By Rebecca Smith
New Zealand business owners with a story to tell the world can now access funds and video production resources to help share their messages globally.
The newly launched ‘Creative Collective’, developed by the Government initiative NZ Story, is expected to be in high demand by New Zealand export businesses, with requests already arriving.
The ‘Creative Collective’ will see Aotearoa’s business owners teaming up with a Pre-Qualified video production company to showcase their businesses to global audiences. NZ export businesses can choose to simply use the list as one way of finding a potential video production partner for their business, or secondly they can apply for a co-investment payment from NZ Story of up to half the cost of this video production (to a maximum value of $7,500 per business).
The new service arose in response to increasing demand from New Zealand business owners, who are asking for help to communicate the uniqueness of their business to international markets.
NZ Story Director Rebecca Smith says the service will increase New Zealand businesses’ ability to promote their brands in new markets and, in turn, boost business export revenue.
“We’re hearing an increased demand from New Zealand business owners – they want profile-raising content that will really work for them in export markets. The ‘Creative Collective’ answers this need by pairing businesses with video production companies who have relevant experience.”
Business owners seeking co-investment are invited to apply directly to NZ Story, via www.nzstory.govt.nz, from mid-December 2016. Up to 20 businesses will be selected for co-investment payments in each funding year.
Successful applicants will enter into a funding agreement with NZ Story and will initiate their projects using a company from the Pre-Qualified supplier list. This ‘Creative Collective’ Pre-Qualified Supplier List will be available to all businesses, via the above website, irrespective of whether co-investment is awarded.
An extensive array of video production companies applied to be included in the ‘Creative Collective’, and the majority of applications fulfilled the brief. The final eight companies selected best fitted the selection criteria. The criteria included a proven track record of creative storytelling, relevant sector experience, value for money, key personnel and location.
The selection process also involved verifying that every production company in the ‘Creative Collection’ is New Zealand-based - a vital aspect of the New Zealand story.
The video production companies on the ‘Creative Collective’ Pre-Qualified Supplier List are: 90 Seconds, 99, Cadre Productions, Fisheye Films, Satellite Media, Socialize, Transmit & Cine Timore and Toybox. This list may be expanded in the future, as video production companies are still able to apply via www.gets.govt.nz.
For further information, please contact:
Rebecca Smith,
Director,
NZ Story Group
Rebecca.smith@nzstory.govt.nz