Civic tech org Code for Australia Partners with Portable

Melbourne-headquarted Portable, a technology and design company focused on social justice and civic technology, has announced it will be supporting the operations of Code for Australia (CfA) going into 2025.

Code for Australia, founded in 2014 by Alvaro Maz, Jacob Lindsay, and Daniel Groch, is a nationwide civic technology organisation.

It is part of the global Code for All civic technology network.

CfA partners with government and not-for-profit organisations, providing expert technical advice, digital capability, and the development of digital solutions.

The arrangement will see CfA Managing Director, Matt Sawkill, join the Portable team as a lead technologist and CfA co-founder Alvaro Maz joining Portable’s advisory board.

The mission for Code for Australia and its vision will remain unchanged.

Portable will support its programs while assisting in delivering technology, design and consulting services to clients.

Alvaro Maz said that this new partnership with Portable creates an exciting foundation for CfA's mission going forward, highlighting the success of the Fellowship program which demonstrated the opportunity for talented people to work on important issues.

Maz believes that Portable's commitment to civic tech and justice will allow them to continue shaping change.

The Code for Australia fellowship program and advisory service has produced around 100 Fellows and Advisors, with a community of over 10,000 members and over 100 project partners over the past decade.

Portable, co-founded by Andrew Apostola and Simon Goodrich in 2005, has 55 staff members across the country and is known for its work in mental health, justice, education and government.

In 2024, Portable received an Anthem Award for its AI-powered platform, www.amica.gov.au, which helps separating couples.

Portable’s chief executive Apostola said he views the partnership as an opportunity to unite two organisations with a shared vision, using technology and design to improve outcomes for government and citizens.

He said that Portable can bring together the incredible community that Code for Australia has developed and provide broader applications across government, the not-for-profit sector and with communities.