Growing export markets

We want to help New Zealand exporters to succeed in international markets. If you’re experiencing issues with exporting, find out below which government agency can help you.

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We want to help New Zealand exporters to develop and grow export markets. A number of services are available to help you do this.

New to exporting

Whether you've grown your business in New Zealand and are now looking to expand overseas, or you want to go international from day one, it's worth taking some time to ask yourself some fundamental questions before you take your first steps. NZTE can help you.

Joining a network

If you are a business wanting advice and support to help you innovate or grow, get in touch with your local Regional Business Partner and have a conversation about where to next. Their network is made up of 14 regional organisations that offer information and advice.

Finding markets

Defining the best market

Before you dive in to exporting, you will need to define which markets best suit your business, or how you might tweak your business to suit a market.

NZTE has market guides that are designed for both new exporters and those already exporting.

Education markets

If you are an education services exporter and want to know about international growth markets, contact Education New Zealand’s industry development managers.

Selling online overseas

If you need help selling online overseas, NZTE has tips, resources and guides to help you.

Finding international business partners

Forming strategic alliances or joint ventures

Strategic alliances or joint ventures allow you to partner with an existing business to share the risks and opportunities in a new market.

If you are thinking of forming a partnership, consider your strengths and weaknesses compared to your potential partners. Contact NZTE for advice.

Education partners

If you are an education services exporter, contact Education New Zealand’s industry development managers for advice on how to make the most of international growth opportunities.

Promotion, missions and fairs

Trade shows and fairs

Trade shows are an extremely effective marketing activity. Exhibiting at trade shows can help you gauge the level of interest in your products and services, determine leads and generate sales. Contact NZTE for advice.

Technology missions

If you are planning to develop and commercialise technology, Callaghan Innovation can help. It plans and facilitates technology-focused missions to international events and visits to exemplary innovation facilities.

Education events

If you export education services and want to learn more about events and activities in key markets, contact Education New Zealand. It co-ordinates and participates in a range of events to support the student recruitment and business development objectives of New Zealand’s international education industry.

Practical tools and skills

To be successful at a tradeshow, mission or fair, it’s important to deliver a compelling story. Contact New Zealand Story to learn about the practical tools, skills and resources to create and share your story with the world, and promote the values of our country: kaitiaki, integrity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness.

Market development

Growing export markets

If you need advice on growing export markets, contact New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. It can advise on market intelligence, as well as on increasing your familiarity with cultural considerations when doing business overseas.

Education exporters

If you export education services and want to grow your market, contact Education New Zealand’s international staff network for support with a range of activities, including organising media visits, providing introductions to key contacts and carrying out market research.

If you are an approved New Zealand education provider and want to learn about international student recruitment, check out the Skills Lab. It offers a range of projects and case studies to help providers grow their international student business.

Branding

Building a great brand helps create familiarity, trust and interest in your business.

Practical tools and skills

To learn about the tools, resources and skills training available to help you create and share your story with the world, and promote the values of our country, contact New Zealand Story.

Resources include:

  • Workshops to help businesses develop stories using the NZ Story framework
  • Market insights for Australia, US, and China to help tailor stories for these regions
  • Images, video, infographics and presentations
  • Creative Collective, a service that provides New Zealand export businesses with a pre-qualified list of video production agencies skilled at communicating the value of New Zealand. Businesses can apply for a co-investment payment of up to half the cost of this video production (conditions apply).
  • The FernMark Licence Programme, which gives exporters the right to carry the trademark FernMark, driving preference for New Zealand products by promoting and protecting our country's reputation.

Building a brand

Your brand is more than just a logo, colours and imagery. It is the way customers perceive you, your business and your products or services. Your branding reflects your company’s personality by the choice of words you use, the tone, content, visual presentation, and type of relationships you have with customers. Contact NZTE for further tips.

Education branding

New Zealand education providers can access the Brand Lab to download hundreds of marketing assets to support their international marketing.

Collaborating with other businesses

Developing technology

If you are planning to develop and commercialise technology, Callaghan Innovation can help. It provides technical and scientific expertise, impartial advice, skills development, access to industry networks, and grant funding.

Callaghan works with New Zealand businesses to form collaborations. These projects can reduce the costs of R&D and promote the sharing of knowledge among partnering businesses. Callaghan can introduce you to like-minded businesses, provide you with access to shared facilities and use our partnerships to help you take your idea to commercial reality.

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