Indigenous communities across the Northern Territory were challenged on multiple fronts during the COVID pandemic. Cut off from the rest of Australia, these communities felt the social and economic impacts of their isolation keenly and being an entrepreneur in a remote community was particularly difficult.
Impact North (previously Enterprise Partnerships) works closely with entrepreneurs from remote NT communities, building their business skills and confidence, with the strong belief that this economic independence will provide communities with the ability to determine their own futures. Their incubator program, special projects, events and co-workspaces provide budding entrepreneurs with the support they need to build their brands.
“We believe that enterprise is the most powerful tool for communities to self-determine their future and effect generational change. Entrepreneurs grow businesses that create local jobs, strengthen cultural and family connections, proudly share culture and generate new income and opportunities for the community.”
With one co-workspace in Darwin already packed to the brim with entrepreneurs coming in from communities to work and partake in support programs, Impact North recocgnised that they needed to grow their spaces to cater to the demand they were seeing post-pandemic.
In 2024 they embarked on an exciting new development with plans for a whole new co-workspace in Nightcliff. This space would support more Indigenous entrepreneurs to engage, work and network in a supportive space, and allow Impact North to host events for them in a fit for purpose setting.
A Strengthening Rural Communities grant of $9,963 funded by the Australian Government allowed them to purchase furniture, equipment and resources to set up an event space at the new co-work office. Regular connection events are now held in the space (which is already at full capacity serving as a thriving community hub for social changemakers), bringing the co-work community together with service providers and stakeholders for essential networking opportunities, and the hub itself has quickly become an integral space for Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses to collaborate and work.
“The co-work is a hub for connection, shared learning and growth. Many co-working organisations host large-scale business and Board meetings in the facility, attended by community leaders from across the Northern Territory.”
This project was a wonderful way to use a small grant for big impact, empowering remote indigenous communities to recover from the pandemic and work toward a self-determined future through enterprise.