This October marks the twelfth year of Indigenous Business Month, a nationwide, Indigenous community-led celebration of the talent, resilience, and ingenuity of Indigenous businesses across Australia. In 2026, we turn our focus to where business has always begun: on Country, in community, and in the relationships that tie us to place. This year’s theme is Local and Connected.
From the smallest town to the most vibrant urban centres, both here and overseas, Indigenous businesses have always understood that true economic strength grows from the ground up. It is woven into local knowledge, sustained by local relationships, and measured not only in revenue, but in the well-being of the communities it serves. Local and Connected invites us all, Indigenous business owners, their customers, their partners, and their community-recognised allies, to look around and ask: who is doing business near me, and how can I be genuinely connected to them?
“Indigenous peoples have always known that business is not separate from community – it is an expression of it. Every time a dollar circulates within an Indigenous business, it doesn’t just move through an economy; it moves through a relationship, a family, a Country. Local and Connected is really an invitation for everyone to see that,” said Dr Michelle Evans, Director and Founder of the Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership and Co-Founder of Indigenous Business Month.
The Indigenous business sector has grown, and we tend to understand that from a national level. However, the growth is realised locally, in regional towns, remote communities, on suburban streets, and in CBDs, where Indigenous entrepreneurs are quietly reshaping what it means to do business in this Country. Indigenous businesses are meeting service gaps, generating exciting products, creating employment, and are accountable to their communities in ways that the broader market rarely considers.
“Look closely and you will see it everywhere: the Indigenous-owned business that employs the families on the next street, that sponsors the local football team on a Saturday afternoon, that spends its money engaging local suppliers and keeps that value circulating right where it belongs. This is not incidental to how Indigenous businesses operate; it is foundational to why they exist,” said Leesa Watego, Co-Founder of Indigenous Business Month and Director of IM Social Impact Agency.
When we think about what makes an Indigenous business extraordinary, it often comes down to the depth of connection to the people it serves. These are businesses that know their customers’ names, that understand the history of the Country they operate on, and that feel the weight and the joy of what it means to be present for their community. That is what Local and Connected celebrates.
“This year, Indigenous Business Month asks everyone to take a purposeful look at their own backyard. What Indigenous businesses are operating in your community? What Country are you on, and who is doing business there? How are you, as a consumer, a corporation, a government body, or an individual, genuinely and meaningfully connected to those enterprises?” said Mayrah Sonter, Co-Founder of Indigenous Business Month and Director at 33 Creative.
Across Country, the evidence is clear: when Indigenous businesses thrive locally, whole communities rise. When Indigenous-led enterprises are given genuine opportunity, they do not simply participate in the economy – they transform it.
The co-founders are thrilled to share that Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership returns as proud platinum sponsor of Indigenous Business Month 2026. Their continued investment in Indigenous business excellence speaks directly to what Local and Connected is all about: showing up, staying connected, and walking alongside community year after year.
We are excited to welcome a growing family of sponsors joining us in 2026. Acknowledgements and announcements will be shared across our social media channels in the lead up to October – so follow along and stay tuned. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at #IndigBizMonth.
Co-founders are also excited to announce that this year’s Indigenous Business Month Awards are now open for application. The Awards recognise outstanding achievements in excellence, leadership, innovation, and collaboration within the Indigenous business sector. Applications close 1 September 2026, visit indigenousbusinessmonth.com.au to apply or nominate today. Award Application
This year’s campaign calls on all Australians, and our global partners, to reflect:
- What Indigenous businesses are operating in your community?
- What Country are you on, and who is doing business there?
- How are you genuinely and meaningfully connected to those enterprises?
In the twelfth year of Indigenous Business Month, we invite you to look local. Find your local Indigenous business. Build a real connection and understand that in doing so, you are not just supporting a business, you are investing in Country, culture, and the communities that have always held connection first and foremost in their business activities.
We are local. We are connected. We are here to do business with you.
Join us this October. #IndigBizMonth #LocalAndConnected
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About Indigenous Business Month
Indigenous Business Month is an initiative driven by three First Nations female alumni of Melbourne Business School’s MURRA Indigenous Business Master Class Program, who see business as a vehicle towards self-determination, a way of providing positive role models for Indigenous Australians and improving quality of life in Indigenous communities. Since its establishment in 2015, Indigenous Business Month has become an annual celebration of Indigenous-led leadership and ingenuity, held across Australia each October.
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