2008 Incubator of the Year, Nontechnology Category Winner

Darebin Enterprise Centre

Alphington, Victoria, Australia

Bob Waite, CEO

Cr. Chris Kelly, Ahmmed Hammam, Clare O’ Neill, Sue La Greca, Tony Coppola, Candi Browne, Kevin Breen and Mick Butera, directors

Year established: 1997

Incubator size: 50,750 square feet

Incubator clients: 35 clients on site; 63 remote/virtual indigenous incubator clients; 40 clients in small business mentoring programs

Incubator graduates: 55

www.decl.com.au

Achievements: Darebin Enterprise Centre’s mission is to assist the long-term economic growth of new and existing businesses as a way to increase sustainable employment in its region and beyond. With its Indigenous Business Incubator, the program has extended services to Indigenous entrepreneurs in Tasmania and Victoria and in the Northern Territory of Australia. “The Enterprise Centre is committed to supporting the development of small business initiatives undertaken by Indigenous Australians,” says Director Ahmmed Hammam.

He says the incubator’s biggest obstacle has been delivering services in buildings that are “very old and in need of constant maintenance.” To overcome this challenge, the program has expanded its services and raised funds to build and refurbish facilities. “The Centre is now in a strong financial position and will seek a commercial loan to build new incubator facilities,” says Hammam.

NBIA isn’t the first to recognize the incubator’s hard work: The program was named Australian Incubator of the Year in 2001 and 2007.