The Aboriginal Business Taskforce

Closing the Gap Priority Reform 5 and the NSW Roadmap for Aboriginal Business Growth

Unique to NSW, Closing the Gap Priority Reform 5 (PR5) aims to ensure Aboriginal people in NSW are empowered through employment, business growth and economic prosperity. The work aims to empower Aboriginal people to achieve employment that aligns with their aspirations and Aboriginal businesses to grow and flourish.

The reform looks to improve economic prosperity for Aboriginal people in NSW through increasing employment quantitatively and qualitatively, including via improving conditions and supports for Aboriginal businesses in the state. There are initiatives across government designed to deliver tangible outcomes to achieve the vision of PR5, including the NSW Roadmap for Aboriginal Business Growth (the Roadmap).

The Roadmap takes what Aboriginal businesses have told us and transforms these ideas into concrete policy responses. The ambition is to create a new generation of entrepreneurs growing their own business knowledge, networks, assets and wealth. This will help remove barriers to employment and economic prosperity, and lead to improvements in health, education, justice, and other community outcomes.

Aboriginal Business Taskforce

As part of the NSW Roadmap for Aboriginal Business Growth, an Aboriginal Business Taskforce is being created and we’re looking for expressions of interests from individuals with relevant experience who would like to be on the Taskforce.

The Taskforce will report directly to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty and will provide independent advice, develop strategic approaches and coordinate and drive initiatives under Priority Reform Five of Closing the Gap on Employment, Business Growth and Economic Prosperity, relating to starting, supporting and growing business.

This group will help create a new generation of entrepreneurs growing their own business knowledge, networks, assets and wealth.

Role of the Taskforce

The Taskforce will provide informed and timely advice to the NSW Government. This includes:

• providing strategic insights and advice to the Minister to ensure the program of work in the Roadmap delivers expected outcomes,
• communicating the vision of the Roadmap to key stakeholders, including the Aboriginal Business Network,
• advising on current trends, challenges and opportunities in the market that Aboriginal Businesses are experiencing,
• identifying and addressing information on potential and emerging issues, risks, challenges, opportunities relating to the delivery of Priority Reform Five outcomes,
• engaging with key sector stakeholders regarding the progress and direction of Priority Reform Five and its work (e.g. Yarpa, NSWICC, Supply Nation).

Composition of the Taskforce

The Taskforce will be chaired by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty.

All members will be experienced and knowledgeable about strategic approaches to the Aboriginal business sector, a relevant industry or business sector growth.

The composition of the group should be majority Aboriginal representation.

The Taskforce will meet quarterly, for 2 to 3 hours.  The role will be remunerated.

Members must be able to ensure they can provide independent, and frank advice about strategy and approaches to growing a sustainable Aboriginal business sector.

Members will be required to represent themselves as individuals and ensure that they represent their views and not those of any organisations or companies they belong to.

Members also need to bring extensive knowledge or experience relating to cohorts of businesses, or to relevant sectors.

Assessment criteria for potential candidates

Criteria (below) have been developed for selecting appointments to the Taskforce.

Interested individuals are asked to submit an application that addresses and demonstrates experience, understanding or knowledge of the criteria, as well as other reasons they should be considered for the Taskforce.

The four criteria are:

•        Experience and knowledge in a field relevant to business, industry, or similar that will enable effective advice to the Minister to better support Aboriginal businesses.
•        Experience or involvement with Aboriginal businesses and/or relevant cohorts (e.g. small-medium enterprises, scaling sole-traders into larger organisations).
•        Experience with strategic or sector-wide approaches to business growth.
•        Experience in operating a business with self-sufficiency and sustainability, including independence from government funding.

Interested in Applying?

To apply, please fill out the EOI at NSW Aboriginal Business Taskforce Expression of Interest Application (office.com) and email an up to date CV to aboriginalbusinesstaskforce@aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au by 5pm, 30 November, 2023. The application should address how you meet each of the criteria, plus any other information you believe is relevant.

Next steps and questions

Once the EOI period has closed, applications will be reviewed by an assessment panel made up of government and independent sector stakeholders.

Recommendations will be made to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, who will have the final say on who sits on the taskforce.

If you have any questions, send an email aboriginalbusinesstaskforce@aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au