page brings together information relating to COVID-19, how it may affect your business and how you can stay up to date as new information becomes available.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has hit some businesses hard and could have a long-term negative impact on their wellbeing. The Government has a number of their agencies who may be able to assist business and we appreciate that if you are having difficulty you may not know which Government department you should contact for support.

CONTACT THE SOUTH CANTERBURY CHAMBER: +64 3 687 2733 or email your contact details to: enquiries@scchamber.org.nz 

 

COVID-19 Resources

 

Alert Level 1:

 

Business Support:

 

COVID 19 Small Business Cashflow Scheme (SBCS) - Closes 24th July:

 

Temporary Loss Carry Back Scheme:

  • Temporary Loss Carry-Back Scheme - Tax changes to help businesses through the impact of COVID-19. Businesses expecting to make a loss in either the 2020 year or the 2021 year can use that loss to offset profits they made the year before. In other words, they can carry the loss back one year to the preceding income year. This can be done before the loss year return is filed.

 

Business Debt Hibernation:

  • Business Debt Hibernation - Business debt hibernation helps companies and other entities affected by COVID-19 manage their existing debts until they can start trading normally again. For example, businesses may agree with creditors to delay repaying some of their debt.

 

Tourism:

 

Contact Tracing:

 

Export Advice:

  • NZTE: Advice for exporters - This site is a resource for New Zealand exporters to help them mitigate the impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

  • NZTE Marketplace - New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has created an online marketplace to help New Zealand exporters find offers and requests for resource. 

 

Immigration Advice:

  • Immigration NZ information for employers of temporary migrants June 2020

  • Immigration New Zealand COVID-19 guidance - Information about Alert Level, visas, isolation and temporary border measures for all travellers, student visa holders, migrant workers and employers.

  • Migrant and refugee information page - This page contains information for Settlement service providers, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), community groups, or individuals who work with or know recent migrants and/or former refugees. This information may also be useful for employers of migrants and former refugees who want to support their employees with the latest information about Covid-19 in a variety of languages.

  • Information on foreign nationals - The Department of Internal Affairs is working with New Zealand Red Cross to deliver in-kind assistance to Foreign Nationals experiencing serious hardship due to COVID-19, under the $ 37.6 million Assistance for Foreign Nationals Impacted by COVID-19 programme announced by the Government 16 June. Those eligible for support are Foreign Nationals in New Zealand who are experiencing serious financial hardship, and as a result are unable to meet their own basic, urgent and immediate needs, have exhausted other options and have no current access to a flight home. The Programme will run as a temporary, transitional mechanism, from 1 July 2020 for three months, at the end of which it is intended that people are able to return to their home country or have secured alternative means of support.

    People on temporary visas and, in serious hardship, can apply by filling in an online form (on https://foreignnationals.services.govt.nz) or by calling 0800 REDCROSS (0800 733 276)

 

General Information:

 

Alert Level 2:

 

Alert Level 2 - WorkSafe Guidelines:

 

Alert Level 3:

 

View Webinars - The South Canterbury COVID-19 Response Team is bringing all businesses FREE Online Workshops that you can either join remotely or watch on-demand.

 

 

 

Covid-19 Advisory Funding IS FULLY ALLOCATED

The Regional Business Partner Programme has some other limited funding available. 

Throughout this time the usual Capability Development Vouchers are still available to businesses to use as partial payment (up to 50% co-funding) towards the cost of development and training in the following areas: Business Planning, Business Systems, Business Sustainability, Capital Raising, Export, Finance, Governance, Lean Manufacturing, Business Operations, Managing Resources, and Marketing.  

Please contact Fiona Stevens by phone on 03 687 2733 (please leave a message) or by email at enquiries@scchamber.org.nz.

Aoraki Development Professional Services Grants (PSG)

Business assessment, service matching and administration by the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce.

To support the Timaru District’s small-medium enterprises (SMEs) affected by the impacts of COVID-19, a $400 grant has been made available by Aoraki Development (AD).

The grant enables Timaru SMEs to access professional advice and support from local business specialists, as they navigate the impacts of Covid-19.

Businesses will receive an additional $400 of support, thanks to the Advisors’ own contribution of time, providing a total of up to $800 of professional services advice.

The PSG sits alongside the Regional Business Partner (RBP) funding for Timaru District businesses that are unable to access RBP support or require a lesser amount of advice/support.

Visit the Professional Service Advisors, the criteria, and find out more here. 

Wellbeing Budget 2020: Rebuilding Together

Budget 2020 is the next step in our Government’s fight against, and recovery from, COVID-19. It is focused on growing our economy, creating jobs, strengthening our public services, and starting to rebuild together.  Budget details here

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