First Nations businesses and suppliers are ready and able to partner with proponents across the supply chain.
There are various federal and state instruments and mechanisms in place compelling proponents to work with First Nations suppliers.
Supports for First Nations businesses are available across the nation, and can additionally be provided by proponents.
A First Nations business or supplier is commonly at least 50% or more owned by a First Nations person/s. The First Nations business owner receives equal or more benefit from the arrangement, depending on their percentage share above 50%.
Joint ventures (JV) are also legitimate, subject to being 50% First Nations owned and controlled.
Sometimes, non-Indigenous businesses or individuals falsely claim to be a First Nations business or individual for the purpose of gaining access to First Nations procurement policies or contracts. In Australia this practice of misrepresentation is known as ‘black cladding’ and is essentially a form of fraud.
Proponents and developers should ensure that local and regional communities benefit from their presence. Partnering with local and First Nations suppliers directly supports First Nations businesses and boosts local economies.
Proponents should look to add local First Nations businesses to their supply chain. This can be done by making it easier for local suppliers to compete for contracts – such as offering adjusted payment terms for First Nations small businesses, ensuring upcoming work opportunities are promoted carefully to enable First Nations suppliers to register interest, and by providing a dedicated team to support local suppliers through the procurement process through supported capacity building programs.
Working to strengthen the capability of local industry means First Nations businesses can be more competitive in the procurement process, which will in turn maximise local economic benefits.
Working with the Traditional Owners to identify businesses and suppliers that are wanting to participate in the supply chain can provide an opportunity for direct contracting and/or enable capacity building activities for businesses to engage in the project during the lifecycle.
Proponents must do their own due diligence with the assistance of Traditional Owners to combat black cladding. Ask Traditional Owners how to approach this.
Australia-wide
Some First Nations businesses are not registered with a national directory or local chambers.
States and Territories
Please click on any of the States and Territories on the map below for more detail on representative businesses.
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
Proponents partnering with First Nations may access support and assistance to build the skills, knowledge and capacity of First Nations businesses — and in turn proponents — across the supply chain.
There are a number of agencies, networks and accelerators tailored to First Nations that have been established to assist and support First Nations businesses. They include, but are not limited to, those listed below.
Find relevant support for First Nations businesses, both Australia-wide and in each jurisdiction.
Australia-wide
Networks
Accelerators
Government agencies
Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) is an independent statutory office holder which has a number of regulatory powers under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act) to address issues within corporations (such as PBCs).
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
Established access to well-designed employment and training pathways, competitive salaries, high levels of collaboration, and cultural awareness should be a key focus for proponents wanting to compete with regional and remote area jobs in mining.
Maximising training and employment opportunities for First Nations people from the Traditional Owner groups on whose land or sea the project is being built, as well as from surrounding communities, provides a ready-set-go employment pool from which to draw upon in the local area, and firms up trusting relationships.
Building longer-term employment and skill development (‘careers not jobs’) is also a primary pathway to generational change and wealth building for First Nations Australians.
Proponents can implement enabling measures, including:
Case Study: Wiradjuri people work with Beon and Iberdrola to build Avonlie Solar Farm
Following building a relationship with the Wiradjuri people of Narrandera in NSW, renewable energy companies Beon Energy Solutions (Beon) and Iberdrola Australia successfully employed more than 30 local First Nations people in the construction phase of their 245 MW Avonlie Solar Farm, located 20 kilometres south of Narrandera.
In 2021, Beon was contracted by Iberdrola Australia to build the Avonlie Solar Farm. For several months before construction began in December 2021, Beon undertook extensive engagement with the local First Nations Wiradjuri community.
To coordinate this process, Beon employed a local Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta woman who was well-known to the local Wiradjuri community, as the company’s community engagement coordinator.
With the help of the community engagement coordinator, and the early focus on establishing a respectful relationship between key Beon staff and the local Wiradjuri elders, the company committed the Avonlie project to providing employment and skills development opportunities for Wiradjuri people.
With the support of Wiradjuri elders, Beon hosted community meetings and barbecues as its way of introducing themselves to the local Wiradjuri community.
Through these engagement activities, Beon realised that if they were going to be successful in employing Wiradjuri people, they would need to address some of the barriers to employment they were facing. For example, many community members, particularly women, had limited prior experience of formal employment due to a range of factors such as extensive caretaking responsibilities. Some community members did not have the official documents needed to register for tax file numbers and superannuation accounts.
To help the local people become job ready, Beon held an ‘ID (identity) day’ at the local TAFE for community members interested in gaining employment at the Avonlie project site. The ID day assisted community members to secure documentation (e.g. birth certificates and Medicare cards) needed to obtain requisite employment credentials such as White Cards.
