Buy Kiwi Made Fund Grants Announced

Shoppers will find it easier to buy Kiwi made products thanks to the Buy Kiwi Made Fund decisions announced today by Ms Sue Bradford, Government Spokesperson for Buy Kiwi Made.

The three successful applications total $211,788. Grants are for half the cost of each project and must be matched by the same level of funding from each organisation.

“We’re delighted to support the Farmers’ Markets organisation to develop its reputation of promoting New Zealand made and grown products, particularly food products,” says Ms Bradford. “Shoppers will be able to source good information about the markets and their wares. The Buy Kiwi Made grant of $95,900 enables Farmers’ Markets to ensure the authenticity of the produce and goods sold.”

Shoppers will be able to buy New Zealand made goods online through a web-based product locator. The Buy NZ Made Campaign Ltd has already developed an online product locator for its members at www.buynz.org.nz. “This grant of $53,388 will enable Buy NZ Made to extend the website to reach all manufacturers and retailers of Kiwi made goods,” Ms Bradford says.

300,000 union members will be involved in an intensive communications campaign developed by the National Distribution Union to promote Buy Kiwi Made to their colleagues in the workplace. It will build on the momentum already generated by the Buy Kiwi Made media campaign, says Ms Bradford. “This Buy Kiwi Made grant of $62,500 will ensure that a significant group of workers, both union and non-union, hear that Buy Kiwi Made is about kiwi jobs.”

The $3 million Buy Kiwi Made Sector and Regional Initiatives Fund was set up to support sectoral and regional projects associated with Buy Kiwi Made. Four applications were not successful in round two. The third and final, funding round will open in early 2008.