Benang Strategic Refresh

Overview

Engagement summary

Benang has grown from about $20 million to $43 million in revenue in a year and has outgrown its FY2025 to FY2027 Strategic Plan. Lockwood Advisory will deliver a full strategic refresh using the Systems Shift Method. Month 1 assesses Benang's current position. Month 2 covers capability, culture and a two-year opportunity outlook for each business unit. Month 3 delivers the strategy and the plan to implement it, so Benang starts 2027 with clear priorities, KPIs and owners.

DurationNovember 2026 to January 2027

Outputs12 across three months

TeamThree specialists

Fee$25,000 per month + GST

Systems Shift Method stages by month

01Diagnose

02Map

03Position

04Engage

05Implement

06Evaluate

NovCurrent state assessment

Relationship map

Perception, credentials, competitors and bids, blind spots

DecInternal assessment and opportunity outlook

Capability, culture and identity

Opportunity outlook, positioning

JanStrategy and business plan

Engagement plan

Strategy, business plan

ReviewEvery six months

Six-monthly review

01 Diagnose · 02 Map · 03 Position · 04 Engage · 05 Implement · 06 Evaluate

Team

Nicole Lockwood

Lead

Strategy, leadership sessions and relationships.

Scarlet

Intelligence and positioning

Market research, perception, relationship and blind spot mapping, and visual reporting.

Nick

Operations

Implementation planning: actions, KPIs, owners and process.

Inputs required from Benang

One nominated contact for the engagement.
Project records, bid history (including win and loss outcomes) and existing case studies.
Order book and pipeline for each business unit.
Workforce, apprenticeship and community program information.
Time with the owners, leadership and each Operations Manager.

Benang context

Benang today and how the engagement responds

Drawn from Damir Kadic's notes to Nicole, Benang's FY2025 to FY2027 Strategic Plan and its 2026 brochure.

Benang at a glance

Founded2018. Benang is Noongar for "tomorrow".
OwnershipAboriginal owned and operated. Supply Nation certified.
PeopleAbout 80 direct employees and a similar number of embedded subcontractors.
Business unitsWater and Civil, Power, Gas and Fabrication, with Ergon (plant and labour hire) alongside.
ClientsWater Corporation, Western Power, ATCO Gas, DevelopmentWA, Horizon Power, Fortescue and Rottnest Island Authority.
AccreditationOFSC accredited. ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001.
Recognition2024 WA Business Awards Indigenous Business of the Year. 2023 AIM WA Pinnacle Award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business excellence. 2026 Women in Civil Awards winner.

Revenue growth path

FY25 is approximate. The FY31/32 ambition holds returns at 8 to 10% EBIT. A major projects arm is planned before 2030, with each business unit competing for $10m to $30m packages within one to two years.

TopicBenang's positionAddressed by

Business development

Business development and immediate opportunities are slower than expected for FY27, and the order book is limited outside Gas.

08 Opportunity outlook11 Engagement plan

Project outlook

Benang needs a two-year outlook on projects for every business unit.

08 Opportunity outlook

Water Corporation

Benang holds a place on the Pipeline Services Panel and is part of the One Water Alliance, but has won 2 jobs in 14 months, the lowest capture and win rate of any business unit.

03 Relationship map04 Competitors and bids09 Positioning

Business unit maturity

Business development and delivery maturity in Water and Power needs 12 to 24 months to build, alongside growing self-perform capacity and the central support function.

06 Capability12 Business plan

Priorities

Immediate requirements compete with longer-term plays, while several business units are still maturing and new industries are being explored.

10 Strategy12 Business plan

Growth model

Benang wants to move away from one-off projects towards programs of works, BOO/BOOM arrangements and alliances, as a named partner on larger projects.

08 Opportunity outlook11 Engagement plan

Community

Benang wants longer-term work that will "connect our passion for community and our drive for business commercial outcomes".