Beon also provided a week of pre-employment training which addressed topics such as health and safety in the workplace. The local Wiradjuri community supported this training by organising childcare for participants.
Building confidence and encouraging and supporting community members to pursue employment at the solar farm was key to Beon securing a local First Nations construction workforce for the Avonlie Solar Farm project.
As a result of Beon and Iberdrola Australia’s community engagement efforts, more than 30 First Nations men and women were employed in the construction of Avonlie Solar Farm.
At the conclusion of the construction phase, Beon helped Wiradjuri employees secure new jobs with other local solar PV projects. In some cases, based on the experience gained with the Avonlie project, employees were able to find work with other local employers such as the local council.
The Avonlie project has been described by Narrandera’s Wiradjuri community as bringing ‘generational change’. Project employment allowed individuals to better provide for their families and extend support to their wider community.
In addition to the employment outcomes, Beon’s management of the construction project helped deliver other benefits such as the installation of rooftop solar on the local Aboriginal corporation’s Gundyarri building and on five community-owned homes. The legacy of this will be permanently reduced electricity bills for these households. For local Wiradjuri people, there is pride in their community’s involvement in the project, often expressed in comments made to their children as they drive by the solar farm.
Iberdrola Australia and Beon have committed to further expanding this engagement approach in any future renewable construction projects pursued together.
The Beon and Iberdrola Australia case study demonstrates the value of genuine and early engagement with First Nations people. For First Nations people, this value leads to wide ranging, intergenerational benefits such as jobs, which in turn leads to greater self-esteem, empowerment and self-determination.
For clean energy project developers and their contractors, building effective relationships with First Nations communities offers a realistic pathway to securing community support for clean energy developments. Beon’s commitment to employing the Wiradjuri labour force helped generate long lasting
First Nations community support for the Avonlie project, thereby contributing to the project’s social licence.
“The Avonlie Solar Farm has been a great example of how projects like these and proper Aboriginal engagement based on trust and respect, can not only benefit Aboriginal communities, but also benefit the projects themselves by getting good workers and community support.” - Gundyarri Aboriginal Corporation
First Nations people sometimes face significant structural barriers to obtaining employment. Beon’s approach to working with Narrandera’s Wiradjuri community to overcome these barriers required Beon to move away from simple transactional interactions to more authentic relationship building activities. Activities such as employing local First Nations people to engage with their community and introducing programs supporting individuals through the employment process built the necessary links with the community. Above all, Beon’s work on the Avonlie Solar Farm project demonstrated commitment to improving the cultural competency of their own organisation.
Overall, what this engagement process with the local Aboriginal community illustrates is that meaningful engagement and the creation of training, employment, and business opportunities, is not only the right thing to do and good for local communities, but it is also good for business.
Case Study: CitiPower and Powercor Pre-apprentice and training programs
Offering training programs, financial support, development opportunities and career pathways both empower First Nations and help create stronger, more inclusive industries. Training and employment programs need to embed additional support mechanisms to successfully recruit and retain First Nations people in the energy industry.
CitiPower & Powercor’s First Peoples Pre-apprenticeship Scholarship provides a pathway for applicants to enter a Certificate II at TAFE, assisted by a scholarship of $2000 – recognising the financial barriers that can block access to education.
These scholarships assist with costs such as tools, clothing, rent, childcare, or supplementing income during study.
The scholarship also includes a specialised practical training week at CitiPower and Powercor depots. This hands-on experience includes trying out some of CitiPower and Powercor’s power tools, and site visits, with students receiving personal protective equipment (PPE).
Additional training provided to remove barriers to employment includes practical job application assistance, including help with cover letters, CVs, and interview preparation.
CitiPower and Powercor’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program is taking deliberate steps to create opportunities, foster understanding, and building a shared future with First Nations.
Source: https://explorecareers.com.au/energy-careers-for-first-peoples/
An Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP) aims to significantly increase the rate of purchasing from First Nations businesses.
IPPs may include annual targets for the number and value of contracts to be awarded to First Nations businesses, employment targets, mandatory set asides, first refusal, and financing assistance, and will likely preference First Nations businesses before a general approach to market.
There are private sector IPPs and Government IPPs.
What should proponents do?
Even if an IPP is not included in a land access agreement, setting up a private IPP with policies and targets is good practice for proponents.
Proponents designing IPPs can review government IPPs for guidance. Possible design features (targets by volume and/or value) can include employment targets, mandatory set asides, first refusal, financing assistance, role of Joint Ventures, and so on.
A project-based IPP should be designed in conjunction with relevant Traditional Owners as part of enabling Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to maximise outcomes.
