Free AI Training for Australian Small Businesses: How to Access the Digital Solutions Program
The federal Digital Solutions Program offers free AI training to Australian small businesses under 20 staff. Here's how to access it and what you'll learn.
As AI and digital technologies continue to reshape how businesses operate, many Australian small business owners are looking to build new skills — but aren't always sure where to start. The federal government's Digital Solutions Program is designed to change that.
The program gives small businesses across Australia access to free digital training and expert one-on-one coaching, covering practical areas including AI, digital marketing, cybersecurity, and business software. It's open to businesses with fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees, as well as sole traders, and services are available in both metropolitan and regional areas.
What's on Offer
Participating businesses can access:
- Up to 5 hours of one-on-one digital coaching from a qualified business adviser (for a small fee)
- Free workshops, webinars, and self-directed tutorials covering:
- Introduction to digitalising your small business
- Social media, digital marketing, and selling online
- Using business software
- AI and emerging technologies
- Cybersecurity and data privacy
The focus is on practical, immediately applicable skills — not abstract theory. Whether a business is completely new to digital tools or looking to go deeper into areas like AI, the program is designed to meet them where they are.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
More than 17,000 small businesses have already accessed the Digital Solutions Program, receiving over 37,000 hours of coaching and participating in more than 1,100 webinars. Those are meaningful numbers — and the real-world results back them up.
Real Businesses, Real Results
AI for Customer Engagement
The owner of a painting business in the Illawarra joined the program to improve digital marketing capabilities. Through one-on-one mentoring, they explored how AI tools could support content creation and customer engagement — building confidence in using new technologies within the business.
A Record Month for a Micro-Brewpub
The owner of a Victorian micro-brewpub came to the program looking for support with digital marketing tools and systems. After completing it, the business recorded its strongest month to date.
"Having an external perspective on your digital systems is incredibly powerful," the owner said. "Take it seriously and apply what you learn immediately."
More Bookings, More Engagement
The owner of a jewellery business used one-on-one mentoring and workshops to refine their marketing strategy and improve their advertising approach. They launched a new website and implemented a weekly social media schedule — resulting in a significant increase in views, engagement, and workshop bookings.
Why AI Skills Matter for Small Business
Digital skills — and increasingly AI skills — are becoming foundational for small businesses that want to stay competitive. The businesses that are thriving are those that have found practical ways to use AI for tasks like customer communication, content creation, scheduling, and financial management — freeing up the owner's time for the work that only they can do.
The Digital Solutions Program removes the two biggest barriers most owners face: not knowing where to start, and not having the time or budget to figure it out alone. By pairing free self-directed learning with subsidised expert coaching, the program gives businesses a practical path forward that fits around the demands of running a business day to day.
The Regional Dimension
One of the program's strengths is its reach into regional Australia. Small businesses in rural and regional areas face the same digital transformation pressures as their metropolitan counterparts — but often with less access to informal networks, peer learning, and local expertise. The Digital Solutions Program's regional delivery model ensures that geography is not a barrier to accessing quality digital skills support.
Regional businesses that have completed the program report the same kinds of outcomes as metropolitan participants: more confidence with digital tools, better marketing results, and a clearer sense of how to use technology to grow.
How to Get Started
The Digital Solutions Program is open now. To find out what's available in your area and register, visit business.gov.au/digitalsolutions.
The Confidence Gap
One of the most consistent findings from research into small business digital adoption is that the barrier is often not cost or access — it is confidence. Many small business owners feel that digital and AI tools are designed for larger organisations with dedicated IT staff, and that the learning curve is too steep to justify the investment of time.
The Digital Solutions Program directly addresses this confidence gap. By pairing self-directed learning with one-on-one coaching from a qualified adviser, the program gives business owners a supported pathway into digital tools — one where they can ask questions, make mistakes, and build confidence at their own pace. The feedback from participants consistently highlights the value of having an expert available to answer the specific questions that arise when you are trying to apply new tools to your particular business context.
Looking Beyond the Program
The Digital Solutions Program is a starting point, not an endpoint. Businesses that complete the program and want to go deeper have access to a range of follow-on resources — including the Business.gov.au digital tools marketplace, which lists vetted digital and AI tools relevant to different business types, and the Small Business Digital Champions network, which connects business owners who have successfully adopted digital tools with peers who are earlier in the journey.
The goal is a small business sector that is not just digitally capable but digitally confident — one where AI tools are seen as practical assets rather than intimidating technology, and where the productivity gains from digital adoption are spread broadly across the economy.
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Characteristics of Australian Business (abs.gov.au); Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (asbfeo.gov.au); Australian Government, Digital Solutions program (business.gov.au); Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (cosboa.org.au).
Stay informed
Get AI news every Friday
The AI Digest delivers the week's most important AI stories — free, in plain English.
Subscribe free →Related Articles
More Business →
How Microsoft Copilot Is Transforming Australian Small Businesses
Australian SMEs are adopting Microsoft Copilot faster than almost anywhere in the world — drafting, summarising, analysing in minutes. Here's how.
AI Is Changing Australian Jobs — But Not in the Way Most People Fear
AI is reshaping Australian jobs — but it's more nuanced than mass unemployment. New roles are emerging and regional Australia faces the biggest shift.
Australian AI Startups Are Attracting Record Investment
Australian AI startups are attracting record investment in 2026. Healthcare, agritech, and legal AI lead the charge. Here's where the money is flowing.