Vic $1200 rebate for digital tools closes soon

Small Business Digital Adaptation Program

Helping Victorian small businesses build their digital capability.

Program overview

The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program will allow eligible businesses to trial and then receive access to digital products, tools and training they can use to build digital capability in their day-to-day operations.

Businesses can start using a new product, like point-of-sale payment, or restore access to a lapsed product under this program. Upgrades to existing digital tools, like adding a shop to a current website, are also included.

Products currently available to businesses through this program include website, e-commerce, finance and digital business management tools.

Businesses will be able to register, and trial selected digital products from suppliers who have partnered with the Victorian Government, then choose one of these products to purchase.

Once businesses have purchased a product, they can apply for a rebate of $1,200 to access the product for 12 months.

The program also offers free digital adaptation training and workshops to help registered businesses adopt and implement online tools in their business.

Spaces for the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program are limited.

You must register to be eligible for the program and access digital product suppliers.

Read the information on this page, the program guidelines and frequently asked questions (FAQs) before you register.

See the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program in languages other than English.

1. What support is available?

The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program will help businesses to embed the use of practical digital tools that support their trading model and performance.

Through the program, businesses can register to trial selected digital business management tools to adapt websites, transition to e-commerce and manage finances, from suppliers who have partnered with the Victorian Government.

After the trial period, registered businesses can purchase a product they have trialed and apply for a rebate of $1,200 to access that product for 12 months.

Registered businesses must purchase or subscribe to a digital product available under this program before applying for the rebate. Proof of purchase will be required.

Businesses will need to pay the ongoing costs of access to their digital product after the first 12 months covered by the rebate.

The program also offers free digital adaptation training and workshops to help registered businesses adopt and implement digital tools in their business.

2. What are the eligibility requirements for this program?

The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program is for small businesses, sole trader, and micro businesses. To be eligible for the program an applicant must:

• operate a business located in Victoria
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• have held that ABN on 13 September 2019
• be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 13 September 2020.
  
  

Not-for-profit entities that are not registered for GST and are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission are eligible to apply.  

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria and agree to the conditions outlined in the program guidelines.

Applicants also need to attest that they are currently operating and intend to adapt their business to a digital operating environment.

Businesses will be ineligible for the program if any information in their application is found to be deliberately false or misleading.

To qualify for a purchase rebate the business must purchase a digital product available under the program.

An eligible business, as defined by its ABN, can only receive one purchase rebate of $1,200 to cover 12 months’ access to a digital product available under this program.

3. How does the program work?

To progress through the program, businesses need to follow three steps:

1. Complete the online registration form to confirm eligibility and participate in product trials and workshops.
2. Sign up for and purchase their preferred digital product through one of the partner product suppliers available under this program.
3. Apply for the purchase rebate of $1,200 to cover 12 months’ access to the product of choice.

4. Digital product suppliers

The Victorian Government is currently partnering with six digital product suppliers for this program. These include:

• Mr Yum — food and beverage
• MYOB — business management
• Shopify — end-to-end retail
• Square — end-to-end retail
• Squarespace — website creation
• Xero — business management
  
  

New providers added in January 2021:

• Australian Good Food Guide — food and beverage
• Ecwid Inc. — end-to-end retail
• Intuit Australia (QuickBooks) — accounting
• Lawpath — legal services
• Reckon Limited — accounting
• ServiceM8 — trades job management
• Trade Trak — trades job management
• Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) — automotive services
  
  

Please note: businesses need to register for the program in order to be considered for a $1,200 rebate for any purchase from these suppliers.

5. How do I register for trials and workshops?

You will need to complete the online registration form by answering a series of short questions. You may be contacted after you register to verify the information provided and ensure your eligibility for the program.

Upon completing registration, you will be provided with a dedicated website link as well as a confirmation email.

On the webpage you will be able to access information about training and workshops, as well as digital product trials and purchase.

After you have registered you can complete unlimited workshops and multiple digital product trials until 28 February 2021.

6. How do I progress through the program?

You must register to be eligible for the program.

You can access unlimited free training and workshops and multiple free product trials after you register.

You will be invited by email to apply for a purchase rebate one month after registering.

This is a purchase rebate program. You must sign up for and purchase an available digital product before you apply.

The rebate application is an online form. All questions should be answered and information provided to ensure your eligibility for a rebate. This includes proof of your digital product purchase.

You will be contacted by email six weeks after you apply for a rebate to confirm you have begun to adapt your business to a digital operating environment. Your rebate will be paid after you confirm continued product use.

You will be contacted to participate in an evaluation survey after six and 12 months to help us understand the program impact.

You will need to pay the ongoing costs following the first 12 months covered by the program.

7. What does the program cover?

Products chosen by eligible businesses must be:

• a new product not currently used by the business, or
• an upgrade of an existing product with additional product features providing specific digital adaptation capability (for example, upgrading an existing website to an e-commerce site), or
• a product available under the program that has been used by the business before (more than one year ago) that it would like to resume using.
  
  

The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program will not cover the cost of:

• renewals of existing product or software licences, or
• minor updates to existing products (for example, a software version update), or
• products that are not available under the program.
  
  

Registered businesses can participate in training and workshops shown in the training calendar available on the dedicated program page after registering.

Businesses who have existing products and software purchased outside of this program are also able to attend workshops promoted via the Business Victoria website.

8. Key program dates

The program will be open from 15 November 2020 to 31 March 2021.

Registrations for digital product trials and workshops will remain open from 15 November 2020 until 28 February 2021.

To participate in the program, businesses must register before the trial period closes on 28  February 2021.

Applications for purchase rebates to cover 12 months’ product access will be open from 1 December 2020 to 11.59pm on 31 March 2021, or until funds are exhausted.

9. More information

The $1,200 purchase rebate is equivalent to at least 12 months’ access to a digital tool available under this program. Access costs for foreign currency and sales percentage products will vary depending on exchange rates and use.

The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions reserves the right to amend these guidelines and application terms at any time.

The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions will endeavour to notify all businesses of the outcome of their purchase rebate application within 10 business days.

If you have questions about this program, please refer to the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program frequently asked questions (FAQs).  

For further assistance please contact us or call 13 22 15External link (opens in same window).