There are a lot of relevant First Nations businesses across Australia. Proponents should consider elevating and supporting First Nations businesses by being proactive in the following ways:
Under existing rules in Federal and state-based Indigenous procurement policies, a First Nations business or enterprise must be at least 50% or more owned by First Nations Australians, or registered with the Office of the Registrar for Indigenous Corporations (ORIC). To be eligible for the Indigenous Procurement Policy, joint ventures (JV) must be 50% First Nations owned and controlled, and have a plan to grow the First Nations business partner’s capability and it’s First Nations workforce.
The Australian government’s Indigenous Procurement Policy was recently reviewed and changed. From 1 July 2026, First Nations businesses must be 51% or more First Nations owned and controlled (or registered with ORIC) to access the IPP.
The government has also lifted Indigenous procurement targets from 2.5% of the total value of contracts to 3% from 1 July 2025. The targets will then rise annually until they reach 4% by 2030.
The Commonwealth funds Supply Nation to verify businesses are First Nations owned in line with Indigenous Procurement Policy eligibility criteria.
There are national and jurisdictional IPPs.
The Australian government's Indigenous Procurement Policy has a Mandatory Set Aside requiring First Nations businesses be given an opportunity to demonstrate value for money before a general approach to market. It also has Mandatory Minimum Indigenous Participation Requirements for First Nations employment and business participation targets.
Review the specifics of each jurisdiction's Indigenous Procurement Policy below.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Procurement Policy (2019) targets 2% of the Government financial year’s addressable spend to be with First Nations enterprises. Proponents should seek quotes from relevant First Nations businesses and sub-contractors wherever possible.
New South Wales
New South Wales’ Aboriginal Procurement Policy (2021) includes first consideration be given to First Nations businesses, and minimum requirements for First Nations participation.
The government is targeting increases in the number of First Nations businesses awarded contracts, an increase in direct spend with First Nations businesses, and an increase in full time employment opportunities for First Nations peoples on NSW Government contracts.
Proponents must submit an ‘Aboriginal Participation Plan’ during the procurement process setting out how they plan to meet participation requirements including identifying and addressing upcoming procurement opportunities for First Nations participation. Proponents must then report quarterly against the Plan and requirements for any First Nations participation spend.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory's Aboriginal Procurement Policy (2022) targets 5% of the total number of contracts to be awarded to Aboriginal Business Enterprises which must be at least 51% Aboriginal owned.
Proponents must support Aboriginal employment and business opportunities. Preferencing Aboriginal participation in tenders may consider the following:
Queensland
Queensland’s Indigenous Procurement Policy (2017) targets 3% of the value of government procurement contracts to be with First Nations businesses.
an Indigenous business is at least fifty per cent owned by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
When planning procurement, proponents should give consideration to repackaging or unbundling large projects in order to maximise the opportunity for First Nations businesses.
When including First Nations benefit considerations, a clear rationale should be articulated, setting out the benefits, any costs and including a value and risk management assessment and mitigation plan.
The local benefits test may assist in procuring from First Nations businesses where they employ a local workforce.
South Australia
South Australia has an Aboriginal Economic Participation Strategy (2017), embedded in the state's Industry Participation Policy which applies to all suppliers, contractors and supplier activity.
The Industry Participation weighting of tenders can be lifted so First Nations businesses, and businesses with high First Nations employment or subcontracting, are more likely to win tender contracts.
A South Australian Aboriginal business is a business operating in South Australia that is 50% or more owned by an Aboriginal resident of South Australia, or where the Aboriginal owner is a non-South Australian resident but the business provides economic benefit to South Australian Aboriginal people through ongoing employment in the State.
The Aboriginal Economic Participation Initiative leverages government procurement to generate jobs and strengthen the Aboriginal business sector to competitively engage in both government and private sector contracts.
Find a First Nations business | Read the Industry Participation Policy
Victoria
Victoria's Social Procurement Framework (2018) includes a government procurement target of 1% from small to medium enterprises to be from First Nations businesses to facilitate purchasing from and employment of Victorian Aboriginal people by suppliers to the Victorian Government.
In some cases, government can set targets for supplier expenditure with Victorian Aboriginal businesses and ask suppliers to demonstrate how they will meet such targets.
The Victorian Government defines an Aboriginal business as at least 50% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-owned with its main business in Victoria.
Western Australia
Western Australia’s Aboriginal Procurement Policy (2023) requires agencies to award 4% of their total contracts to registered First Nations businesses and/or Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) each financial year.
In some cases, First Nations participation requirements apply to contracts, like where a contract will be delivered predominantly to First Nations people or targets the specific needs of First Nations people.
First Nations employment targets require suppliers to engage from 2-10% of the total number of the contract labour force with First Nations persons in each year of contract delivery.
In 2024, the Policy was reviewed with recommendations to update the Policy, effective 1 July 2025.
