Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s economic and cultural agency, has won the Best Practice Premier Award at the annual Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ) Awards for its Activate Tāmaki Makaurau COVID-19 business support programme.
The programme also won the Best Practice Award for Business Recovery Support.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Chief Executive, Nick Hill, welcomed the recognition for the agency’s two initiatives, which address elements of the Auckland region’s economy – business recovery and supporting Pacific peoples working in jobs more likely to be affected by automation, technological change and the impacts of the pandemic.
“These initiatives respond to the unique challenges and opportunities of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s economy, meeting its immediate need for fast and effective business support at scale through the extended lockdown of 2021, while harnessing the strength of its diversity for a better and more inclusive future,” says Mr Hill.
Activate Tāmaki Makaurau saw Tātaki Auckland Unlimited bring together partners – including the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Pacific Business Trust, Whāriki, EMA and Auckland Chamber – and lead delivery of the Government’s $60 million support package for Auckland businesses impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns. The support package was designed, launched and delivered when the Auckland region was in a 107-day lockdown from August to December 2021.
Along with the Best Practice Award for Business Recovery Support and the Premier Best Practice Award, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited also received the Commendation Award for Inclusive Economic Development. This award was for Project Ikuna, a programme which connects eligible employers with education providers to upskill Auckland’s Pacific workforce in key sectors. Project Ikuna is part of Alo Vaka (the Auckland Pacific Skills Shift), a four-year programme funded by MBIE.
Sponsored by Are Institute of Canterbury and Data n Dashboards, this year’s EDNZ Awards saw 40 nominations across eight categories.
Minister of Economic Development, Stuart Nash has extended his congratulations to Tātaki Auckland Unlimited for the Activate Tāmaki Makaurau accolades.
“This mighty programme has become a best-practice model for dedicated regional economic development, and it has wildly exceeded my expectations. Even though there’s no global playbook on how to recover from a pandemic, MBIE, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and business support partners, have done a terrific job at supporting Auckland’s local business sector,” he said.
