Who Is Eligible to Register?
To join the Aboriginal Business Directory WA, businesses must meet the criteria outlined below.
These requirements help maintain the integrity of the directory and ensure it remains a trusted resource for industry, government and community.
Aboriginal Businesses
Your business must:
- Be established and fully operational
- Be registered as a business in WA
- Have an Australian Business Number
- Be at least 50% Aboriginal owned
- Have Aboriginal ownership represented in the management and day-to-day operations of the business
You must notify ABDWA of any changes to business ownership at the time they occur.
Incorporated Aboriginal Organisations
(including not-for-profit organisations and Aboriginal corporations)
Your organisation must:
- Be established and fully operational in Western Australia
- Be registered in WA and hold a current ABN
- Be able to provide evidence of incorporation
- Have a Board or management committee comprised of at least 50% Aboriginal members
- Have Aboriginal representation in the management and operations of the organisation
Incorporated Indigenous Joint Ventures
An incorporated Indigenous joint venture must:
- Be a registered incorporated entity (including companies registered with ASIC or Aboriginal Corporations registered with ORIC)
- Be formed through the incorporation of an Indigenous business and a non-Indigenous business
- Be at least 50% cumulatively owned by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person(s)
- Demonstrate at least 50% Indigenous control and active involvement in management
- Operate as a for-profit entity able to distribute equity to shareholders (not be a registered charity in its own right)
- Be registered and able to trade commercially in Australia
- Demonstrate commercial independence
In addition, the joint venture must have in place:
- A strategy to build the capability of the Indigenous business partner
- An Indigenous workforce strategy
Looking to use the directory as a government buyer?
If you're a State Government agency seeking to engage Aboriginal businesses under the Aboriginal Procurement Policy, register your agency using our application form.
The Indigenous Business Integrity Register
The Indigenous Business Integrity Register (IBIR) is a verification program that enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses to demonstrate their structural and cultural integrity, giving increased confidence to procurement prospects amid the growing concern and scrutiny around 'black cladding'*
All ABDWA members receive automatic front-row access to the IBIR 'Pay-It-Forward' initiative, where successful Indigenous businesses cover your verification cost to help stamp out misrepresentation in the sector.
*Black cladding is where a non-Indigenous business misrepresents itself as Indigenous-owned or controlled to access Indigenous procurement opportunities.
How to Access IBIR Verification
IBIR Verification process can be accessed through your ABDWA account. Just follow the steps below
- Sign in to your ABDWA account. If you don't already have one, you'll need to register first.
- Follow the profile update process to populate your profile and select IBIR Verification in the dropdown menu
- When you click the link, you'll be redirected to IBIR to start the IBIR process
- Upload all requested information.
How does IBIR verify my business?
IBIR uses a proprietary dual-track verification process that combines CPA-governed corporate scrutiny with Elder-guided cultural legitimacy assessment through the Indigenous Future Leaders Assembly to deliver verification that procurement teams and government agencies can trust.
If you're unsure whether your business qualifies, our team is happy to assist.
