Creative HQ unleashes innovation opportunities for NZ SMBs

Inland Revenue’s App4IR Challenge is the first of a series of opportunities Creative HQ is working on for entrepreneurs and startups to showcase innovative solutions to large organisations and corporates.

According to Creative HQ, small businesses and startups in New Zealand have an amazing track record for innovation and creative solutions but too often are bypassed for a ‘known brand’ or a large multinational with significant resources to manage responses to procurement processes.

“Startup companies and big business make a powerful partnership," says Stefan Korn, CEO, Creative HQ.

"All over the world companies are looking to the nimble entrepreneurial ethos that surrounds startup teams and creative communities for their innovation inspiration.

“Startups are always challenging the status quo to stay relevant, they frequently disrupt outdated business models to gain traction. Injecting the startup spirit into larger organisations can lead to truly innovative solutions rather than simply incremental improvements.

"Large organisations tend to do innovation badly because of existing internal stakeholders protecting the status quo. If you want to innovate, you have to smash the status quo with fresh ideas, and rapid implementation.”

Korn says the key to making partnerships between startups and large organisations work is to involve an intermediate who is in touch with the cultures, structures and philosophies of both the corporate and startup worlds.

“When done right it’s a win-win," Korn adds. "Startups get to work with a sizable customer and the potential for significant scale and use of their innovative solutions.

"Large organisations get to tap into the vast creative and ingenious talent available in New Zealand’s startup and creative communities

"Not to mention everyone avoids an expensive traditional procurement process which requires significant resources to run and participate in.”

The App4IR Challenge was launched by Revenue Minister Todd McClay and seeks mobile app concepts to help small businesses interact with Inland Revenue more efficiently.

The winner will get a cash prize of $10,000 and will be a part of a product delivery team to develop an app for Inland Revenue’s 420,000 small business customers. All participants in the App4IR Challenge will retain the intellectual property for their idea.

The App4IR Challenge is open to all individuals, teams, companies and organisations in New Zealand from 6 March to 14 April 2014. Finalists will be announced on 22 April.