MURRA Indigenous business program to double student intake from 2019

From next year, Melbourne Business School will run the MURRA Indigenous Business Master Class program twice a year, expanding the program's intake up to 50 places.

MURRA program director Michelle Evans made the announcement at the launch of Indigenous Business Month at Melbourne Business School.

"With the MURRA program running twice a year as of 2019 and us doubling the amount of applications as of this year, the program is looking very exciting," Dr Evans said.

Dr Evans said selection criteria for the program would expand to include native title owners and Indigenous managers in corporations and governments as well as small business owners and entrepreneurs, which it was originally designed to cater for.

"We're thinking about the Indigenous business sector as a broader thing and we're wanting people who are running Indigenous business or procurement type programs in governments and corporates to be interfacing with Indigenous business people within the MURRA program," she said.

"The reason is that all these sectors require business skills, and by bringing this group into the room we expand their ability to collaborate, enter joint ventures and provide a support network for them to think creatively on how to grow opportunities for their communities."

More than 130 Indigenous entrepreneurs from across Australia have completed the MURRA program since it began seven years ago.

MURRA will run from April 12 to July 22, and again from September 13 to November 25 in 2019. This is a part of the University of Melbourne's initiative to educate 1000 Indigenous business leaders by 2025.

To find out more, visit the MURRA Indigenous Business Program website.