07 Culture and identity10 Strategy

The current Strategic Plan (FY2025 to FY2027)

TargetsThe headline goal was $40 million revenue by July 2027 (stretch $50 million), written when Benang had about 40 staff. Benang reached $43 million in FY26 and has about 80 employees.
Actions29 actions, dated December 2024 to December 2025 or marked ongoing. None are scheduled for 2026 or 2027.
Business unitsBuilt around Water, Power, Gas and Mining and Resources. Benang now runs Water and Civil, Power, Gas and Fabrication.
Aboriginal identityFemale and Aboriginal ownership is named as a point of difference, and the structure includes an Aboriginal Engagement role. The vision ("one of Australia's largest construction companies"), goals and KPIs do not draw on it, and the apprenticeship program is not mentioned. Community appears as a goal to donate $1 million to selected organisations by 2027.
CompetitorsMainstream contractors (Georgiou, Valmec, BMD, RJV, DM Civil, TCD and WA Utilities) and one Aboriginal business, Maali Group.

Key messages for Benang

Benang has outgrown its current plan. Revenue passed the July 2027 target in FY26, and the refresh sets the strategy for the next stage of growth.
Benang's Aboriginal ownership, apprenticeship program and community partnerships are its strongest differentiator. The strategy will connect them to commercial outcomes and give Benang a basis to compete on more than price.
Every business unit gets a two-year opportunity outlook, and every action in the business plan has a KPI and an owner.
The work starts with evidence, including where and why Benang wins and loses bids.
Three specialists deliver the work, and Benang keeps all twelve outputs.

Scope

Deliverables by month

Twelve outputs over three months, covering the group and each business unit. Each month closes with a session with Benang's leadership.

Month 1 · November 2026

Current state assessment

How Benang is seen, what it has delivered, and where it wins and loses work.

02 Map03 Position

01
Market perception scanHow Benang is described publicly, online, in the media and by asset owners and partners, across all four business units.Perception summary
02
Credentials auditProjects, certifications and awards across Water and Civil, Power, Gas and Fabrication, compared with what is visible in case studies, the brochure and bid material.Credentials register and gaps to close
03
Relationship mapRelationships with asset owners, alliance partners, government and community, showing where influence sits and which relationships are missing.Relationship map with priorities
04
Competitor and bid reviewMainstream and Aboriginal competitors in each business unit's market, and a review of recent bids, including Water Corporation, showing where and why Benang wins and loses.Competitor profiles and win/loss findings
05
Blind spot mapWhat the market sees, what Benang says and what Benang does, compared to show where they differ.Blind spot map with recommended actions

Closing sessionCurrent state findings presented to leadership.

Month 2 · December 2026

Internal assessment and opportunity outlook

What each business unit has to work with, and where the next two years of work will come from.

01 Diagnose03 Position

06
Capability assessmentEach business unit's people, delivery and business development maturity, self-perform capacity, and the central support function.Capability profile by business unit
07
Culture and identity assessmentHow Aboriginal ownership, employment pathways, the apprenticeship program and community partnerships operate across the business, from leadership through to delivery.Findings with supporting evidence
08
Two-year opportunity outlookOpportunities for each business unit, including panels, programs of works, alliances and BOO/BOOM arrangements, across utilities, mining, oil and gas, defence and land development.Opportunity outlook by business unit
09
Competitive positioningBenang's capability compared with its competitors, and the position it is best placed to hold as it moves to $10m to $30m packages and a major projects arm.Positioning options

Closing sessionPositioning and priorities agreed with leadership.

Month 3 · January 2027

Strategy and business plan

The refreshed strategy and the plan to deliver it.

04 Engage05 Implement

10
Strategy documentVision, mission, narrative and strategic priorities for the growth path to FY31/32, with Benang's Aboriginal identity and community commitment central throughout.Strategy document
11
Engagement planHow Benang takes its position to asset owners and partners: relationships to build, alliance and program of works pursuits, narrative, case studies and approach to tenders.Engagement plan
12
Corporate business planThree years of actions for the group and each business unit, with tasks, KPIs, owners and a review schedule. Replaces the FY2025 to FY2027 plan.Three-year business plan

Closing sessionHandover to leadership, ready for 2027.

