Indigenous Business Month Awards

In 2019, Indigenous Business Month (IBM) introduced three Awards to recognise the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses to their community and to Australian society.

The Indigenous Business Month Awards will showcase the outstanding achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and provides identifiable national and local role models to inspire all Australians.

The Indigenous Business Month Awards are:

I2I Award

Indigenous businesses buying from and/or supplying to fellow Indigenous businesses build an interconnected and strong Indigenous business sector by supporting each other. Instances of mentoring and peer-to-peer support or development of new ventures and/or initiatives are encouraged in this category. This award celebrates the commitment by Indigenous businesses to strengthen and grow our sector through trading and working together.

Indigenous Digital Inventiveness Award

Indigenous digital inventiveness is maturing in Australia. Communities are more connected than ever through digital expression (emails, instant messaging and texting) and at a much larger scale through digital enterprise (business operations and technology). This award celebrates the intersection between cultural creativity, business nous, and technology.

Indigenous Ingenuity Award

Indigenous business has a role to play in using business models to confront challenging community issues. This award celebrates an Indigenous business who is working hard to solve challenges in partnerships with Indigenous communities.

The IBM Awards will be held in late October.

Michelle Evans, MURRA Program Director and Associate Professor of Leadership at the University of Melbourne says:

“Indigenous Business Month is now in its 5th year and we are very excited to be able to introduce the Indigenous Business Month Awards and celebrate the Ingenuity of Indigenous businesses. It also allows us to showcase the contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders businesses make, not only to their communities but to the growing Australian economy”.

The judging panel for 2020 includes; Professor Robynne Quiggan, Mikaela Jade, CEO and Founder of Indigital, and Scott Young, Managing Director of Young Guns.

How do I apply to enter?

Submit your application via the Indigenous Business Month Award Application Form.

Important dates and submission process

  • Applications open 18th August 2020
  • Awards close 18th September, 5pm Extended! 
  • Winners will be notified in mid-October
  • Winners will be announced in late October

Information and assistance

  • Indigenous Business Month runs annually from October 1 to October 31. Registrations to host and attend an event is now open.
  • Indigenous Business Month is an initiative driven by the alumni of Melbourne Business School’s MURRA Indigenous Business Master Class, who see business as a way of providing positive role models for young Indigenous Australians and improving the quality of life in Indigenous communities.
  • The Indigenous Business Month initiative is supported by 33 Creative, MURRA Indigenous Business Master Class program, Iscariot Media, PwC and CGU.

Previous Winners

Luke Briscoe, Digital Inventiveness Award 2019

My own business journey is all about trying to connect with my culture.  My country is Yalanji country in North Queensland and our people have been doing business for over 40,000 years.

It’s important that Indigenous science is recognised.  Traditional knowledge can help save the reef and the rainforests.  I also want our kids to understand the legacy of the technology.  For example, how the boomerang shape is used in a propeller on a drone.  I hope to inspire our kids.

Mitchell Ross, I2I Award 2019

I didn’t enjoy the environment at school and didn’t think that MURRA was something that I wanted to do but it was relevant to my business and inspired me to become a lifelong learner. 

If you’re an Indigenous person thinking about a career in business, make sure you’re ready and make sure you have the drive to succeed.

If you’re a corporate looking to buy from indigenous businesses, don’t overthink it.  If you’ve got a contract up for renewal, think about an Indigenous supplier.  If you want Indigenous people as customers, it makes sense to buy from them.

At the end of the day, my goal is to give back to the community.  We give a percentage of our revenue back to the community and I want to increase that to half a million dollars.