The Bay of Plenty is being recognised as the highest participating region in a Government funded programme aimed at bringing small businesses up to speed with digital skills and tools.

The Digital Facilitation Scheme provides businesses across the country with the opportunity to complete the Government funded Digital Boost programme through a facilitated format.

Of the 3435 businesses that took part in the scheme, 949 of those came from the Tauranga Business Chamber's contract.

Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley says Tauranga's high uptake of the scheme is a reflection of the level of trust in the community.

"A lot of this is trust. When Wellington tends to roll out a national programme, the community may not have a lot of trust that the programme is the right fit for them.

"That's when we as the chamber step in. We know a lot of the local networks, and work with the Māori Business Association, Katch Kaitkati Eastern Bay of Plenty Chamber and the Rotorua Business Chamber.

"We've been working with the local networks that people trust, and I think it's that strong community connection that has really got the numbers up."

Cowley says the biggest takeaway from the success of this scheme is the variety of people that have seen benefits from it.

"There's been people with a huge range of skills, from people who knew nothing and were a bit intimidated, to people who were confident they knew a lot already, who had a website and Xero set up prior to the scheme.

"All of these people have learned significant skills that they were not aware of. They all know stuff now they didn't know before, so now they are able to speak to experts about how this can be implemented into their business."

Cowley says if he were to provide feedback to the Government on improving the programme if it were to continue in the future, it would be to "trust the regions".

"Like it or not, we can be quite parochial, and local businesses trust locals to deliver. The Government should really use the regions to their advantage."

Mount Longboards owner Kate Evaroa says the training gave her the confidence to take her business onto social media.

'We now have people coming into our stores, who have seen our social media and are now buying. To drive those people into our store is so important to us.”

Justine Lette, from Hypnosis New Zealand, says Digital Boost has helped get many of their 400 members onto social media and sharing valuable information to New Zealanders.

'They're now creating some incredibly powerful content to help people with mental health and having such important conversations.

'Before Digital Boost they wanted to help people, but didn't know how to find them. Now they're getting out and helping those who really need it.”

Pacific Growth Services BOP business navigator Afai Esera says the scheme has helped himself and his team "use all of the features of Xero, as well as understanding the features to benefit businesses".

"One of the main things about social media is having a presence.

"Things as simple as learning to schedule posts are amazing, because sometimes you may not know what to post, but when you sit down and plan content, it becomes much easier."

Esera adds one thing that was beneficial about the programme was seeing people all learn together, which caused a ripple effect.

"Pacific people are sometimes a bit shy about getting out there. Particularly with the ages this scheme is targeted towards.

"Young people are already confident, but we are able to use the humbleness and shyness of the pacific people, and make it part of our own unique online presence.

"My positive take away from this programme would be the benefit is has given us to develop not just an online presence, but our own unique pacific online presence.

"I'm not really an online person, but this programme has even helped me to utilise digital skills that we will be taking forward into our own practise."

Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash touched down in Tauranga to celebrate the achievement.

Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash recognised the Tauranga chamber for the achievement, which accounts for almost one third of the total national uptake of the scheme.

'It shows that, with a little bit of work and effort, and by working together, you can make a real difference," says Nash.

'The Chamber has done such a fantastic job of getting businesses on board. These are the people who are embracing the digital change, and celebrating it.”

Digital Boost was created following the Covid-19 lockdowns to help New Zealand small businesses become digitally enabled, and covers everything from digital marketing and integration tools, to creating websites and Cloud-based accounting systems.

In May the Government piloted the Digital Facilitation Scheme as a way of offering the training in a group setting, with a facilitator and peer support sessions.

The Chamber was one of several organisations across the country to run the scheme throughout their respective regions from May to August.

While the Digital Facilitation Scheme pilot has closed, people can still complete the Digital Boost training online by visiting https://digitalboost.business.govt.nz/.