NIUE: Niue Development Bank – unlocking growth

In Niue, Business Link Pacific (BLP) partners with the Niue Development Bank (NDB) and the Niue Chamber of Commerce to deliver practical support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

As the sole bank on Niue, a state-owned community bank, the NDB plays a critical role in the island’s financial system. We spoke with NDB Chief Executive Officer Jesse Koorey-Slow about the bank and how the partnership with BLP is supporting SMEs to invest, expand and build confidence.

With a population of about 1,800 people, Niue is a place where many residents have more than one job — and many organisations carry more than one responsibility. NDB is no exception.

NDB operates as Niue’s community bank – operating as agent for the Kiwibank branch on island. It also administers EFTPOS services on island as an agent via ANZ NZ. NDB actively supports lending to businesses and individuals with a local lens, manages commercial properties, and operates Niue Post.

Jesse says getting things done in Niue is not complicated but can be complex.  Niue faces significant development challenges common to other small Pacific Island countries related to its small population and isolation, which is exacerbated by climate change impacts and external economic pressures.

Funding that turns plans into progress

In Niue, NDB receives lending funds through government injections and, more recently, through New Zealand government support delivered via BLP.

The BLP–NDB loan programme began in early 2025 with NZD $500,000 available for eligible SMEs. A further NZD $300,000 was confirmed in April 2026. Jesse says that the scale of funding is significant in a small economy and injects critical capital directly into local businesses. “BLP’s capital has let us move faster than we could on our own — turning finance and technical support into real momentum for local businesses.”

Picture: Hospitality operators All Relativf were looking to expand their offering and be more flexible with operations. BLP funding helps a business like this fast-track investment into their offering.

The funds provide concessionary loans for SMEs, helping accelerate economic and social development and supporting a diversity of industries to grow. For some businesses, access to affordable finance means they can act immediately rather than waiting years to build up enough capital.

Since 2025, NDB has issued 12 BLP loans at 5% interest rate, ranging from NZD $30,000 to NZD $75,000. The loans have supported a cross-section of industries, including trades, hospitality and tourism. Women-led businesses have also been strongly represented, with 44% of loans going to women led business — a positive result for inclusive private sector growth.

Picture: Vanilla Café Bar & Restaurant supported by an NDB BLP facility invested in a new deck creating a welcoming outdoor space for their customers and making the whole commercial centre area more vibrant.

Jesse says the impact is already visible. “NDB has supported redevelopment of Niue’s key café/restaurants. One restaurant, for example, has added an outside deck and is now humming at night even if it rains. A tourism business has expanded with an additional boat to meet demand.”

Picture: Car rental operator invested in a car cleaning and storage area – assisted via a NDB BLP loan. This allows cars to be cleaned and to be free of dust and dirt during busy changeover days.

These investments matter because tourism is a major part of Niue’s economy. The Niue Statistics Office reported a GDP of NZD $43.9 million for the year to June 2025 and 10,264 visitors in 2024. The Pacific Tourism Organisation’s 2025 visitor survey also found tourism continues to play a vital role in supporting local businesses and employment.

“We want to support local tourism businesses to grow sustainably and help the industry capture more value from visitors,” Jesse says. “Local fishing businesses support local restaurants. By supporting fishing businesses, we help ensure restaurants do not run out of fish and can maximise their revenue from tourism.”

Looking beyond today’s demand

For Jesse, meeting today’s demand from SMEs is just the first phase. “Right now, we’re focused on helping businesses respond to the demand that’s already here — cafés, tour operators, fishing charters. But we’re building toward the next phase too.”

With much of Niue’s visitor economy built around reef diving, whale watching and coastal experiences, NDB is starting to look at how future lending can play its part to protect those assets in the future, not just today.

“Our tourism sector depends almost entirely on a healthy ocean. If we want that sector to keep growing, we need to start funding the businesses and practices that protect it — not just the ones that benefit from it today,” Jesse says.

That thinking lines up with Niue’s own Blue Economy ambitions — sustainable fisheries, marine protection and ocean-linked livelihoods sit at the centre of the country’s long-term development plans.

“Over time we want NDB’s lending to actively support that shift — helping operators adopt more sustainable practices and backing the kind of investment that keeps Niue’s ocean healthy for the industries that depend on it,” Jesse says.

A strategy focused on confidence, capital and capability

A key goal in NDB’s strategy is to add value to the private sector — not only by mobilising finance for businesses and local resilience projects, but also by strengthening financial capability through trusted, independent advice and analysis.

Jesse emphasises that efficiency will be essential for NDB to enhance its support and achieve greater success. A key part of this initiative involves investing in the bank's employees and establishing robust internal foundations for long-term impact. Additionally, NDB is looking into options on how the Bank is seen locally and internationally with donors. “We’re building NDB into what Niue actually needs — a community financial hub that Niueans see as theirs, not just a bank or lender.”

Jesse talked to NDB’s 2025–2030 strategy that sets out an ambition to become Niue’s financial hub: connecting every Niuean to opportunity, enabling prosperity through inclusive, cost-effective and reliable financial services, and helping lead climate and community projects for future generations.

"Consistency, confidence, capital — we want to piece together a world-class bank for Niueans to be able to positively access financial services they need," Jesse says.

The Kiwibank agency branch on Niue first began providing designated transactional banking services in Niue in 2013, and the relationship was renewed in 2023 for a further ten years. For NDB, Kiwibank’s commitment and platform brings credibility, reliability and access to world class systems that would otherwise be difficult to sustain in a small island economy.

A coordinated partnership with the Niue Chamber of Commerce

BLP also partners with the Niue Chamber of Commerce to deliver the BLP programme of advisory and financial support in Niue. BLP’s local representative, Joanne Talamahina, works within the Chamber and supports SMEs to apply for NDB loans and helps businesses use BLP grants as deposits where appropriate.

Through the Chamber, local businesses can access BLP’s quality approved Business Advisor Network, with subsidies available to make professional advice more affordable. Advisory services in the BLP Advisor Network offer SMEs 17 areas of advisory expertise, including support with financial management, accounting systems, business planning, climate adaptation and resilience, loan readiness and digital tools.

“In November 2025, two BLP-approved accountants came to Niue to work with businesses on their accounting systems. It was a big success,” Jesse says.

Together, BLP, NDB and the Niue Chamber of Commerce are giving local businesses access to the finance, advice and confidence they need to grow. In a small and remote economy, that support is not just helpful — it is a practical pathway to stronger businesses, more resilient communities and a more prosperous Niue.