The most interesting developments in Australian social enterprise right now aren’t coming from the startup accelerators or the impact investing conferences. They’re coming from First Nations communities building businesses on their own terms, with their own models, and in ways that mainstream business education rarely teaches.

I’ve been following this space closely, and the growth over the past few years has been remarkable. Not just in numbers — though Supply Nation now has over 3,800 verified Indigenous businesses on its platform — but in the sophistication and diversity of the models being used.

Moving beyond the deficit narrative

For too long, the conversation about Indigenous economic development in Australia has been framed around disadvantage. Close the gap. Address the deficit. Fix the problem.

What’s happening now is different. First Nations entrepreneurs and community leaders are building enterprises that reflect their own values, priorities, and ways of working. The starting point isn’t “what’s wrong” but “what do we want to create.”

That shift matters enormously, because the enterprises that emerge from it are fundamentally different from what you’d get if you ran an Indigenous community through a standard business accelerator program.

Cultural enterprise models

Some of the most successful First Nations social enterprises are cultural enterprises — businesses built around cultural knowledge, art, tourism, and land management.

Indigenous tourism operations across Northern Australia and the Kimberley are generating significant revenue while keeping cultural knowledge in community hands. These aren’t just “cultural experiences for tourists.” They’re sophisticated businesses that manage complex logistics, environmental obligations, and cultural protocols simultaneously.

Similarly, Indigenous ranger programs have evolved from government-funded employment schemes into genuine enterprises that deliver land management, biosecurity, and environmental monitoring services. Some of these programs are now generating commercial revenue from carbon farming and ecosystem services, on top of their government contracts.

Community-owned models

The structure of First Nations social enterprises often looks different from mainstream social enterprise. Many use community-owned models where the benefits flow to the broader community rather than individual shareholders.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) in the health sector are a good example. Organisations like the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern have been operating for decades, delivering culturally safe health services while employing local community members and building community capacity.

These organisations are social enterprises in the most meaningful sense: they’re mission-driven, they generate earned revenue, and they reinvest in their communities. They just don’t always get recognised as such because they don’t fit the template that mainstream social enterprise discourse expects.

Procurement as a pathway

The growth of Indigenous procurement commitments — both government and corporate — has been a significant driver of First Nations enterprise development. The Commonwealth Indigenous Procurement Policy requires Australian government agencies to award a minimum percentage of contracts to Indigenous businesses. Several state governments have similar policies.

On the corporate side, organisations like Supply Nation have created platforms that connect Indigenous businesses with corporate and government buyers. RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) commitments from major corporates are driving procurement spending toward Indigenous suppliers.

This is creating real economic opportunity. But it also comes with risks. Over-reliance on procurement targets can create fragile businesses that exist to meet someone else’s compliance requirements rather than serving genuine market needs. The strongest First Nations enterprises are the ones that can compete on quality and value, not just Indigenous ownership status.

Challenges that persist

Despite the growth, significant challenges remain. Access to capital is still a major barrier. Mainstream lenders often don’t understand First Nations business models, and the amount of Indigenous-specific business finance available is small relative to need.

Capacity building is another ongoing challenge. Running a business in a remote community with limited infrastructure, connectivity, and access to professional services is fundamentally harder than running one in a capital city. More investment in business support services that are culturally appropriate and geographically accessible is needed.

And there’s the perpetual tension between cultural obligations and commercial demands. First Nations entrepreneurs often navigate expectations from both their community and the mainstream business world, and those expectations don’t always align.

What the mainstream sector can learn

There’s a tendency to frame First Nations economic development as an area where mainstream business has all the answers. In reality, the learning should go both ways.

First Nations approaches to community ownership, intergenerational thinking, and the integration of cultural and economic value offer lessons that mainstream social enterprise could benefit from. The idea that a business should serve a community’s long-term interests, not just generate short-term returns, is hardly radical — but it’s an idea that mainstream business often struggles with.

Where to from here

The growth of First Nations-led social enterprise in Australia is one of the most important economic stories of the past decade. It deserves more attention, more investment, and more respect for the models and approaches that First Nations communities are developing on their own terms.

The best thing the rest of us can do is listen, learn, buy from Indigenous businesses, and get out of the way when that’s what’s needed.