Empowering First Nations entrepreneurs: The impact of First Australians Capital

When COVID brought the travel industry to a standstill, InTravel Group was forced to start over.

“We became a start-up again,” says Dwayne Good, founder and managing director of InTravel Group, and a proud Bundjalung man.

“We were rebuilding the business, and while we had this great success, that growth came with challenges around capacity and efficiency.”

InTravel Group is a 100% Indigenous-owned corporate travel management company. As borders reopened, demand returned fast.

Scaling the business required system upgrades and specialist guidance.

“There was a moment when we really needed to ramp up our scalability,” Dwayne says. “To do that, we needed funding and the right kind of support.”

That’s where InTravel Group partnered with First Australians Capital.

A different approach to finance

Between structural hurdles, rigid lending schedules and limited understanding of cultural contexts, accessing finance through mainstream institutions remains an obstacle for many First Nations businesses.

“First Nations entrepreneurs find it really challenging to access capital, especially for businesses in regional and remote communities,” says Mi-Lin Finnie, managing director of First Australians Capital and a proud Anaiwan woman. “A lot of that’s to do with the barriers that mainstream finance has entrenched in their models.”

FAC exists to address those gaps – with capital and capability building at the centre.

FAC partners with First Nations businesses through:

• Capacity and capability building
• Access to networks, services and expertise
• Relationship-based, culturally informed engagement
• Fit-for-purpose capital

“Our role is to back First Nations entrepreneurs with the support they need to achieve their dreams,” Mi-Lin says.

Backing Indigenous excellence

For InTravel Group, this approach proved transformational.

“I canvassed the market for available support, and we ended up working with FAC,” Dwayne says. “They are specialists in First Nations-owned businesses, and the relationship was really positive and authentic from the start.”

It’s also reciprocal – FAC uses InTravel’s services for their corporate travel needs.

With FAC’s partnership, InTravel was able to:

· Invest in automation for efficiency

· Bring in specialist expertise

· Scale and grow both their business and bottom line

“The funding from FAC was a real trigger point for us,” Dwayne says, with InTravel Group now competing confidently in a crowded market. “We’re well-known now. We’re a story of Indigenous excellence in the travel industry.”

These gains also create positive flow-on impact, allowing InTravel to reinvest in Indigenous traineeships and employment pathways.

Stronger through relationships

FAC’s impact has been amplified through its relationship with Bank Australia, in line with the bank’s First Nations Recognition and Respect strategy.

“Our strategy is about creating opportunities and relationships with First Nations communities,” says Cecilia Crosbie, Impact Fund Consultant at Bank Australia. “We know economic empowerment is a key driver of self-determination.”

Through Bank Australia’s professional volunteering program, employees worked alongside the FAC team for five days to deliver a detailed gap assessment and capacity-building recommendations across FAC’s operations.

Mi-Lin says the relationship is anchored in shared values. “FAC and Bank Australia are aligned on giving back into community,” she says. “And Bank Australia is also learning from us about culturally appropriate, relational approaches.”

Long-term impact for the community

With the right support, First Nations businesses can thrive. “We’ve seen businesses go from ideation stage to turning over millions of dollars,” Mi-Lin says.

For Dwayne, it’s about the ripple effect and how these benefits extend. “When First Nations entrepreneurs are backed by people who truly understand them,” he says.“That’s when businesses thrive, and communities grow stronger with them.”