Proponents can benefit from the Australian Government investment decision committing to ensure First Nations participation and benefit in a range of legislative, policy, program and funding schemes in Australiaʼs clean energy transition.
Incorporating First Nations consent, partnerships, and ownership – and incentivising proponents to achieve First Nations outcomes through innovative tax and procurement rules across the supply chain – has become part of the competitive advantage that jurisdictions are seeking to establish.
Proponents wanting to secure investment must engage with Traditional Owners and heed First Nations criteria in a range of schemes, going a step beyond to secure low risk and sustainability in projects.
The government has included First Nations-specific criteria in the design of:
First Nations Clean Energy Strategy - a 5 year national framework for action that will help all governments, industry and community members work together in a coordinated approach to create opportunities for First Nations people to gain social and economic benefits by addressing access to affordable clean power, and ensuring benefit-sharing, partnerships, and First Nations-led projects. Read the Strategy
Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) - a massive investment in renewable energy generation and capacity over four years to meet the Federal government’s 2030 renewable energy targets. Proponents in the underwriting Scheme are required to meet weighted criteria concerning First Nations engagement, community engagement and benefits sharing, and First Nations and social licence commitments, thereby reducing risk and increasing shareholder value which can be gained through First Nations partnerships and ownership of renewable energy projects. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) assesses proponents bids to the CIS against, among other things:
AEMO suggests proponents should consider applying Leading Practice Principles for engaging with Australia’s First Nations peoples on renewable energy projects.
Future Made in Australia Act 2024 - establishes the National Interest Framework to support consideration and decision making around public investment that facilitates private sector investment in the national interest. It also establishes community benefit principles which aim to ensure investments deliver benefits to and grow First Nations participation and economic outcomes in Future Made in Australia initiatives. Read the Act
National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Act 2023 - establishes the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation to facilitate increased flows of finance into priority areas of the economy, highlighting the need for investments (which may include renewable energy and low-emissions products) to positively impact First Nations. Read the Act
Net Zero Economy Authority Act 2024 - the bill establishes the Net Zero Economy Authority to identify, broker, facilitate and catalyse transformational projects in priority regions. The Authority supports First Nations to participate in, and benefit from, Australia’s energy transition. Read the Act
Hydrogen Headstart - provides revenue support for large-scale renewable hydrogen projects, and ensures First Nations engagement, decision-making and benefit sharing is a key requirement for beneficiaries of hydrogen production contracts. Learn more here
Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility - is a development financier with funding providing financial assistance to infrastructure projects to drive public benefit and economic growth, and materially improve the lives of First Nations people in northern Australia. Proponents are accountable for shaping and delivering an Indigenous Engagement Strategy ‘to transform good intentions into a clear, culturally appropriate, locally contextual plan with tangible commitments’. Learn more here
There are many First Nations-led alliances and organisations in Australia working in community, regional and national settings.
These organisations do not replace a proponent’s necessary contact with Traditional Owner groups impacted. Rather, knowledge of these organisations may be useful for building trust and relationships with local communities.
National Peak Organisations
Coalition of Peaks - made up of national, state and territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled peak and member organisations across Australia, representing some 800 organisations. Find their members here.
First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance - a coalition of member organisations representing First Nations Peoples from across Australia, including major Native Title, Land Rights, Traditional Owner, and community-controlled organisations nationally. Find their members here.
National Native Title Council - the peak body for the native title sector made up of regional Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs), Native Title Service Providers (NTSPs), local Prescribed Body Corporates (PBC)s and Traditional Owner Corporations (TOCs). Find their members here.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Association (NATSIHA) - addresses housing issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through community-controlled housing solutions.
Australian Capital Territory
ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body - represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Elected Body is the only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to government in Australia.
New South Wales
NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (NSW CAPO) - seeks to change the way government works with Aboriginal services and sector. It is made up of peak Aboriginal community-controlled organisations in NSW.
Aboriginal Regional Alliances/Assemblies - regional Aboriginal governance bodies that advocate and negotiate on behalf of their local Aboriginal communities with the NSW Government through Local Decision Making about which services are delivered and how services are designed and implemented in their communities. They include:
Northern Territory
Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APO NT) - an alliance committed to increasing First Nations involvement in policy development and implementation, and to expanding opportunities for First Nations community control.
South Australia
First Nations of SA Aboriginal Corporation (FNSAAC) - the peak body for First Nations. It includes representatives of Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) and native title groups across the state. It has an authoritative voice on issues relating to First Nations heritage and well-being.
Tasmania
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre - represents the political and community development aspirations of the First Nations community.
Victoria
Federation of Victorian Traditional Owners Corporations - a state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owners while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.
Western Australia
Council of Aboriginal Services Western Australia (CASWA) - aims to strengthen and increase the capacity of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations involved in service delivery to Aboriginal people in Western Australia.