Establishment of culturally appropriate programs.
Summary
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade have piloted and trialled a range of programs to support Aboriginal Territorians to innovate.
Outcomes
- Innovator in Residence (Aboriginal Business Innovation)
Funding was provided to Charles Darwin University (CDU) to provide Aboriginal Northern Territory (NT) businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs with access to an expert (specifically, Professor Ruth Wallace) to undertake the provision of expert advice on behalf of CDU for Aboriginal businesses undertaking innovation.
Outcomes identified:
- opportunities for collaboration between the private and public sectors with a specific focus on Aboriginal business enhancement
- increase the survival rate and profitability of small and medium NT Aboriginal businesses
- help commercialise research and development opportunities for Aboriginal businesses, to contribute to the economic growth of the NT
- achieve a number (agreed by the Territory) of business engagements held and a breakdown of regional locations and industry sectors.
Additionally, Professor Ruth Wallace was able to contribute to the following activities due to funding provided by the department:
- joint activity in 2020 with Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Dr Carla Eisenberg, on Aboriginal STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) projects for students in remote areas
- hosting STEM activities with Children’s University
- business development support to North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) via Ricky Archer, CEO
- other projects such as RAMP, led by NAILSMA.
- Support for Aboriginal Business Innovation
Funding was provided to Charles Darwin University (CDU) to achieve the following outcomes:
- support Aboriginal business innovation projects to be conducted in the Northern Territory (NT)
- economic outcomes including jobs creation and investment attraction for the Territory
- inspire and strengthen innovation in the bush.
This funding was additionally used to support the work of the Indigenous Innovation Alliance, who are led by an Indigenous Steering Committee and involves the CSIRO, University of Queensland Business School, and CDU. Together they co-designed an innovation program that enabled Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal knowledge and science to support sustainable development on Aboriginal estates.
CDU provided funding to Aboriginal Business Innovation projects identified through the Aboriginal Innovation Alliance process. The funding was focused on achieving the following outcomes:
- strengthen the focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) for the NT’s children and youth
- inspire and strengthen innovation in the bush
- facilitate the establishment of programs to support Aboriginal Territorians to innovate
- supporting Aboriginal businesses to be ready to apply for Business Innovation Program.
CDU’s Innovators in Residence (Aboriginal STEM) were appointed in October 2019. Julie-ann Lambourne and Murray Saylor, of Tagai Management Consultants, provided expert advice to NT Aboriginal businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs undertaking innovation. Through the partnership, the following Aboriginal Business Innovation Projects / businesses were supported.Yalu Marnggithinyaraw Indigenous Corporation, Galiwinku - Elcho Island (Yalu)
Yalu is an Aboriginal corporation delivering programs, research and community education to strengthen health and well-being from a foundation of cultural integrity.
Gong Wanhurr Indigenous Corporation
Gong Wanhurr Indigenous Corporation (GWIC) is a community-driven organisation emerging from North-East Arnhem Land. GWIC support the development and product of Yolŋu-led, multi-disciplinary performing arts and mixed-media projects. The objectives of GWIC is to deliver, through a ‘Learning on Country’ approach, sustainable programs developed through strategic relationships, delivered in remote homeland communities, that offer training, business and employment opportunities and outcomes.
- Wuna’s vision was to greatly enhance inter-generational social impact and to lead innovative Indigenous Human Service Standards and solutions with a national quality assurance framework. Preliminary meetings with the chief executive officer of WUNA were held with CDU and as the result of the meetings the opportunity arose for the department to assist WUNA to apply for Business Innovation Program for their innovative technology Holdaccess.
- Holdaccess is a digital platform built to maximize untapped value from workforce supply chains, so employers and employees work in sync to get results every-time. They define their point of difference through unlocking human inclusion in an often over supplied and highly competitive workforce supplier market place, targeting remote and offsite workforce contractor companies.
