Indigenous Business Month (IBM) co-founders are pleased to share that Indigenous Business Month awards are open for application as of 12 August 2024.
This year’s theme for Indigenous Business Month is: Making our Mark. We know that 10 years is but a row of colour within a larger, continuing tapestry of doing business in this Country. 10 years of Indigenous Business Month is a marked milestone for First Nations businesses and their allies to reflect, rejuvenate and celebrate our ways of doing business.
This year we mark a decade of promoting the distinction of Indigenous Businesses and how many Indigenous businesses continually contribute to better communities, better opportunities, better relationships and better ways of doing business.
Every day, First Nations entrepreneurs make their mark in the communities they call home. They are some of the most resourceful people looking to efficient yet environmentally conscious ways of doing business, all the while bringing others along with them, employing and sharing opportunities.
The Award categories seek to highlight Indigenous businesses making a mark, they 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.
- Indigenous Digital Inventiveness Award – Indigenous business connecting through digital enterprise and supporting cultural creativity, business nous and technology.
- Indigenous Ingenuity Award – Indigenous business using business models to confront challenging community issues.
- Regional Indigenous Business Award – Indigenous business contributing to regional economies in impactful ways.
2024 marks a point in time for Indigenous businesses to pause and consider our achievements, our impact and those who’ve inspired our actions. This year, collectively, it is time to mark out those stories, those business models, those ideas that set our way of doing business apart and celebrate it! Be sure to register your event via our website.
Indigenous Businesses are encouraged to apply or nominate another Indigenous business for the awards that are now open until 13 September 2024.
Information is available via the website www.indigenousbusinessmonth.
Background
Indigenous Business Month commences 1 October 2024 with a month of events to celebrate. Indigenous Business Month is a collective movement that celebrates and showcases the diversity and excellence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses across Australia. Now a well-recognised and celebrated concept across the country Indigenous Business Month was co-founded by three First Nations women Dr Michelle Evans, Leesa Watego and Mayrah Sonter in 2015.
Since then, the economic landscape has continued to evolve. Indigenous business numbers have grown by almost 75% in that time and we are beginning to recognise the multiplying effect of Indigenous businesses in Regional and Rural Australia in the way they can meet service needs and create employment.
“Building a business is not a sprint but a marathon. I think it’s a great time to celebrate the businesses and business owners that have been in business for a decade or more.
“Riding the success also means weathering the lows. Congratulations to all those Indigenous businesses who are here for the long-haul”, said IBM Co-Founder and Director of Iscariot Media, Ms Leesa Watego.
“I think what’s most incredible to observe is the Indigenous business to business partnerships that have been formed, and our collaboration amongst one another to meet the needs of our communities over the last ten years”, said IBM Co-Founder and Director of 33 Creative, Mayrah Sonter.
“Our individual activities as business owners, guided by collectively shared cultural protocols, means that when we do business, we make our mark in modern society as we now live, we continue our stories, care for our communities, celebrate our Country as we know it can be”, said IBM Co-Founder, Associate Professor and Director of Dilun Duwa, Dr Michelle Evans.
We ask First Nations businesses to share how it is your business is making a mark for you and your community. There is an event being planned in Sydney to celebrate our 10th anniversary and showcase this year’s award winners.
You can find a range of resources available on our Indigenous Business Month website, for more information visit www.indigenousbusinessmonth.
Click here to enter the 2024 Indigenous Business Month Awards.
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