Indigenous Business Leader of the Year
Indigenous Business Leader of the Year recognises an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander business owner or founder whose leadership is creating measurable progress through business. It celebrates commercial achievement, sound judgement, people development, influence and leadership that creates opportunity across business, industry and community.
Choose this category when: Your strongest story is your leadership as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander business owner and the measurable outcomes created through your decisions, people and influence.
Is this your category?
A quick read on the businesses this title is written for.
Is an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander business owner or founder.
Can connect their leadership decisions to measurable business outcomes.
Creates opportunity and capability for other people through employment, mentoring, partnerships or leadership.
Demonstrates influence across business, industry or community.
Has a clear direction for the future of their business and the contribution they want to make.
What judges need to see.
The five areas your answers are assessed against.
Foundation
Foundation: The entrant's business, leadership role, commercial context and what they have built or led.
Results
Results: Commercial, organisational and people outcomes connected to their leadership.
Decisions
Decisions: Major choices, challenges, pivots and judgement demonstrated through the business.
Leadership
Leadership: People development, culture, mentorship, employment pathways, partnerships and influence.
Impact
Impact: Contribution to Indigenous economic participation, business, industry, community and future capability.
Evidence to start gathering
Start collecting these now so the writing is quick later.
Read the Evidence Pack guideBusiness growth or financial performance connected to leadership decisions.
Team growth, retention, promotion or capability-development outcomes.
Employment or career pathways created for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Mentoring, training or leadership-development results.
Major strategic decisions with measurable outcomes.
Partnerships, contracts or industry opportunities created through the entrant's leadership.
Testimonials describing specific leadership outcomes.
Industry, economic or community contribution supported by measurable evidence.
Entry details and eligibility
The format, the dates and the conditions that apply to this title.
The entrant must be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander business owner or founder.
- Assessment period
- 2024–27.
- Minimum business age
- 12 months.
- Written responses
- 5.
- Evidence Pack
- 5 pages.
1 January 2024 to 28 February 2027
Minimum 12 months in business as at 4 October 2026.
5 written responses, up to 400 words each.
One PDF, up to 5 pages and 10 MB.
Resources
Before you enter
Five short reads that answer almost everything. Each one opens the Entry Guide at the right place.
Evidence Pack guide
What counts as evidence, what does not, and how to lay the PDF out.
Full eligibility
The rules that apply to every title, including trading dates and locations.
How judging works
Who reads your entry, how it is scored and how finalists are chosen.
Build a strong entry
How to answer the five questions with specifics instead of adjectives.
Frequently asked questions
Costs, deadlines, multiple entries and everything else people ask first.
RAYE Awards 2027
Indigenous Business Leader of the Year
Entries are written and submitted in the RAYE Awards portal, a separate system to RAYE Haus. Read the criteria, gather your evidence, then head across.