Following the launch of the Standards Store earlier this year, Standards Australia has launched a new product series, the Small Business Sets (SBS).

The SBS has 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.

Arguably, most importantly, 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 popular and 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, which employs well over one million people, 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,” Standards Australia chief executive Adrian O’Connell says.

“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.”

The NCC Primary References Set complies to the code and is ideal for construction managers, architects, engineers, builders, plumbers and project managers.

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

“Providing access to the 122 NCC referenced Australian Standards, technical specifications and additional publications allows us to support small businesses to meet compliance through easier access and usability,” Standards Australia general manager of commercial and products Stefan Savva.

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 the 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.