Construction Growth Foundation

Construction Growth Foundation We are an umbrella organisation which represents 19 industry association members, their 12,000+ employer firms and around 25,000+ employees.

Our vision is for a highly productive, attractive and cohesive construction industry in NZ.

Applications are now open for the CGF General and Impact Scholarships!General Scholarships offer up to $3,000 for eligib...
30/09/2026

Applications are now open for the CGF General and Impact Scholarships!

General Scholarships offer up to $3,000 for eligible construction-related education or training.

Impact Scholarships offer up to $10,000 for eligible research, innovation and sector-improvement activities that could benefit the wider industry.

The CGF Board has also approved a second Impact Scholarship intake for 2026, giving more people the opportunity to bring forward strong ideas and research proposals.

If you are connected to a CGF member association, this could be the support you need to take your next step in your career. Employers and associations, please share this opportunity with your people and networks.

Applications close on 20 October 2026.

Check your eligibility and apply:
https://www.cgf.org.nz/cgfscholarships

What can a CGF Scholarship help fund?Support is not limited to course fees.The General Scholarship offers up to $3,000 f...
28/09/2026

What can a CGF Scholarship help fund?

Support is not limited to course fees.

The General Scholarship offers up to $3,000 for eligible construction-related learning. Funding may contribute towards training fees, required materials or equipment, course-related project costs and some study support costs.

The Impact Scholarship offers up to $10,000 for eligible research, innovation and sector-improvement work. Funding may support data collection, software, expert advice, research travel within New Zealand, publication costs or the development of practical industry resources.

Applications open on 1 October and close on 20 October 2026.

Explore both scholarships and check the full criteria:
https://www.cgf.org.nz/cgfscholarships

If you've been thinking about working with a business mentor, this is the week to act. Applications for CGF-funded mento...
23/09/2026

If you've been thinking about working with a business mentor, this is the week to act. Applications for CGF-funded mentoring close at 11:59 PM on Wednesday 30 September 2026.

Over the past few weeks we've shared what mentoring involves, the challenges it can help with, and the results members like Barry Connor and Lloyd Bassett-Smith have seen. The common thread is simple: an experienced, independent perspective helps you make better decisions with more confidence. CGF covers the full $295+GST registration fee, so for eligible members there's no cost, just up to 12 months of one-to-one support.

As Barry Connor says to anyone weighing it up: "Do it. A good mentor doesn't give you the answers. They ask better questions."

Spaces are limited. Register before applications close on 30 September at https://content.businessmentors.org.nz/cgf

For Tianyi Yin, studying quantity surveying was only ever the starting point. She also wanted to understand how construc...
22/09/2026

For Tianyi Yin, studying quantity surveying was only ever the starting point. She also wanted to understand how construction projects are really planned, administered and delivered here in New Zealand.

Tianyi is a second-year Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying) student at Otago Polytechnic’s Auckland campus, and a CGF scholarship recipient. With support from the scholarship, she completed additional training in NZS 3910:2023 and construction programming through Timewise Limited.

The courses helped her link classroom learning with industry practice, while building her confidence with project scheduling, contract administration, payments, variations and risk allocation. With the knowledge she is already learning, she is putting to use in her internship.

We love that Tianyi’s advice to others is so encouraging: “You don’t have to be fully ready before you start. Many skills, and much of your confidence, are built by taking action and gaining experience.”

Read Tianyi’s story - link in comments

What could investing in your own development make possible?Further learning can help you build confidence, develop speci...
21/09/2026

What could investing in your own development make possible?

Further learning can help you build confidence, develop specialist skills and move towards supervision, management or leadership roles within construction.

CGF offers two scholarship pathways for eligible people across our member network:

- Up to $3,000 through the General Scholarship for construction-related education or training
- Up to $10,000 through the Impact Scholarship for research, innovation or work that could benefit the wider sector

Applications open on 1 October and close on 20 October 2026.

Now is the time to consider the next step in your career and start preparing your application.

Find out more:
https://www.cgf.org.nz/cgfscholarships

If you've been thinking about working with a business mentor, this is the week to act. Applications for CGF-funded mento...
16/09/2026

If you've been thinking about working with a business mentor, this is the week to act. Applications for CGF-funded mentoring close at 11:59 PM on Wednesday 30 September 2026.

Over the past few weeks we've shared what mentoring involves, the challenges it can help with, and the results members like Barry Connor and Lloyd Bassett-Smith have seen. The common thread is simple: an experienced, independent perspective helps you make better decisions with more confidence. CGF covers the full $295+GST registration fee, so for eligible members there's no cost, just up to 12 months of one-to-one support.

