The SMEs Digital Skills Fund

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) administered the COVID-19 Recovery SMEs Digital Skills Fund to respond to a digital gap identified for people who run small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Māori, Pacific and disabled communities.

The Digital Skills Fund project supported 6 intermediaries, or partners, to deliver digital skills enablement packages to SMEs in Māori, Pacific and disabled communities.

The 6 intermediaries were:

• HTK Group Limited
• Kaitaia Digital Hub
• Pacific Business Trust
• Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa
• Waha
• Workbridge.

The evaluation report

This report sets out the findings of an evaluation of the SMEs Digital Skills Fund — evaluating the project, capturing insights and lessons learned from the Fund, assessing its proof of concept, and informing future policy and funding decisions.

The report contains descriptions of the digital skills and capability programmes the 6 Fund intermediaries offered to SMEs across Māori, Pacific and disabled communities, and includes 6 case studies of individual SMEs in their own words.