Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia’s Pacific Islands Export Survey 2020 revealed that access to finance to support export activity was one of the top three barriers faced by Pacific businesses, a challenge that has only exacerbated as businesses across the region contend with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and myriad interrelated social and economic pressures.
To support business recovery during this challenging time, PTI Australia launched its Packaging Support Initiative in early 2022, which has since seen 18 successful applicants receive the financial rebate.
The initiative offers businesses a rebate of 50 per cent of their packaging costs over the prior 12 months to a maximum of A$1000 per enterprise. This means that eligible businesses are able to recoup up to A$500 of their packaging costs over the last year.
PTI Australia’s Packaging Support Initiative was designed to provide tangible relief to businesses in the Pacific as they face the many unprecedented pressures of the current global economic environment. The initiative also aims to support the growth in demand for Pacific goods and services in international markets and the long-term development of eCommerce in the Blue Pacific.
Jeremy Grennell, PTI Australia’s General Manager of Export, said the Packaging Support Initiative comes at a pertinent time.
“We are so pleased to roll out Packaging Support Initiative at a time when it is crucially needed by businesses in the region. As Pacific SMEs simultaneously face COVID-19, inflation and supply chain disruption, many require tangible and immediate support. The Packaging Support Initiative allows us to do just this.
“Product packaging plays a crucial role in the development of any businesses brand, as well as its sales and marketing strategies. Alongside serving product protection and containment purposes, packaging is one of the first physical touch-points customers have with a brand. Well-designed and well-produced packaging goes a long way in attracting and retaining buyers.”
Litia Taukave, Founding Director of Fiji-based social enterprise Loving Islands, and successful recipient of the initiative, said receiving the rebate allowed her business to conduct necessary due diligence and, in turn, choose a high-quality packaging supplier.
“The rebate provided by PTI’s Packaging Support Initiative directly increased the scale of due diligence we were able to conduct among aluminium tube manufacturers in Guangzhou, China for our new line of beauty products prior to placing our first bulk customised packaging order.
“As part of the due diligence, we received customised samples from three manufacturers, which were also tested with a newly purchased semi-automatic filling and sealing machine to ensure compatibility.
“Whilst this growth transition has felt daunting at times, the improved due diligence process provided increased confidence in negotiating pricing and conditions to best meet our needs and minimise risks, whilst also providing a high level of assurance that we have chosen a high-quality supplier that we can work with over the long term.”
All recipients of PTI Australia’s Packaging Support Initiative must have a registered business in one of the Pacific Island Forum countries, be currently exporting to Australia or using eCommerce to ship globally, or be an Australian-based importer importing products from a registered Pacific Island business.
Applications for PTI Australia’s Packaging Support Initiative are now open, and are due to close on Friday 30 September 2022.
Founded in 1979, PTI Australia is an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Funded by the Australian Government, it facilitates trade and investment in the Pacific Islands.
