Partnership Development
Joint Venture Development
Getting the structure right is not paperwork. It determines who qualifies for what work, who carries which risk, and whether capacity is built or rented.
Why structure matters
Three Things a Structure Decides.
Procurement eligibility. Many procurement programs and major-project commitments set ownership and control requirements. A joint venture has to be built to meet the requirements of the work it was formed to pursue.
Capacity. A structure where the Indigenous partner holds equity but no operational role builds nothing lasting. One that phases responsibility across, with training and a defined handover, leaves a business behind when the project ends.
Durability. Councils change, ownership changes and commodity cycles turn. The agreements that last are the ones that anticipated all three at the outset.
Bear Valley Solutions advises on the commercial structure of a joint venture and works with each party's own legal counsel. We are advisors, not lawyers or accountants, and each party should take its own independent legal and tax advice.
Models
Common Joint Venture Structures.
The structures below are general descriptions of how joint ventures are commonly organized. Which one fits depends on the parties, the work and the procurement programs involved.
| Structure | Typical Use | What to Plan For |
|---|---|---|
| Majority Indigenous-owned | Where procurement programs set Indigenous ownership and control requirements | Genuine operational capacity, or a credible plan to build it |
| Equal partnership | Where both partners bring comparable capability and capital | A clear way to make decisions and resolve disagreements |
| Minority equity with earn-in | Where the Indigenous partner is building capacity over time | An earn-in path that is defined and time-bound |
| Project-specific joint venture | A single major project with a defined end | Builds less lasting capacity than an ongoing business |
| Operating company | An ongoing business rather than one project | Sustained work volume to stay viable |
What we do
Where We Are Useful.
Structuring
Ownership, control and the governance model, tested against the procurement programs the joint venture intends to pursue.
Governance Design
Board composition, reserved matters, decision-making and reporting to Nation leadership.
Capacity Planning
A resourced, scheduled path for the Indigenous partner to take on operational responsibility.
Commercial Terms
Distributions, capital contributions, transfer restrictions and exit provisions, worked through with each party's counsel.
Eligibility Review
Checking the structure against the procurement requirements it needs to satisfy.
Ongoing Support
Staying involved through the first operating cycles, where a structure meets day-to-day reality.
Start a conversation
Tell us what you are working on.
Whether you are a Nation weighing a development opportunity or a company entering a new territory, the first step is a conversation — not a proposal.