- Business Innovation Program, Innovators in Residence
Aboriginal Territorians are supported by Innovators in Residence (IiR) Dr Dan Tyson, chief executive officer of the Desert Knowledge Precinct together with his Desert Knowledge Australia IiR colleague Jamie Toyne. The IiR is a wrap-around service under the existing Business Innovation Program and provides Central Australian and Aboriginal Territorian innovators with professional advice on developing and commercialising business innovation.
- Business Acceleration Program
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade has reserved placements for Aboriginal Territorians to participate in the Business Acceleration Program. Delivered by the Australian Centre for Business Growth in partnership with the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN), Darwin Innovation Hub and the Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory.
As of November 2021 the following companies have completed the one-day Assessment Clinic:
- Savanna Solutions Business Services
- Kakadu Kitchen
- Top End Controls and Automations
Results for the 2020/21 financial year reported by 26 companies, who have participated in the Business Acceleration Program and responded to the annual Growth Tracker Survey, showed, despite the effects of COVID-19, they achieved in aggregate:
- 10% growth in revenue
- 86% growth in profit
- 20% growth in FTE jobs (employment decreased by 0.7% in the NT and by 4.3% nationally)
- 1% growth in exports.
- DKAccelerator
Desert Knowledge Australia using funding provided by the department has launched a DKAccelerator to support the development and growth of First Nations enterprises in Central Australia. The program will:
- support a cohort of Aboriginal entrepreneurs to accelerate the growth of their business through hands-on operational support, responsive mentorship, project-based learning, peer-to-peer leadership, and digital technology innovation
- be delivered over six months between May and November 2021, where entrepreneurs will progress through four stages of development:
- discovery and planning
- foundation and scalability
- growth and acceleration, and
- automation and future planning
- have entrepreneurs working alongside the program director / business coach, a digital growth partner, and specialist consultants to achieve sustainable and scalable growth through digital technology innovation.
“There are plenty of grants, business plans and consultants that people can access, but not enough intensive, on-the-ground, operational support. Our job is to roll up our sleeves, work together and learn from each other.”
- Jamie Toyne (Program Director / Business Coach, DKAccelerator)The five businesses selected for the DKAccelerator include:
- Spinifex Skateboards: an Eastern Arrernte skate brand and youth program
- Kere to Country: a disruptive social enterprise addressing food security
- Standley Chasm: a leading Arrernte culture tourism enterprise
- Framed in Alice: custom picture framers of local art and memorabilia
- Stick Mob Studio: a graphic novel group creating stories inspired by lived experiences.
News items:- 10 May 2021: DKA launches new program to support indigenous enterprises
- 24 April 2020: Support for Aboriginal business innovation projects
- Inspiring Australia Project Funding
Through Inspiring Australia NT the department increased cooperation between organisations and individuals involved in science engagement in the Northern Territory, improving diversity of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) engagement, with particular focus on enabling greater Aboriginal participation, particularly with the focus on Aboriginal women and youth into STEM careers and inspiring and strengthening innovation and engagement with STEM in the bush.
With the support of the Northern Territory Government, Inspired NT attended the Barunga Festival in June 2021 to showcase STEM topics with festival attendees. Encouraging the next generation to engage more with STEM fields helps build future employment opportunities.
- Digital Partnerships Program Funding
The Digital Partnerships Program is a department initiative to support the local information and communication technology (ICT) industry to build capacity and create jobs, foster partnerships between the Territory’s ICT sector and other local industries and encourage the development of innovative digital solutions to meet local challenges and support economic growth.
Warlpiri Media Aboriginal Corporation
IndigiVR showcases the Territory’s Aboriginal sites, heritage and landscapes to audiences around the world. Using cutting-edge digital technology, InDigiVR captures significant cultural places as fully immersive, photorealistic 360-degree experiences. Then, by wearing commercially-available 3D VR headsets, viewers can explore those sites as if we were there in person.DICE Australia Pty Ltd
DICE Digital Access to Remote Renewable Energy Systems aims to develop a digital solution to improve monitoring, maintenance and sustainability of renewable energy installations for Northern Territory’s remote communities and businesses (Digital access to remote renewable energy systems).