Last year Te Puni Kōkiri’s Māori Business Facilitation Service (MBFS) marked their tenth year of working alongside Māori Small-Medium Enterprises (SME).

Established in 2000, the MBFS continues to support Māori who are either at the business idea stage or are currently in operation; to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions and establish sustainable commercial enterprises.

To date, the MBFS has engaged with an estimated 8,000 small business entrepreneurs and has provided business mentoring, specialist business advice, business networking and sectoral support for Māori SME. These efforts impact positively on the Māori and New Zealand economy as a whole.

“The MBFS was initially envisaged to help new Māori micro-business, now it also works with Māori Small-Medium Enterprises. The MBFS is a great example of a successful Public-Private sector award in the annual Vero National Business Excellence awards in 2006 for their outstanding work” says Leith Comer Te Puni Kōkiri Chief Executive.