In 2024, Indigenous Business Month (IBM) has four 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 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 initatives are encouraged in this category. This award celebrates the commitment by Indigenous businesses to strengthen and grow our sector through trading and working together.

Criteria:

• Number of Indigenous businesses in supply chain
• Percentage of expenditure with other Indigenous businesses
• Relationships/testimonials from those Indigenous businesses in your supply chain
• Exemplar instances of mentoring, peer-to-peer support
• Shared developments of new ventures and/or initiatives to support each other’s business

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.

Criteria:

• An innovative digital product/service proposition that solves customer problem
• Uses technology to take their business to the next level
• Leverages technology to connect with customers, optimise operations and foster collaboration

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.

Criteria:

• An innovative product/service proposition that solves problems in Indigenous communities
• Uses ingenuity to take their business to the next level
• Makes a measurable impact on Indigenous communities
• Relationships/testimonials from those Indigenous communities the business is playing a part in

Regional Business Award

Indigenous regional businesses contribute in very impactful ways to the economy and to the local community in which they are based. This award celebrates Indigenous regional businesses: their vision, their business savvy and their local contributions.

Criteria:

• Demonstrate the region and local town/community located in
• Contribution of product/service to regional economy
• Relationships and testimonials from the town/local community in which the business is located

Applications for the 2024 Awards are now open. 

Click here to enter the Indigenous Business Month awards. 

Important dates and submission process

• Awards open – Monday 12th August at 9am (Qld)
• Awards closed – Friday 13th September at 12pm (Qld)
• Winners notified – early October
• Award Announcement – 28th October (Sydney)