Grow your business, grounded in culture.
Barayamal is delivering a NSW Government-supported Diversity Pre-Accelerator for up to 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander founders connected to NSW — a culturally grounded journey towards clearer customers, stronger offers, better evidence and pathways.
Delivered by Barayamal · Supported by the NSW Government · Free to take part
A program built around useful progress.
Whether you’re sitting with an idea, testing it with customers, or already in your first years of trading, this pre-accelerator meets you where you are — culturally grounded, community-first, and practical from week one.
Getting started is one small step: register your interest, then yarn with our team about the right intake and pathway. No business plan required.
Course materials are fully accessible online, scheduling is flexible, and we run regional outreach across NSW. People with access needs are encouraged to apply.
- Culturally grounded workshops and mentoring
- Peer-yarning and collaborative learning
- Online-accessible course materials
- Practical support for customer testing and business model development
- Micro-grants or wrap-around participation support — childcare, travel, digital tools
- Regional outreach and flexible scheduling
Who we’re walking with.
First Nations founders
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people leading — or ready to lead — their own venture.
Connected to NSW
Living, working or holding strong community connections in NSW — city, regional or remote.
Idea to early stage
Idea, testing or early trading stages all welcome. Regional founders and people with access needs are encouraged to apply.
Learning that moves like a yarning circle.
Every founder travels the same four themes — customers, offer, evidence, pathways — through culturally grounded workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and peer-yarning circles with other First Nations founders.
Activities flex to your stage: idea-stage founders focus on finding the real problem; testing-stage founders run structured customer experiments; early traders strengthen their business model and pathways to growth.
Weekly sessions and one-on-one time with mentors who understand business and community.
Learn alongside other founders — shared stories, shared testing, shared wins.
Hands-on support to test your offer with real customers and shape your business model.
The journey: 12 weeks, then 12 months.
Register & yarn
Submit your expression of interest and have a yarn with our team about the right intake and pathway.
Core program
Culturally grounded workshops, mentoring and yarning circles — online-accessible, flexibly scheduled, with regional outreach.
Aftercare
Check-ins, ongoing mentoring, micro-grants or wrap-around support (childcare, travel, digital tools), and warm referrals onward.
What you’ll walk away with.
Clearer customers
You know who your customer is, what they need, and how to reach them — from real conversations, not guesswork.
Stronger offers
A sharper, tested offer with pricing and a story you can stand behind.
Better evidence & pathways
Proof your business works, and a clear pathway to trading, growth programs, grants or investment.
Common questions, honest answers.
Does it cost anything to take part?
I’m in a regional area — can I still join?
Do I need a registered business or business plan?
What happens after the 12 weeks?
Register your interest
Your answers go straight to the Barayamal team — we’ll be in touch for a yarn. Prefer email? Write to d.foley@barayamal.com.
Barayamal acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.
Walk with the next 80 founders.
Register your interest, join the eMentoring Hub to mentor or support founders, or refer a founder who should be part of this.