Rural business support

By designing and deploying an innovative digital tool we can maintain engagement and provide dynamic support, based on real time needs, with rural businesses during a period where traditional engagement channels have been compromised due to Covid-19\. This engagement mechanism will benefit societal wellbeing, rural business survival and business preparedness for rebound.

This will bring positive benefits to food supply continuity and access, rural economics (income, spend, taxes, employment) as well as societal wellbeing across a broad sector of society (business owners, families, older and at risk categories) who are able to engage with functioning businesses to meet their needs.

The platform will deliver on 3 fronts. 1) Immediately support rural businesses to survive and function during Covid restrictions. 2) Immediately support rural societal wellbeing by providing channels for support and engagement 3) Support the maintenance of existing resilience building initiatives focused on the rural economy to minimize loss of progress to date and enable a faster bounce back after Covid passes.

Focus will be on rural businesses and business owners. The rural economy largely consists of businesses who process, supply, retail & manufacture food products. These businesses are often engaged in health, wellbeing and educational activities including tourism & biodiversity delivery as well as a key locator for small/medium business enterprises and as such are important rural employment hubs.

The technical innovation will work with a web based data platform blending 3 distinct channel approaches -- wellbeing, immediate support and resilience building.