FNE, IBA Partner to Build Financial Foundations for First Nations Women

First Nations Economics (FNE) and Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) partner to launch a new national Financial Foundations for Business Program to support First Nations women in building confidence in the business financial basics that underpin economic participation.

Delivered through eight place-based workshops across Australia, the pilot will support up to 80 First Nations women to strengthen their practical understanding of the foundational finance concepts needed to participate in business with greater confidence, clarity and choice.

The workshops are intentionally designed for First Nations women who are exploring enterprise ideas, taking early steps to explore starting a business, participating in community-led economic opportunities, or simply wanting to build a stronger foundation in the financial basics before deciding what comes next.

Across the series, participants will strengthen practical capability in the core business financial foundations that often create uncertainty at the earliest stages of an enterprise. This includes building knowledge in business systems, in particular around ABNs, GST and tax obligations, understanding cash flow, and how money moves through a business.

The workshops will also have a focus on separating personal and business finances, and introductory discussions around pricing, profitability, financial discipline, and navigating institutions and systems.

The program creates a safe space to explore the realities of balancing business ambition with cultural obligations, boundaries and values-aligned decision-making, ensuring First Nations women can move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and sustainability.

Associate Professor Rick Macourt, Managing Director (Foundation and Strategy), First Nations Economics, said:

“Understanding the business financial basics is one of the biggest confidence barriers for many women at the early stages of economic participation. This partnership creates trusted spaces where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women can strengthen practical knowledge, ask questions openly and build the confidence to move forward on their own terms.”

David Knights, CEO, Indigenous Business Australia, said:

“Women are the backbone of our communities across Australia. IBA is proud to support initiatives like this that empower First Nations women to build the futures they chose – strengthening core financials skills, boosting confidence, and supporting early-stage enterprise and economic participation.”

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening practical, culturally grounded pathways into business readiness and women’s economic leadership.

Importantly, the pilot will also generate place-based insights into the common barriers women face in understanding business finances, helping inform future program and product design specifically targeted at supporting First Nations women, support pathways and investment opportunities.

As part of FNE’s broader Nyami Balmuun (Strong Women) program and IBA’s Strong Women Strong Business initiative, this new Financial Foundations for Business Program strengthens the ecosystem supporting First Nations women through financial capability, entrepreneurship, mentoring and leadership pathways.

Workshops will be held across all states and territories, with the first workshop taking place in Townsville on 15 July 2026. Registration is now open for all eight workshops for women ready to take the next step with greater confidence and clarity. More information: Financial Foundations – First Nations Economic

Interested in bringing this workshop series to your community or supporting future delivery? We welcome conversations with community organisations, partners and supporters who share our commitment to strengthening First Nations women’s economic futures.

Gurminder Saro

Interim Chair

Associate Professor Rick Macourt is a proud, queer Gumbaynggirr man, lawyer, and economic specialist. He leads First Nations Economics as Managing Director of Strategy and Foundation and serves as Associate Dean of First Nations Strategy and Services at the University of Sydney.

With over 15 years of experience spanning government, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors, Rick is deeply committed to advancing the economic development of First Peoples. As the former Director of First Nations Expenditure and Outcomes at NSW Treasury, he spearheaded the state’s inaugural Indigenous expenditure reporting processes and established the groundbreaking First Nations budget process in 2021/22. Previously, Rick held an executive role at the Westpac Group, overseeing First Nations affairs, and has a rich history in government, monitoring, evaluation, and negotiation, with senior positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, City of Sydney, and Standards Australia.

Rick is a published author with Oxford University Press, a member of the First Nations Advisory Board of Siemens Australia, and a Non-Executive Director on the board of Barnardos Australia.