Heavily Subsidised Business Programme - Palmerston North

Press Release from Vision Manawatu and Adding Sustainable Value

March 26, 2013

Heavily Subsidised Business Programme On Offer In Palmerston North And Manawatu

Vision Manawatu is offering a unique future focussed business improvement programme that has proven value to small businesses, corporates, local government and NGOs and is now calling for 2013 participants from the Manawatu area. Limited subsidies covering 80% of the fees are available as part of building a resilient business community.

Completed by 22 local businesses to date and subsidised by both the Manawatu District Council and Palmerston North City Council, the Manawatu Sustainable Enterprise Programme brings together future fit strategic planning, a sustainable enterprise benchmarking process – SBN’s Get Sustainable Challenge - a NZQA approved qualification and the country’s most prestigious sustainable business awards programme – the SBN National awards.

Billed as New Zealand’s leading programme for business and enterprise that’s serious about sustainability, Elaine Reilly, Chief Executive of Vision Manawatu says it’s central to ensuring ongoing business success and growth. ‘In a fast-changing world, it’s about all about being ‘future-fit’ to ensure success and resilience,” she says.

Simon Harvey, Programme Manager agrees: “Adding Sustainable Value is innovative and unique on many levels and it’s easy for people to assume it’s just about being ‘green’ or is purely environmentally focused. This programme is about making sure businesses have strategies and the market awareness needed to ensure they will be around long into the future” he says.

“The value of this programme benefits not only the businesses taking part, but also the local authorities and NGO’s which have a strong interest in healthy, resilient economies – that’s why they support it though the hefty scholarships.”

The programme runs over a six month period starting with a workshop on April 16. Mr Harvey says key benefits of the programme are developing business and brand strategies that integrate sustainability across core business activities to drive innovation and growth whilst also reducing risks and costs – all through the application of a simple and smart framework.

44 businesses nationally have taken part in the programme since its instigation in 2011 and all have found value exceeding its cost according to research*` conducted last year.

It comes highly recommended by local businesses including New Zealand Pharmaceuticals Compliance and Improvement Manager Brad Stevens.

“The ASV programme provided a robust framework to our fledgling sustainability initiative, allowing a new level of evaluation, focus and direction,” said Mr Stevens. “ASV is truly value adding for any company that is serious about ongoing sustainability.”

For more information, or to enrol now, visit www.addingsustainablevalue.co.nz

ENDS

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