New Zealand's BIZ training programme: service provider perspectives

Following a review of assistance provision to New Zealand small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in 1998, the government established the BIZ programme. The purpose of the new initiative was to build management capability amongst SMEs by providing them with free access to a business needs assessment, followed by training and seminars, one‐on‐one mentoring and networking. BIZ became operational in February 1999 and in June 2000, a team of researchers undertook a comprehensive evaluation of the training component of the programme. This paper reports on one aspect of this evaluation, which was designed to capture the experience and views of the BIZ training providers. During this phase of the project a team of three researchers travelled throughout New Zealand to interview providers. Summarises the different experiences of these front‐line organisations in delivering BIZ training, as a contribution to the wider policy debate about the role of government in assisting small enterprise.