Entrepreneurs awarded grants

By KEVIN TAYLOR

Fifty taxpayer-funded grants are going to entrepreneurs and small businesses to help develop their ideas.

Totalling $603,000, the Industry New Zealand grants of up to $20,000 each will meet up to half the cost of developing a project or idea.

Projects funded include an irrigation system, a chair, a database system for beekeepers, an electronic water valve system, a blood analyser, a monolithic plaster cladding system, and a device to measure streetlight performance.

Several grants will pay for intellectual property protection.

Economic, Industry and Regional Development Minister Jim Anderton said the Industry NZ enterprise awards were one of several measures the Government had put in place to help businesses.

"These awards are to help small businesses get off the ground or take the next step in their growth."

In total 691 enterprise awards worth $6.14 million have been made since they were introduced in October 2000.

The latest grants follow Anderton's announcement last month of $562,500 in Industry NZ grants to support 20 industry "clusters".

The groups of businesses and researchers will each receive $28,125 to hire a facilitator. The facilitators would help cluster members share expertise and knowledge.