www.qld.gov.au
Innovation

Program overview

Who is it for?

The First Nations Innovation Acceleration Program is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander innovative businesses in Queensland who are established and looking to scale.

What are the grant/program objectives?

The First Nations Innovation Acceleration Program is a key program in the Innovation Division’s portfolio to empower mature First Nations’ businesses to scale and grow.

It accelerates business deals, through knowledge, funding, and connection into the prominent financial networks of First Australians Capital, and their partners; Queensland Investment Council (QIC), Queensland Indigenous Business Network (QIBN), Queensland Treasury, and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

These empowered First Nations’ businesses can prepare to attract new investors, expanding their reach, and creating more jobs — a testament to the strength and vitality of the First Nations’ contribution to Queensland's economy.

The program is managed by First Australians Capital (FAC) – a national First Nations-led organisation that builds investment readiness and designs the right capital solutions for First Nations’ businesses to thrive.

What does it involve?

The program offers a staged approach to assist mature Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and innovators to grow while also providing a framework and guidance for success.

This includes supporting First Nations’ peoples to leverage their unique cultural knowledge and perspectives in the new economies.

What are the grant/program goals?

  • Bridge the economic gap by supporting First Nations’ businesses to grow Queensland’s economy
  • Create a more inclusive and diverse economic landscape
  • Engage and benefit Regional Queensland
  • Create new jobs — now and into the future.

What will recipients get?

Support under the program includes:

  • Impact Investment: investment grants up to $100,000 to Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander innovative businesses looking to accelerate. The grants will help First Nations’ businesses pursue innovation and take calculated risks, supporting their growth and wealth creation
  • Business Strategic Advisory Services: a targeted fund to cover costs of essential business strategic advisory services. A dedicated project leader will support First Nations’ founders and companies in areas of fundamental business skills, legal, finance, marketing, mentoring, and grant and tender writing.

How do you apply?

To make enquiries, visit the First Australians Capital website.

Apply

Business Strategic Advisory Services

More than 143 Indigenous-led businesses have strategic advisory services in areas of fundamental business skills, legal, finance, marketing, mentoring, and grant and tender writing including referrals to business hubs.

Impact Investment

Since 2025, the program has provided impact investment to a number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led businesses across Queensland, spanning sectors from advanced manufacturing to agrifood, technology and construction.

Bajara Plant Hire is an ISO-accredited civil contracting and heavy plant hire enterprise with a national presence across energy, mining, defence, rail, gas and major civil construction projects. FAC's investment funded the Bajara Indigenous Workforce Pilot and Upskilling Program, designed to increase Indigenous participation in the civil construction sector.

Balance Mobility Biggera Waters is an assistive technology provider supporting aged care, disability, and rehabilitation customers across SE QLD dedicated to providing the most suitable assistive technology solutions for unique needs. FAC's investment funded the implementation a highly customisable ERP and CRM software system tailored specifically for the Assistive Technology market addressing the distinctive challenges of the sector.

Bayliss Development (BayDev) specialises in SAP automation and enterprise tooling for the mining and resources sector, with deep expertise in SAP scripting and maintenance planning systems for major Australian miners. FAC's investment funded two proprietary software products — AutoSAP and the BayDev Toolkit — providing a cost-effective way to bridge the technical gap created by the global shift to SAP S/4HANA.

BCF Concreting Solutions is a manufacturing and civil construction firm servicing rural NSW, QLD and the NT in commercial, farming, infrastructure and government sectors. FAC's investment funded a belt weigher-controlled conveyor system for its volumetric concrete trucks, enabling precise, real-time measurement and adjustment of raw materials fed into the mixer.
Read more - Paving the Way for Indigenous Innovation: BCF Concreting's GPS-Guided Revolution

Brosiscus is a jewellery and accessory business the bridges the gap between heritage and modern luxury. A fusion of ‘Brothers, Sisters and Cousins’ the brand is a celebration of family, culture and community. FAC's investment funded a Hybrid Manufacturing and Personalisation Ecosystem, enabling global manufacturing economies of scale and hyper-local cultural expression.

Dreamtime Artistry shares Aboriginal culture through art, storytelling and immersive experiences, delivering authentic, community-centred workshops, markets and cultural activations. FAC's investment funded modernised in-house manufacturing of handmade boomerangs, reducing the physical work involved using traditional, outdated machinery and adopting newer techniques.

Kitja Services specialises in project execution within industrial services — scaffolding, blasting and painting, and sheet metal fabrication — across oil and gas, mining and construction. FAC's investment funded the modification of a hands-free robot hose tractor for gas pipe and vessel cleaning, automating an existing manual system.

Mob Box specialises in shipping container sales, leasing, modifications, transport and containerised infrastructure solutions. FAC's investment funded the Off-Grid Power Generation Pod — a modular, transportable power system built into a shipping container integrating solar, battery storage and backup generation — delivering reliable power to remote or temporary locations without relying on traditional diesel generators.

New Way Finance is a specialist fintech brokerage for personal and car loans operating an assessment-led model that prioritises customer outcomes, credit file protection and responsible access to finance. FAC's investment funded a Digital Credit Assessment and Intelligence Technology Platform that digitises how consumer finance enquiries are assessed and qualified.

POS Cafe is a Shopify-ecosystem SaaS platform designed to unify commerce for food services businesses such as cafes, coffee shops, quick-service restaurants and hybrid retail-café merchants. FAC's investment funded development of a comprehensive software solution that transforms Shopify's generalist point-of-sale system into a specialised, industry-ready and purpose-built platform.

Salty Monkeys is a Torres Strait ocean-adventure brand producing apparel and dive gear that blends performance, sustainability and Indigenous art, extending into community-led projects. FAC's investment funded development of a first-of-its-kind recycled tropical wetsuit, addressing a market gap for protective, durable dive gear suited to Northern Australia's warm-water reef workers, divers and snorkelers.
Read more - Salty Monkeys: transforming marine conservation through Indigenous innovation

SevGen delivers unique impact-based programs, education and business offerings inspired by intergenerational experiences of being disconnected, disenfranchised and disempowered, and giving Indigenous youth a deeper sense of purpose. FAC's investment funded the production and manufacture of a wellness powder using the excess supply of native fruits produced on SevGen's own farm.

Trackers Traps manufactures a patented feral pig trap renowned for its effectiveness and sold to a range of sectors across Australia from cattle farmers to mining companies. FAC's investment funded a stronger, more compact and effective design, expanding the product line.
Read more - The simple idea protecting Country from a devastating pest

Tribal Smokehouse and Pizzeria grew from a family vision to revive traditional Indigenous smoked-meat techniques into a thriving, community-driven hospitality business built on quality, culture and opportunity. FAC's investment funded an expansion of the integration of these cultural practices into a modern food offering and embedding it into scalable business model.

WV Technologies is one of Australia's largest and highest-security IT asset disposal companies, Top Secret-certified, and specialises in end-of-life IT processes, from data erasure to logistics, resale, and recycling for large corporate and government organisations. FAC's investment funded the upgrade of its ERP software, including implementing a new data erasure and diagnostics system.
Read more - Reclaimed tech lights the way for a greener future and social change

Young Guns Container Crew provides specialised container packing and unpacking services in the Supply Chain Industry with operations across Australia, New Zealand and North America. FAC's investment funded development of The Dock Platform, an engineered system that improves safety and productivity at rear-load docks in distribution centres.
Read more - AI robotics revolutionises Queensland logistics

Additional support

Case studies