40+ technology scholarships available to existing Microsoft SME customers
Microsoft New Zealand today announced a new agreement with The Icehouse that will give New Zealand small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) the chance to have Icehouse Business Growth Workshops 50 percent funded by Microsoft.
Microsoft will fund 30 scholarships between October and November to support business owners to attend, with close to $20,000 in funding available across three different one and two day workshops: Business Fundamentals, Achieving Business Growth and Grow your Financial Skills Workshops. An additional 12 scholarships will be available early in 2016.
Heather Gordon, SMB Sales and Marketing Lead for Microsoft New Zealand says the partnership is about investing in local businesses to enable them to build their skills and capability to support business growth.
“SMEs are the backbone of our economy and we’re passionate about seeing them – and our customers – succeed which is why we’ve partnered with The Icehouse,” says Ms Gordon.
Andrew Hamilton, CEO of The Icehouse says, “These scholarships will enable us to work with more SMEs to help them learn and grow through our workshop offering. We are grateful to Microsoft New Zealand for creating this opportunity and sharing our aspiration for Kiwi SMEs.”
Andrew continues: “With SMEs representing over a third of our economy, support from corporates like Microsoft is essential for the growth of our country.”
Businesses who wish to be considered for a scholarship need to complete and submit an application form by Friday 2 October. The recipient of each scholarship will be decided by an Icehouse and Microsoft Panel and announced individually.
Scholarships are awarded for a specific workshop and cannot be transferred to another workshop unless permission is granted by The Icehouse.
The workshops with available scholarships currently include:
| Workshop | Workshop date | Location | Cost funded |
| Achieving Business Growth | 12 – 13 October | Auckland | $747.50+GST p/p |
| Business Fundamentals | 14 October | Christchurch | $174.50+GST p/p |
| Business Fundamentals | 28 October | Auckland | $174.50+GST p/p |
| Grow Your Financial Skills | 2 – 3 November | Auckland | $747.50+GST p/p |
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Notes to editors:
Terms of application:
- Applications close Friday, 2 October 2015
- By submitting an application, candidates agree to their information being shared with Microsoft NZ.
- If candidates receive a scholarship, the amount will be credited against their invoice for the workshop in question.
- Completing the application form does not guarantee that they will receive the scholarship.
- Decisions will be made by Microsoft and Icehouse Scholarship Committee and communicated within five working days of the application closing date. More: https://www.theicehouse.co.nz/businesses/microsoft-scholarships/
For more information, contact:
Brendan Boughen
Communications Manager, Microsoft NZ
Mobile: +64 27 839 6044
Email: [email protected]
About Microsoft
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