After delivery · every six months

Six-monthly review

Systems Shift stage 06 Evaluate. Scoped separately.

Progress against group and business unit KPIs
Updated market perception and win rates
New credentials and case studies added
Actions and owners updated for the next six months

Tools and methods

How the work is done

The tools Lockwood Advisory has developed within the Systems Shift Method, applied to Benang across all six stages.

The Systems Shift Method

01DiagnoseOrganisational assessment and baseline

02MapRelationships and pursuits in one view

03PositionCredentials, perception and market position

04EngagePartnering and approach to market

05ImplementStrategy, readiness and business planning

06EvaluateResults review and the next cycle

Used in 05 Blind spot map and 07 Culture and identity

Blind spot mapping

Compares three views of the organisation. Where all three align, Benang has a position it can claim and evidence. Each gap becomes a recommended action.

1
Seen and said, not evidenced. Claims the business needs to be able to prove.
2
Seen and done, not said. Strengths Benang is not communicating.
3
Said and done, not seen. Work that is not yet visible to the market.

Market signal scan

A structured review of public sources (media, websites, social channels, tender and award records, partner material) showing how an organisation is described, who it is associated with and how consistent the picture is.

01 Perception04 Competitors and bids

Credentials analysis

Project records and bid material compiled into one credentials register, checked against what is publicly visible, with a standard case study template for bids.

02 Credentials

Relationship mapping

A visual map of relationships across clients, partners, government and community, built from Benang's records and leadership input, showing where influence sits and where the gaps are.

03 Relationship map

Industry assessment

Opportunity research for each business unit across tender portals, asset owner investment programs, project databases, government announcements and industry news. Every finding is checked against its source before it is reported.

08 Opportunity outlook09 Positioning

Capability and culture assessment

Interviews with the owners, leadership and Operations Managers, team input and workforce data, assessed against Benang's purpose and values.

06 Capability07 Culture and identity

Business planning framework

Strategy translated into actions with tasks, KPIs, owners and review dates, built with operational input so the plan can be run day to day.

10 Strategy11 Engagement12 Business plan

Fees

Fee and options

Strategic refresh $25,000 Per month + GST · November 2026 to January 2027

$75,000 + GSTTotal

Included

All twelve outputs, which Benang keeps.
Three specialists across strategy, intelligence and operations.
A leadership session at the close of each month.
Data and research tools used to produce the outputs.

If the budget or timing needs to change

Standard

$75,000 + GST

Nov 2026 to Jan 2027 · $25,000 per month

All twelve outputs delivered by the end of January.

Extended timeline

$75,000 + GST

Nov 2026 to Mar 2027 · $15,000 per month

The same scope over five months. The business plan is delivered in March.

Reduced scope

From $25,000 + GST

Starts November 2026

Benang selects priority months or outputs, for example Month 1 on its own, with later months added when ready. The fee is set on the selected scope.

The outputs listed for the selected option form the agreed scope. Further work is scoped separately.

After delivery

Ongoing support

Two services follow the strategic refresh. Both are scoped separately.

Systems Shift stage 06 · Evaluate

Six-monthly review

A structured check every six months after delivery, so the business plan stays current and on track.

KPIsProgress against the business plan targets.
MarketUpdated view of how Benang is described and positioned.
CredentialsNew projects and case studies added to the register.
PlanActions and owners updated for the next six months.

Optional · separate service

Signal Service

Ongoing market intelligence between reviews: a monthly report and dashboard covering how Benang is described publicly, gaps between its stated and actual identity, competitor activity and new opportunities.

Industry data. Business News is the intended data source. Nicole meets Charles on Monday 2 November to discuss a partnership, with reporting branded "Powered by Business News".