First Nations Social Enterprise Circle - Findings Report

This findings report comes from Shifting Ground and the First Nations Social Enterprise Circle (FNSEC). It shares insights from a two-day gathering of eight First Nations social enterprise leaders held in Garramilla (Darwin) in April 2026. The report explores what makes First Nations social enterprises strong, what makes their work harder than it needs to be, and what the sector should do about it.

The report finds that First Nations social enterprises draw strength from deep community connection, lived experience and a natural ability to adapt. Leaders bring their whole selves to their work, often blending business goals with cultural responsibility and care for community. But these enterprises also carry what the report calls "colonial load": the extra, often invisible work of operating inside systems built on non-Indigenous ways of thinking. This includes constantly educating funders and clients, managing a lack of public trust in "Black brands", and dealing with unpredictable support that spikes only when political attention turns briefly toward First Nations issues.

The report also explains "colonisation's legacy": unequal access to business knowledge, mentors, generational wealth and culturally safe professional support. Many leaders learned business skills through trial and error, without mentors or financial safety nets that other business owners often take for granted. To address this, the report recommends the sector:

• respond directly to this report rather than letting it go unread
• create regular opportunities for First Nations enterprises to gather and share knowledge
• support First Nations-led advocacy to funders and policymakers
• improve access to culturally safe professional support and information
• increase First Nations representation in sector leadership bodies
• formalise skill-sharing between business experts and First Nations enterprises
• investigate a national First Nations Enterprise body to reduce fragmentation

The report closes with a "Values Map", built collectively by the group, setting out seven core values (integrity, collective good, caring, right way, humility, deep listening and sharing) that surround self-determination and are protected through cultural resistance. Readers will come away with a clearer picture of the everyday realities First Nations enterprises navigate, plus a practical values framework and concrete recommendations for change.