. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SCM/Q2/NZL/28 
5 April 2012 
 (12-1833) 
Committee on Subsidies 
and Countervailing Measures Original:   English 
 
 
 
SUBSIDIES 
 
Replies to Questions from the EUROPEAN UNION1 Regarding the  
New and Full Notification of NEW ZEALAND2 
  
 The following communication, dated 2 April 2012, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of New Zealand. 
 
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Question  
 
Enterprising Auckland Fund 
  The programme concerns the reinforceme nt of the linkages between developing 
Auckland as a world-class internationally competit ive city and regional economic development.   
 
 Please provide more information / details abou t the programme, such as eligible entities, 
eligible projects and actions, eligibility criteria and conditions.   
 Reply 
 
 The Enterprising Auckland Fund was authorised  by Cabinet decision in February 2007 and 
ended in June 2010.  It had an annual allocation of NZ$1 million, and was to provide grant funding 
for up to 80 per cent of the costs of a qualifying project.  The programme was aimed at Auckland-
based projects although there was no requirement fo r participating enterprises to be located in 
Auckland.  No allocations were made under the Fund  during the period of its operation, and the goals 
and objectives of the Fund have been overtaken by the establishment of the single city in the Auckland region. 
 
 The goal of the Fund was to reinforce linkages between the government's economic transformation objectives for Auckland to become a world-class city, and the Auckland region's goals 
for economic development.  It was intended to s upport the achievement of outcomes sought from the 
Auckland theme of the economic transformation agenda
3 that were consistent with and 
complementary to actions proposed under the re gion's economic development strategy, and that 
would improve the Auckland business environment. 
                                                      
1 G/SCM/Q2/NZL/26. 
2 G/SCM/N/220/NZL.   
3 The economic transformation agenda was the then Government's framework for economic growth 
policies, which included making Auckland a world-class hub of innovation and internationalisation as one of its 
six priorities. G/SCM/Q2/NZL/28 
Page 2 
 
 
   The objectives of the Auckland Enterprise Fund were to: 
 
 Encourage the focus of economic developmen t resources on activities that contribute to 
moving Auckland towards becoming a world-class city, particularly in critical areas identified 
through other processes including the government 's economic transformation agenda and the 
Auckland regional economic devel opment and implementation plan. 
 Support a coordinated approach that made effectiv e use of the leadership role of the regional 
governance structure for long-term regional economic  development, at that time the role of 
the Auckland Regional Economic Development Forum. 
 Support projects that were of regional significance and supported the Auckland region in 
giving effect to critical aspects of the regi onal economic development strategy (AREDS) and 
implementation plan (the Metro Project Ac tion Plan), where these align with national 
objectives in relation to economic transformation in Auckland. 
 Contribute to improving the regional business environment to support the development, 
attraction and retention of globally competitive firms.  
  The criteria established by the Ministry of Economic Development for its assessment of 
applications were: 
 
 Contribution of the application and each project to the Fund goal and objectives. 
 Level of commitment of the regional governance group to the projects. 
 Extent of regional cash contribution for each project. 
 The budget and budget management arrangements. 
 Credibility of the application and each project. 
 The key outcomes and potential regional significance of the projects, particularly in 
contributing to the region's long term econo mic development objectives (as contained in 
AREDS and the Metro Action Plan), includi ng building regional depth and capability. 
 Contribution to national goals, specifically moving Auckland towards becoming a world-class 
city and identified through the economic tran sformation agenda, and improving the regional 
business environment to support the developmen t, attraction and retention of globally 
competitive firms. 
 For 2007-08, preference was to be given to  activities/projects relating to strengthening 
innovation in the Auckland region a nd developing a skilled workforce. 
 
 Activities that were not to be funded included:  
 Any activities that involved explicit transfers with other regions. 
 Any activities that conflict with New Zealand's laws, or with its international obligations. 
 Any activities involving the purchase of other government services (except in exceptional 
circumstances). 
 
 
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