TSB is launching a nationwide hunt to find the next wave of innovative ideas which solve problems and help New Zealand communities thrive.

The bank is proud to once again be getting behind Kiwis ready to make a difference for New Zealand with its annual grants programme, TSB Good Stuff.

The annual $250,000 kickstarter fund was launched in 2020 to drive positive change in Aotearoa and help the country recover from COVID-19.

The programme's first nine recipients included an app which revolutionises the triaging of patients in complex mass casualty situations, a South Auckland nutrition and cooking programme aimed at fighting obesity, and an empowering online tool to guide people supporting their loved ones with mental health.

TSB CEO Donna Cooper says the bank was overwhelmed with thousands of fantastic applications last year and the team is already looking forward to finding out what great ideas are out there in 2021.

'New Zealand has always been a country of inspiring innovators who drive positive change, now TSB's here to give people with big ideas a helping hand for their ideas to take flight,” says Donna.

'Innovative ideas make a real difference in our communities and as a bank owned by a philanthropic organisation, we exist to use our profit for purpose, so we're proud to get behind people doing good for New Zealand.

'Now we just need to find these fantastic lightbulb moments so we can help turn them into a reality. So if you've got an idea that will help improve the lives of New Zealanders and provide meaningful employment opportunities, then TSB wants to hear from you.

'You can apply for a grant of up to $30,000 to help bring your idea to fruition and together we can make positive change to build a stronger New Zealand.”

Paramedic and Triage-Plus founder Dean Brown. Photo: Supplied.

One of last year's $30,000 TSB Good Stuff grant winners is Dean Brown, an intensive care paramedic who's developed an app ‘Triage-Plus' to help save lives.

The app which helps emergency services triage and track patients during mass casualty events, was born out of the paramedic's learnings from being at the forefront of some of the most complex and tragic events in New Zealand's history.

Dean was the first paramedic to enter the scene of the harrowing mosque shootings in 2019, and was on the frontlines during the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. His grim experiences exposed the challenges that exist in these fast-paced, multi-agency responses, so he was inspired to create Triage-Plus to give emergency services a more simple and effective solution.

'We believe Triage-Plus will help save lives in New Zealand. The grant from TSB has allowed us to get much closer to that goal because we've been able to fast-track our app development, run our phase one trials and that means we're now very close to releasing Triage-Plus into the market.”

The Triage-Plus app in action. Photo: Supplied.

The Cantabrian encourages anyone with a great idea to apply for a TSB Good Stuff grant.

'All that we've achieved so far would not have been possible without the amazing support from TSB and the Good Stuff kickstarter fund. It's an incredible programme that really does create positive change for New Zealand.”

New Zealanders who think their idea could be perfect for a TSB Good Stuff grant need to submit a 60 second video pitch along with a written submission describing their idea, the problem it's attempting to solve and the benefits it will bring.

Head to https://www.tsb.co.nz/good-stuff-entry for more information – applications are open until Sunday June 13 2021.