First Nations Owned or Engaged

What this mark certifies

This mark recognises, through two respectful tracks, either Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ownership of a business or genuine and substantive engagement with First Nations communities. It is administered with cultural governance, and it is designed to sit alongside, and not to imitate, the established national Indigenous business ecosystem.

The ownership track recognises businesses that are majority owned, managed and controlled by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. The engagement track recognises organisations that are not Indigenous owned but demonstrate current and substantive engagement through employment, procurement or partnership. The mark keeps the two visibly distinct so they are never conflated, and it does not represent registration or certification by Supply Nation. Where an applicant already holds Supply Nation registration or certification, that is accepted as evidence for the ownership track.

Certification requirements

• Ownership track: a minimum of 51% ownership, management and control of the business by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

• Engagement track: current and substantive engagement evidenced by a minimum of two of the following, a First Nations employment or traineeship program with defined targets and results, procurement from First Nations owned suppliers at a stated annual value, a formal partnership or agreement with a First Nations organisation, or a Reconciliation Action Plan registered with Reconciliation Australia and in active implementation.

• The certificate records the track certified.

Evidence required

• For the ownership track, confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status through accepted forms of confirmation, together with ownership, management and control records.

• For the engagement track, program documents, procurement records, partnership agreements, or a registered Reconciliation Action Plan.

• A signed declaration identifying the track claimed.

How it is assessed

The certifier verifies ownership, management and control for the ownership track, or the engagement evidence against the two element threshold for the engagement track, under cultural governance oversight that applies to every determination made under this mark.

Re-verification and monitoring

Certification is valid for twelve months and is subject to annual re-verification against the certified track.

Grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation

Certification is refused, suspended or revoked where ownership, management or control falls below the threshold on the ownership track, or where the engagement drops below the two element threshold on the engagement track.

Contractual obligations on the badge holder

In addition to the core terms of the CAQA Certified Licence Agreement in Section 4, a holder of this mark agrees to the following obligations specific to this badge.

1. 1

   The holder must maintain the requirements for the certified track throughout the licence term.

2. 2

   The holder must notify CAQA in writing within fourteen days of any change that reduces ownership, management or control below the threshold, or that reduces engagement below the two element threshold.

3. 3

   The holder must not represent or imply that the mark constitutes Supply Nation registration or certification, or endorsement by any First Nations organisation that has not provided it.

4. 4

   Under the engagement track, the holder must not represent or imply that the business is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander owned.

5. 5

   The holder must use the mark respectfully and in accordance with the cultural governance guidelines provided by CAQA.