In 2021, Standards Australia launched the Standards Store, an online platform where Australian Standards™, international standards and technical specifications are available for purchase. 

Recently, the site introduced a new product series, Small Business Sets (SBS). These have been designed to suit user requirements of Small Businesses with 1-19 employees. They offer online and offline access to a bundle of standards that can be found via smartphones, tablets, phones, and other computing devices.

These sets provide users with fast, efficient access to standards at an affordable cost.

Standard Australia’s National Construction Code focused SBS, called NCC Primary References Set, is proving to be a helpful industry tool. The Set combines standards and technical specifications listed in Schedule 4 of the NCC, alongside additional Standards Australia publications commonly used by the building and construction industry, supporting users to stay up to date with Code requirements and amends.

“The construction industry was hit hard by the pandemic. At the same time, there’s a renewed focus on the quality of construction. We are committed to doing our bit to help the industry during recovery and potentially improve the quality of construction,” said Adrian O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer at Standards Australia.

“Small Business Sets, especially the NCC Primary Reference Set, are an innovative example of how we are fulfilling our commitment to support small businesses achieve their goals through easy and affordable access to standards,” Mr O’Connell concluded.

Access to the set for two users costs $2,673 for a three-year subscription, or, approx. $2.50 a day, less than a morning coffee. This is a considerable discount in comparison to purchasing the publications individually.

“Providing access to the 122 NCC referenced Australian Standardstechnical specifications and additional publications allows us to support small businesses to meet compliance through easier access and usability,” said Stefan Savva, General Manager of Commercial and Products at Standards Australia.

SBS’s are available digitally through a Web Reader format, that also allows users to search keywords, highlight text and make notes.

Accessing SBS has been made simple and cost effective through flexible subscription term options. Once purchased, users can access the standards via their Store accounts both off and online. The sets can be accessed via any device, including tablets and smartphones, as long as they can meet the minimum browser and personal computer requirements.

“Having relevant standards bundled together digitally saves small businesses time and money and, most importantly, allows them to focus on the job at hand. We’re committed to supporting these businesses and hope they find the Sets both useful and affordable,” concluded Mr Savva.