03 687 2733
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 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 Update
We are now in Alert Level 1.
While we are in Alert Level 1, this means COVID-19 is contained in Aotearoa New Zealand but Government reinforced that we still need to be ready in case the virus reappears in the community. It is still important to maintain good hygiene, practice your social distancing, continue to provide your QR poster to enable the public to keep track of where they have been and employees are being reminded to stay home if they are unwell. Click here for a reminder of what Alert Level 1 looks like.
Regional Business Partner Programme
The COVID-19 Business Advisory Fund is administered through the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce via the Regional Business Partner Network (RBP).
The Government has allocated additional funding to support businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic
Businesses will need to register on the RBP website, and if eligible, owners can access funding from the COVID-19 Business Advisory Fund, for the following services:
- HR & Employee Relations and Legal
- Financial and Cashflow Management
- Health and Wellness
- Business Continuity Planning
- Marketing Strategy
- Digital Enablement Strategy.
This funding can be used with a range of registered providers and is 100% funded
For more information please contact Fiona Stevens on 03 687 2733 or by email at fiona@scchamber.org.nz.
The Tourism Transitions Programme
The Tourism Transitions Programme is a fund administered through the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce via the Regional Business Partner Network (RBP).
This fund is currently fully allocated in the South Canterbury region. Tourism businesses may be able to access the Covid-19 as above.
Venture Timaru 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 Venture Timaru.
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.
Find out more here.
COVID-19 Resources
Business Support:
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COVID-19: Information for businesses - This is the New Zealand government’s central resource for COVID-19 business information.
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SBCS – COVID-19 Small Business Cashflow Scheme (Extended until end of 2023) – Inland Revenue administered.
Cabinet decided on 9th November to extend the scheme which was due to expire end of the year, out to 31st December 2023 and to extend the interest free period from one year to two years.
Announcement here. -
Redundancy information for employers - We can provide support and advice for your staff when you need to consider redundancies.
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Tenancy Services - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – what landlords and tenants need to know
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Keep NZ Working Initiative - Connecting Employers and people looking for work
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List your job vacancy with Work and Income - If you have a vacancy you would like Work and Income to help you fill, let them know on their online form and they will contact you.
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www.connected.govt.nz MSD site - Connecting New Zealanders to Employment, Education and Training.
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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.
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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.
Contact Tracing:
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Contact tracing for COVID-19 - Contact tracing for COVID-19 Information about how the Ministry of Health and district health boards trace contacts of identified cases.
Export Advice:
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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.
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Immigration New Zealand COVID-19 Guidance – information and Key Updates about Visas, temporary border measures, isolation procedures, travel and essential service support for all travellers, Visa holders, migrant workers and employers.
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Employer-assisted Work Visas extended by 6 months.
Employed holders of certain Visas expiring from 1st January 2021 to 30 June 2021 will be able to stay and work longer Details here. -
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.
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Emergency benefit for Temporary Visa holders – if you can’t work, support yourself or return home due to COVID-19 an Emergency Benefit may be available through Work & Income from 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021
General Information:
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Official COVD-19 website - covid19.govt.nz - This website has everything you need to know about Covid-19 in one place. Find out what help is available and get the latest updates.
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Ministry of Health - This section provides the latest updates, information and advice on COVID-19, as well as information in other languages and formats.
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Beehive Press Releases - Beehive.govt.nz is the best place to find Government initiatives, policies and Ministerial information. See the latest from the Beehive.
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Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Website - Government website which provides guidance and support to the public as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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.
Promote your business on the South Canterbury Market Place www.southcanterbury.org.nz regional website.
