Update · 22 September 2026
Applications are now closed
Cohort 1 applications closed at 11:59 pm AEST on Sunday 20 September 2026. Submitted applications are now being reviewed.
Register interest in a future cohortMedia release · Prepared 16 September 2026
A strong idea deserves a practical next step.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander founders with an idea or an early-stage venture are invited to apply for Barayamal’s NSW First Nations Pre-Accelerator.
Practical workshops, mentoring and peer-yarning to help founders test their ideas, build connections and move their ventures forward.
- 12 weeks
- Proposed practical program
- 8 hours
- Approximate weekly participation
- 12 months
- Aftercare following the program
From idea to next step
Build clarity. Find your people.
Move your venture forward.
The proposed program combines practical learning with mentoring and peer connections. The intended result is a practical roadmap—not a promise of investment or business success.
Test what matters
Understand customer and community needs, explore the problem you want to solve, and test your ideas.
Shape your business
Work on your business model and pricing, then explain your venture through a clearer story and pitch.
Learn alongside others
Build stronger connections with mentors, peers and further support through mentoring and peer-yarning.
“Too many First Nations founders have strong ideas but face barriers to the networks, capital and support that help businesses grow.”
From the NSW Government’s June announcement of the program.
Who it’s for
Early-stage founders.
Across NSW.
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander founders, co-founders and founding-team members.
- Live in NSW or operate an NSW-based business.
- At the idea, pre-revenue or early-revenue stage.
- Developing an innovation-intensive product, service or business model.
Short answers and dot points are welcome. Need help with the form? Contact Barayamal to request a confidential phone or video-assisted application.
Plan your participation
Program dates, commitment
and participation support
28 September–18 December 2026
Proposed delivery dates. Online-accessible, including for regional NSW founders.
Approximately eight hours a week
Across learning and applied work, mentoring and peer activities. Flexible participation includes self-paced work; review the proposed timetable and discuss any access needs with Barayamal.
Start & Grow micro-grants
The Start & Grow micro-fund provides $150,000 per year across the program. This is program-wide participation support, not a funding pool reserved exclusively for this cohort.
Selected participants can separately apply for help with eligible participation costs, such as childcare, travel, digital tools, prototyping and registration fees.
Requests are assessed against need and the applicable guidelines. Support is limited to eligible participation costs rather than unrestricted startup capital.
Delivered by Barayamal with support from the NSW Government’s Diversity Pre-Accelerator Program. Proposed dates, offers and final delivery arrangements remain subject to written Investment NSW confirmation.
Take the next step
Cohort 1 applications are closed.
Submitted applications are now being reviewed.
Background for journalists
The bigger picture:
economic participation
Policy and sector context for reporting on First Nations entrepreneurship.
Closing the Gap · Target 8
The national target is 62% employment among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25–64 by 2031. The latest target observation is 55.7% in 2021—not a 2026 employment rate. The Productivity Commission assesses the target as improving and on track, with caution because there are few data points.
NSW · Business growth and access to capital
NSW’s additional Priority Reform 5 focuses on Aboriginal employment, business growth and economic prosperity. The NSW Aboriginal Business Strategy 2026–31 identifies barriers including access to capital, procurement and scaling. Its START pillar includes early-stage capital and foundational business capability.
Source: NSW Government · Priority Reform 5 and business strategy
Sector evidence · Indigenous procurement
Supply Nation reports approximately $5.8 billion in procurement with Indigenous businesses in FY2024–25 within its member and supplier dataset. This relies on self-reported information; it is not an estimate of the entire Indigenous economy.
Source: Supply Nation · 2024–25 report (PDF), methodology pp. 9–10; findings p. 11
Sources checked 16 September 2026. These are policy and sector references—not an evaluation of Barayamal’s program, a claim of endorsement or evidence that this cohort has changed national outcomes. Target 8 measures employment, not business starts.
For journalists
Interviews, images
& media enquiries
A direct contact for your story.
Dean Foley · Managing Director, Barayamal
d.foley@barayamal.com
Download event photographs and Dean Foley portraits directly—no access request needed. Captions and photographer credits are provided below. For an interview about the program, contact Dean.
Five JPEGs: two event photographs (2400 × 1600) and three high-resolution Dean Foley portraits (8192 × 5464 or larger). The folder contains photos only. Dates and credits are below.
Photo captions & credits
01 · Demo Day audience
Audience at Barayamal’s 2019 Demo Day. Archive photograph; not the 2026 cohort.
02 · Demo Day networking
Networking at Barayamal’s 2019 Demo Day. Archive photograph; not the 2026 cohort.
Credit for 01–02: Sonia T. / Snappr, supplied by Barayamal.
03 · Dean Foley, outdoor portrait
Dean Foley, Managing Director of Barayamal, photographed in February 2024.
04 · Dean Foley, seated portrait
Dean Foley, Managing Director of Barayamal, photographed in February 2024.
05 · Dean Foley, studio portrait
Dean Foley, Managing Director of Barayamal, photographed in February 2024. Black-and-white portrait.
Credit for 03–05: Tori Etheridge Photography, supplied by Barayamal. Please retain the photo credit and historical context when using these images.
Barayamal acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and pays respect to Elders past and present.