Supermarket joins Amotai and launches Business support programme, Kete
12 July 2021
Supermarket joins Amotai and launches Business support programme, Kete.
Countdown has joined Amotai as a Buyer member looking to connect and procure from Māori and Pasifika businesses.
Countdown is one of Aotearoa's largest employers with more than 21,000 team members across 186 stores, distribution centres, processing plants and support offices. Countdown serves around three million customers every week and works with hundreds of local food producers and suppliers throughout the country.
Countdown’s General Manager Corporate Affairs, Safety and Sustainability, Kiri Hannifin, says Countdown is determined to help support the growth of small businesses in Aotearoa and encourage more diversity in its supplier community.
“We want to diversify our supply chain in Aotearoa, so joining Amotai made a lot of sense for us as they have the largest database of Māori and Pasifika businesses. We aren’t experts in supplier diversity, Amotai are, and we see real value in the partnership with them to help us improve in this space”
“We know for Māori and Pasifika businesses the business world is difficult to navigate at the best of times, and there are huge challenges when you’re starting out. I’m sure there will be lots of businesses out there that would love to be stocking their products at Countdown but need some extra support and guidance to make an impact on our shelves. That’s why we are launching Kete” Kiri says.Kete accelerator is focussed on helping encourage a more diverse supplier base in Aotearoa, including business owned by Māori, Pasifika, youth, women, LGBTQIA+ people and people with disabilities.
With Kete, Countdown aims to empower up to five small and diverse businesses to achieve their own version of success through a 12 month programme specially designed to make a meaningful difference to each business.Each of the businesses chosen to be part of Kete will receive a package worth over $250,000 including a $20,000 cash grant, customer marketing support, access to Countdown customer insights, product development and manufacturing support, and mentorship from experts across Countdown.
Frae Cairns, from Amotai, Aotearoa's supplier diversity intermediary, says programmes like Kete are critical in accelerating the success of diverse businesses in Aotearoa and it’s fantastic to see organisations like Countdown eager to use their time and resources to help foster the next generation of entrepreneurs.
“It can be incredibly challenging to reach your goals as a small, minority-owned business and while the cash grant is great, what’s even better is the wraparound support and expertise that Kete offers. It’s in-depth, meaningful and will really make a difference to the future of each business and to the ongoing mahi to diversify the business world here in Aotearoa”
If you are a Māori and/or Pasifika business, join Amotai to stay connected to opportunities with Buyer members.
Join Amotai: https://amotai.nz/
Applications to be part of Countdown’s Kete programme are now open for all small-medium sized New Zealand businesses. Applications close on 15 August 2021.
Find out more here: https://www.countdown.co.nz/community-environment/kete-accelerator-programme
