Quick answer
In 90 days an SME can sort which official strategy applies, list the work worth automating, mark what not to build, and know whether the 10 December 2026 disclosure applies. A custom build is optional inside that window.
Best for: an Australian SME that has the National AI Plan open and needs a sequence, not a second summary of the three national goals. Honest limit: 90 days does not make the company “done” with AI. It finishes the short list and the binding-date check. Cipher Projects is Australian-led, with engineers in Australia and Vietnam. We are not a law firm and we do not certify you.
Last updated: 27 September 2026. The document sort is the map of which Australian AI strategy applies. The company page is AI strategy for an Australian business.
Days 1–30: sort and inventory
Sort which official strategy applies, using the map. Then list the AI already in the business. The inventory is the work. The plan PDF is not.
The field list is on AI inventory and shadow AI. Name the tool, the owner, and where the data goes. If you cannot name the owner, that row waits.
Days 31–60: the short list
Three columns only: automate, don’t build, path (buy, configure, or build). One path per use case. Most rows should land in “don’t build”.
Write it on the AI strategy page. Get the short list if you want the worksheet with the blank lines.
Days 61–90: the binding check
APP entity, or not. If you are an APP entity, check the 10 December 2026 disclosure. Then mark which of the six practices you will actually run.
If a use case is a system, the next step is the audit on the pricing page, not a bigger strategy deck. The fee is on that page. This post does not repeat it.
What the National AI Plan does not require of an SME
Checked against the live plan on 27 September 2026. The National AI Plan sets out steps the government will take. It does not create a certification an SME must hold. It does not impose a duty to align with an agency strategy you do not sell to.
You still have existing law, and the December disclosure if you are an APP entity. Those are on the regulation timeline, not in this 90-day list as a second essay.
FAQ
Do we have to follow the National AI Plan to the letter? No. The plan is the government’s program. Your job in 90 days is the short list and the December check.
Is 90 days enough to be “done”? It is enough to sort the documents, write the list, and know whether 10 December 2026 applies. A build can start after that. It does not have to finish inside the window.
Who do we hire if one item on the list is a build? Start with the Australia transformation guide, then book a call. If the list is “buy these tools,” you do not need a build partner.