As Barry Connor says to anyone weighing it up: "Do it. A good mentor doesn't give you the answers. They ask better questions."

Spaces are limited. Register before applications close on 30 September at https://content.businessmentors.org.nz/cgf

Good governance often starts behind the scenes, with the people who support the board.Tui Barber is Account Manager at M...
16/09/2026

Good governance often starts behind the scenes, with the people who support the board.

Tui Barber is Account Manager at Master Painters New Zealand, and she also supports the Board and Chief Executive. Keen to build her governance knowledge, Tui completed the Governance Essentials for Not-for-Profits course through the Institute of Directors, with support from CGF.

She found it practical from day one.

"The content was easy to digest and something I can reference and use in my day-to-day work."

Tui still uses the course checklist as a guide for her duties, and the training helped confirm where responsibilities sit across the Board, the Chief Executive and operational staff. She's now keen to take on a refresher or next-level governance course.

We love seeing training make a real difference for the people who keep our member associations running well. Read Tui's story - link in comments.

Being highly skilled on the tools is essential. But building a strong, sustainable construction business also requires c...
14/09/2026

Being highly skilled on the tools is essential. But building a strong, sustainable construction business also requires commercial confidence, leadership and people skills.

ConstrucTrend 2025 highlights five areas where further capability development could make a difference:

1. Business ownership often begins early - Nearly half of the business-owning respondents started their business within five years of completing their Level 4 qualification. This included 24% who made the move within two years.

2. Costing and quoting remain important development areas - Employers identified gaps in costing and quoting among 56% of recent graduates and 38% of experienced tradespeople.

3. Financial capability needs greater attention - Managing accounts, budgets and cashflow was identified as a gap among 56% of recent graduates and 33% of experienced tradespeople.

4. Marketing is an important business skill - Four out of five business owners rated marketing as important. However, employers identified marketing gaps among 60% of recent graduates and 38% of experienced tradespeople.

5. Leadership skills need to grow alongside technical capability - More than one-quarter of employers identified gaps among recent graduates in coordinating the work of others and training or teaching others. Leadership and people management were also commonly raised as areas for further development.

The message is clear: technical capability helps people enter and progress within a trade, while business and leadership capability helps them build resilient businesses, stronger teams and sustainable careers.

Link in bio - read the full ConstrucTrend 2025 report.

CGF is preparing for the next round of ConstrucTrend research, with a new survey coming in October. Watch for further details and help us build a stronger evidence base by taking part or sharing the survey with your networks.

A big part of CGF’s work is connecting with our members and listening to the wider construction sector.Through our 20 me...
09/09/2026

A big part of CGF’s work is connecting with our members and listening to the wider construction sector.

Through our 20 member associations, CGF reaches more than 12,000+ employer firms and around 25,000+ learners across New Zealand.

Last week’s Master Builders Constructive 2026 conference gave our team another valuable opportunity to meet members, hear fresh perspectives and discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector.

CGF Chief Executive Brian Dillon also took to the stage to explain the training, support and funding opportunities available for the remainder of 2026.

These conversations matter. They help us understand where support is needed and inform the research, programmes, partnerships and funding CGF develops for the industry.

Thank you to Master Builders for bringing the sector together and for sharing these excellent photographs. We have plenty to follow up on and look forward to continuing the conversations.

Find out more about CGF:
https://www.cgf.org.nz/news-events

Real business outcomes.Mentoring isn't just a good chat. Done well, it shows up in tangible results.For architect Barry ...
09/09/2026

Real business outcomes.

Mentoring isn't just a good chat. Done well, it shows up in tangible results.

For architect Barry Connor, mentoring through the CGF-funded Business Mentors New Zealand programme helped turn a promising idea into real momentum: a credible R&D partnership with a New Zealand research partner, early interest from investors, and a clear, staged commercial plan. "None of that would have looked the same without the mentoring input."

For Lloyd Bassett-Smith, it meant sharper systems, a more structured workflow, and the headspace to develop a new initiative giving more people access to well-designed, sustainable homes: "Mentoring gave me someone outside the business who could listen carefully, ask better questions, and help me see things more clearly."

They're not alone. In the first round of the programme, 91% of participants reported a positive mentoring experience. When capability grows in individual businesses, it grows across the whole sector.

CGF funds the programme in full for eligible members. Applications close 30 September 2026. Register at https://content.businessmentors.org.nz/cgf



Images: thanks to Barry Connor Design Ltd

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