Indigenous Business Services
KPP has worked extensively with individuals, corporations and communities across the Pilbara, Kimberley and Central Desert region of the Northern Territory. KPP is a preferred service provider to Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) and through the IBA Indigenous Business Assistance Program, KPP provides indigenous clients with professional assistance to acquire, establish, grow and develop commercially viable enterprises.
In 2009, KPP has also been appointed to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) Business Support and Economic Development Panel, the DEEWR Innovation Fund Panel. KPP is a DEEWR New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) provider under the new Job Services Australia framework. See the NEIS page for more information.
Enterprise Development
We have worked with more than 50 indigenous clients with projects across a diverse range of industries including aquaculture, hospitality, horticulture, earthmoving and concreting, landscaping, tourism, retail businesses and community stores.
We always provide an honest and robust assessment of business opportunities. KPP has assisted indigenous clients establish over 20 enterprises in the past 2 years and all of these remain profitable and sustainable.
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KPP is committed to building sound and sustainable businesses with our clients. Services provided by KPP to achieve this include ongoing business support and mentoring for the client. The main objective of providing this service is to ensure that the client is adhering to agreed business systems and processes, is monitoring business performance against key milestones and objectives, and is becoming skilled in the management and operation of a commercial business enterprise. KPP also holds considerable skills in the areas of econometric modeling, marketing, and environmental planning and uses this expertise throughout the various stages of business development.
Organisations & Corporations
KPP works with a number of Aboriginal Corporations and community organisations in the development and implementation of strategic plans, business plans and enterprise development models.
A key priority for many groups is the need to develop sound and culturally appropriate corporate governance systems. KPP has designed unique training modules and mechanisms to improve the functionality of Boards and the management of indigenous organisations.
Building organisational capacity to work more efficiently and effectively is also required by many groups. KPP assists organisations to design the most appropriate corporate structure and to equip themselves with the right mix of skills, experience and resources. Sufficient funding for community service organisations is always a challenge, and KPP has assisted many organisations access funding from Government and non-government sources.
Some of the indigenous organisations KPP has worked with to develop strategic and economic development plans include:
- Kimberley Enterprises Aboriginal Corporation 2006
- Winun Ngari Aboriginal Corporation 2007-present
- Djugan Tribal Creations 2007-present
- Yaruwu Aboriginal Corporation 2007
- Jabbir Jabbir Nations Aboriginal Corporation 2007
- Jaruwu Jarndu Aboriginal Corporation 2008
- Mamabulanjin Aboriginal Corporation 2007-present
- Kullarri Regional CDEP Inc 2007, 2009-present
- Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation 2008
- Jiamiddie Aboriginal Corporation 2008
- Looma Community Incorporated 2008
- Kullarri Patrol 2008-present
- Yungngora Association Inc 2009-present
- Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation 2007-present
- Ardyaloon Incorporated 2009 - present
- Marnda Mia Ltd 2010
The Platform for Indigenous Business Success
On the understanding that new enterprise development in regional and remote areas of the country is more than just being about money and employment, KPP has developed basic criteria or parameters that are considered the platform for business success. These are:
1. Leadership - self-employment assistance can be delivered as part of any new enterprise however there must be a demonstrated will on behalf of the client to achieve their goals. Regardless of whether this is an individual or larger group, this requires leadership, focus and perseverance.
2. Cultural considerations - enterprise development can take many forms however it is all too often the case that opportunities are presented or made available to client groups that simply do not fit with cultural priorities or aspirations. Experience has shown that failure to address this aspect as part of the development process can invariably result in client groups being in conflict with their beliefs, values and cultural heritage.
3. Strong governance, policy development and procedures - these elements form the foundations of building successful businesses. Ensuring they are clearly understood and subsequently complied with as part of the ongoing operation of the business has been a determining factor in achieving self-employment outcomes through new enterprise development.
