Gajawari KW
Gajawari KW is a majority Aboriginal-owned civil construction and earthworks company working across Western Australia. Established in 2025, the business delivers civil works, earthworks, road construction and related services, with a strong focus on local employment and community engagement.
Need
As a newly established business with limited trading history, preserving working capital and pursuing new opportunities were critical to Gajawari KW’s growth. After winning its first major contract, Gajawari KW needed performance and warranty bond support to meet client requirements without tying up valuable cash.
Solution
We provided Gajawari KW with a Small Business Starter Bond with zero cash cover to meet its contract security requirements while retaining cash flow to invest in people, equipment and future projects. The support helped the business secure new contracts and continue its rapid growth trajectory.
Gajawari KW was established to deliver civil construction services across Western Australia and provide genuine opportunities for Aboriginal communities. With support from Export Finance Australia, the business was able to secure contract bonds, preserve cash flow and build significant momentum in its first year of operations.
Starting a new business is challenging in any industry, but securing major contracts in the highly competitive civil construction sector can be particularly difficult.
Established in 2025, Gajawari KW was created as a majority Aboriginal-owned civil construction business focused on delivering earthworks, roadworks and infrastructure projects across Western Australia. The business combines industry expertise with a strong commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for Aboriginal communities.
From the beginning, the Gajawari KW’s leadership recognised that strong technical capability would not be enough to grow as a competitive business. To support its growth ambitions and deliver new, larger contracts, they would need to meet client security requirements while maintaining the cash flow.
It was absolutely a key moment for us. Winning a $3.5 million project as our first contract was an amazing milestone. Export Finance Australia's support helped us secure that opportunity and preserve the cash flow we needed to continue growing the business.
Keeth Weragoda
Operations Manager, Gajawari KW
Its first major breakthrough came when Gajawari KW secured a $3.5 million land bridge construction project with Rio Tinto. As a newly established company, however, providing contract security presented a challenge. The business needed a solution that would allow it to meet client requirements without tying up the valuable working capital needed to grow.
Building foundations for growth
Before working with Export Finance Australia, Gajawari KW had explored other bonding facilities but, as a growing contractor, the team was looking for a more flexible solution that would better support its ambitions.
We worked with Gajawari KW to establish bonding support with zero cash cover that enabled the business to satisfy contract security requirements while retaining cash flow.
Gajawari KW’s Operations Manager, Keeth Weragoda, said that support made a significant difference. Instead of holding cash against securities, Gajawari KW could direct funds towards equipment, workforce development and pursuing new opportunities.
"The support was excellent. It helps us a lot in terms of growth, because it was a brand-new company with very minimal cash flow at the time of trading. It gave us greater flexibility, so we can use that for investments in machines and maintenance, and for investing in other contracts and developing the company," said Keeth.
Driving opportunities for communities
The impact of the support extended beyond a single project.
After its first contract success with Rio Tinto, Gajawari KW secured a three-year maintenance contract with Rio Tinto valued at around $38 million and has continued pursuing new opportunities across Western Australia's resources sector.
The business has also expanded its operations rapidly. From starting with no personnel or plant assets, it has expanded to a workforce of 28 people, with almost 40% of employees drawn from local and regional Aboriginal communities.
For Keeth, the company's success is measured by more than contracts alone.
"I think it's the genuine commitment to local communities and local engagement that makes us different," he said.
With strong client relationships, a growing workforce and ongoing contract opportunities, Gajawari KW is building a platform for long-term growth while creating lasting benefits for the communities it serves.
