Change of ownership

What private training establishments need to know and do when there's a change in ownership

To maintain registration and programme approval and accreditation, private training establishments (PTEs) must get our approval for any changes in ownership.

You must tell us at least 30 working days before the change of ownership takes place.

Our requirements for change of PTE ownership are outlined in the guidelines for registration of a PTE.

Guidelines for applying for registration of a PTE

You can also find helpful information in these pages:

Online change of ownership application page (external link)

Guidelines for maintaining registration as a PTE

Types of ownership change

There are different types of ownership change.

Sale of shares

A sale of shares is essentially any change of ownership in which the registered entity that owns the PTE remains the same.

This change includes sale of shares, transfer of shares or the introduction of new shareholders.

In this situation, the seller must apply to have the PTE's current registration, and any approvals, accreditations, and consents to assess required.

Sale of assets

A sale of assets is any change of ownership that occurs through the sale and purchase of a registered PTE's assets or operating activities comprising the business that is the PTE.

In this situation, the buyer (if not already a registered PTE) must apply for new PTE registration, programme accreditations, training scheme approvals, and consents to assess.

The vendor or seller would then request cancellation of the old PTE's registration.

If the intention is to change ownership through sale of assets, please contact us for advice:

approvals_accreditation@nzqa.govt.nz

Submitting an application

A representative of the organisation's governing body must submit an application to NZQA with information about the proposed change of ownership.

Application for change of ownership of a registered PTE [DOCX, 78 KB]

This application must include:

  1. The completed application form
  2. A signed sale and purchase agreement
  3. Proof of body corporate status
  4. Two organisation charts - one showing the organisation structure before the sale, the other showing the proposed organisation structure following the sale. This must include role titles and the names of people in the roles for all levels of the organisation
  5. Statutory declarations as a fit and proper person and of conflicts of interest for each proposed new governing member (which includes senior managers)
  6. A business plan for managing the transition of operations, students and staff, including future business development strategies
  7. A communication strategy including consultation with relevant internal and external stakeholders
  8. A copy of the current quality management system (QMS)
  9. A list of all current and proposed PTE delivery sites

10. A student fee protection plan (where applicable)

11. Other supporting documents.

How to apply for approval online

  1. Log in to the provide portal.
  2. Select TEO Applications then Create Application
  3. Choose Change of Ownership application
  4. Enter the details in the application wizard. Attach all supporting documentation to your application.

Next steps

We analyse the application and assesses the appropriateness of the change.

We will, as needed:

  • confirm change of shareholding
  • confirm programme changes, if applicable
  • confirm site changes, if applicable.

Costs of change of ownership

NZQA charges $190 per hour plus GST for analysis of change of ownership applications.

If you have any questions, please contact the approvals and accreditation team