4. Client capacity and aspirations - successful enterprise development is about ensuring that aspirations and client capacity are compatible. Although a venture may prove to be financially viable it may not be feasible in the sense that the client does not have the capacity (skills, experience, ability etc) to achieve business success.
As a company that specialises in business development, KPP has established its own corporate values against which its performance is monitored. These values represent the manner in which our services are delivered and focus on honesty, integrity, transparency and most of all achieving results.
Put simply, KPP will not set up a new enterprise to fail; Nor will it assist Indigenous Australians in self-employment opportunities, work with them to become established in a new enterprise, and then walk away.
KPP have an office located in Broome, Western Australia, and a large amount of the work undertaken with Indigenous Australians has been completed ‘on country' or with the participants in remote communities.
Case Studies
D&H Contracting
In May 2008, Warmun resident Dallas Purdie was been presented with an opportunity to enter into a contractual arrangement with road construction company Team Savannah. The opportunity involved the provision of water truck dust suppression services as part of a road maintenance project on the Great Northern Highway between Warmun and Halls Creek. KPP was engaged by IBA to work with Dallas in assessing the business opportunity through a feasibility study, the documenting of a business plan and budgets once the project was found to be feasible, and then the preparation of contractual arrangements with Team Savannah. KPP has provided ongoing support to Dallas during 2008, assisting with administrative, reporting requirements and company setup.
Kullarri Patrol
The Kullarri Patrol is a Broome program established in 1992 with the main objective of diverting Indigenous people from unnecessary contact with the criminal justice system, by picking them up and taking them to a ‘safe place'. The Program has primarily focused on the provision of safe transportation for intoxicated people, including transport home or to a designated safe place.
With ongoing support provided by KPP since the Strategic Plan was completed in May 2008, KPP has facilitated a monthly reference group meeting with a range of stakeholders including Police, Shire, Department of Child Protection, Department of Indigenous Affairs, Department of who have used the data collected by Kullarri Patrol to develop policies and programs that are helping to achieve the Kullarri's vision - "permanent change". The Patrol has gone from strength to strength since the Strategic Plan was completed, with many implementation actions now completed. KPP has helped Kullarri Patrol to secure adequate funding from a range of Government programs and this has enabled the program to expand its operation to a seven day a week operation, including the re-establishment of foot patrols. Patrollers are now qualified and trained (with all of them having obtained a Certificate II in Community Services and Certificate II in Security Services, First Aid, and Working with Children clearances). A new Patrol Bus has been recently been secured through Lotterywest funding. Retention of the Patrollers has been dramatically improved as a result of improved wages, hours of work, and morale.
Winun Ngari Aboriginal Corporation
Winun Ngari Aboriginal Corporation (WNAC) , a resource agency servicing Gibb River Road Communities from Derby to Kandiwal. KPP has been working with WNAC and its member Communities for some years and has completed a number of business feasibility studies and business proposals. Underpinning all work done to date for WNAC, a macro level regional economic plan was developed by KPP to ensure that Community enterprises would be compatible (rather than competing) and each would build on the others.
There were a couple of Economic Models identified as operating within the Winun Ngari's service area. The most prevalent is dominated by the Public Sector through provision of services (health, education, housing etc). Community income is also largely dependent upon the Public Sector through CDEP and other welfare benefits. The Traditional economy includes social structure, customs, Law, hunting, fishing and so on but this sector is overwhelmed to a great extent by the Public Sector Economy.
After extensive consultation, the model KPP developed looks to achieve an equilibrium between competing activities and priorities. This allows the evaluation of opportunities (by the Community) to be considered against the priorities they themselves have determined. It also means that there are a number of employment pathways that encourage more appropriate training.
The bottom line for any sustainable employment strategy therefore must be based on a clear Community Plan that determines that particular communities' priorities and is based on the dynamics and structure of that Community. This has to be done on a Community by Community basis, which is both time and financially consuming however, outcomes will be sustainable over time.