Our focus is on the establishment of entrepreneurship education in the Northern Territory. Services are available to Aboriginal men, women, and youth, however, there is a special consideration for projects led by Aboriginal women and girls.
Aboriginal women are central to the development, growth and diversity of the Indigenous business sector and the Australian economy. The significant roles women play as leaders are critical in contributing to economies at all levels and providing role models to future generations of entrepreneurs.
Despite having an abundance of strengths, skills, and knowledge, Aboriginal women still remain one of the most marginalised groups in Australia, and since colonisation they have experienced persistent and systemic social and economic exclusion.
It is therefore essential that Aboriginal women are given the authority to freely be in control of their own economic development in order to ensure Australia has a strong, diverse, and inclusive economy.
Leaders in Aboriginal communities have identified entrepreneurship as a vehicle for economic and social change: to create jobs and self-employment, to reconnect people with Country, to create pride and offer their unique culture to the market. For Aboriginal women living in remote areas of Australia, entrepreneurship is a particularly effective means for them to take control of their economic future as well as that of their families and communities.
However, there are significant barriers to obtaining startup business support services for Aboriginal women in remote Australia. To be eligible for startup assistance women are required to have proof of a viable business idea, as well as evidence of business capabilities. This can require a fully conceived product, team, business plan, and product testing, involving substantial investment and advanced business knowledge. The majority of Aboriginal women in remote Northern Territory cannot meet the entry threshold of what is required.
With an over saturation of organisations providing business incubation and acceleration support to start-ups, and so few Aboriginal people eligible to qualify for assistance, it was clear there was a greater need to invest in the development of entrepreneurial capabilities for individuals and communities in the pre-idea phase. Circulanation is responding to the gap in the start-up ecosystem by ensuring that early-stage entrepreneurial education is accessible to those living in remote areas of the Northern Territory.