Understanding Small Businesses with North East Victoria

Startup Shakeup is supporting work on Small Business Digital Capacity throughout North East Victoria (the Ovens Murray Region of Alpine Shire, Rural City of Benalla, Indigo Shire, Mansfield Shire, Rural City of Wangaratta, City of Wodonga and Towong Shire).

Succeeding in the new online world relies on digital inclusion, and our challenge is that our region has a poor rating in digital access, affordability and ability. Whilst we have regional demographic digital literacy information from the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, we know nothing bar anecdotal information about the digital literacy of those in the business sector.

Our aims are to understand the digital capacity of those working in our SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises). This data will allow us to build a roadmap of programs, support, and workshops to address areas of biggest needs.

With this understanding, we can build responses that enable every business to access & use digital tools effectively.

This project will define the regional agenda for digital upskilling, central to our economic recovery and revitalisation.

The project has been made possible through funding from the Regional Digital Fund (Department of Jobs, Precincts, and Regions) and the Mansfield and Indigo Shire Councils. The project is supported in partnership The ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society at RMIT, the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne, and Telstra.