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As one of New Zealand’s largest banks BNZ has a long and proud history of backing the country’s small and medium enterprises.
“We want to take that support to a new level”, says BNZ General Manager SME, Karna Luke.
“Our customers come to us for fantastic financial services and they’re also looking for solutions and strategies to help them grow. That’s why we’re launching our ‘Go SME Grow’ programme”, says Mr Luke.
The ‘Go SME Grow’ programme will offer innovators and entrepreneurs from across New Zealand, Australia and Asia-Pacific the opportunity to share their ideas, solve real business problems and refine solutions with the tools, support and funding of a large organisation like BNZ.
“Delivering that opportunity is where Melbourne’s Collective Campus comes in”, said Mr Luke.
A leading corporate innovation consultancy and start up accelerator, Collective Campus is partnering with BNZ to identify startups, scaleups and SMEs who can help provide business solutions and create value for BNZ’s SME customers.
“It’s great to see BNZ establishing clear ways for businesses to engage with them and innovate. It not only saves would-be partners time, but also offers a streamlined way for ideas and insights to be brought into the organisation. It’s a real win-win”, says Steve Glaveski, CEO of Collective Campus.
Collective Campus wants to hear from solution-focussed innovators and entrepreneurs keen to share their ideas. Solutions may include, but would not be limited to, data analytics, machine learning and AI, blockchain, customer experience and CRM platforms.
“It’s an open invitation to take part in BNZ’s ‘Go SME Grow’ programme. There are two great challenges for interested companies to choose from, culminating in a pitch event at BNZ’s head office in Auckland, New Zealand”, says Mr Glaveski.
From there, successful companies will be invited to explore mutually beneficial commercial partnership arrangements with BNZ.
BNZ’s Mr Luke says, “’Go SME Grow’ and Collective Campus will provide BNZ with the opportunity to support our customers’ growth aspirations by connecting us with fantastic, leading-edge startups to develop innovative solutions faster than we could ourselves.”
“These solutions could come from technologies like data analytics, machine learning, blockchain, customer experience and CRM platforms. I’d also like to see business model innovators apply to the ‘Go SME Grow’ programme”, says Mr Luke.
Applications can be made at gosmegrow.collectivecampus.io until May 21, 2019.
