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What is the Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices Grants Program?
The Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices Grants Program is an initiative that aims to drive the adoption of proven and existing (Australian and international) research and development (R&D) practices and technologies that assist farmers in building drought resilience.
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Background
The Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices Grants Program was announced in April 2022 as part of the Future Drought Fund, with at least $14.3 million of funding being made available to applicants operating in Australia. The Future Drought Fund is committed to supporting farmers through the delivery of grants for extending and promoting the adoption (including through demonstration for this purpose) of proven and existing R&D practices and technologies that assist farmers with building drought resilience.
The program recognises that there are existing R&D practices that present solutions, and assist farmers with building drought resilience, but the gap is in driving adoption through extension activities and achieving practice change at large scales.
The program will focus on extension and adoption of both Australian-generated R&D and/or internationally generated R&D projects being implemented by Australian entities. This will ensure practices and technologies supported through the program are applicable in the Australian context and conditions.
Objectives
The objective of the program is to fund activities that support adoption of proven and existing Australian and/or internationally generated research and development practices and technology that:
- reduce the impacts of drought on agricultural productivity and/or enable a quicker recovery of farmers and their lands from drought
- have potential to be adopted at a large scale (either across multiple farms, a farming system, landscapes, regions or industries)
- can demonstrate public benefits.
Funding
The maximum grant amount is $3 million (GST exclusive) per approved application. The minimum grant amount per approved application is $100,000.
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Eligible Projects
To be eligible your grant activity must:
- Align with the objectives of the program, notably:
- deliver activities that will drive the large scale adoption of an Australian or international R&D drought resilience practice or technology that is proven to reduce the impacts of drought on agricultural productivity and/or enable a quicker recovery from drought, at a large scale.
- This may include, but is not limited to targeted extension services or demonstrations for groups on-farm or off-site, for example at agricultural field days or conferences.
- can demonstrate public benefits and why activities cannot be funded from private sources.
- Be delivered within 24 months from the grant activity start date.
- Seek grant funding up to $3 million (GST exclusive) and use co-contributions in addition to the grant funding provided to deliver the project.
Eligible expenditure items are:
- purchase (or hire or lease) of equipment and materials
- salaries and on-costs for personnel directly employed in delivering the project activities
- staff training that directly supports the achievement of project outcomes
- rental of land for demonstrations
- contract expenditure
- workshops and conferences
- community events
- domestic travel
- international travel
- the total cost of both domestic and international travel must be limited to a maximum 10% GST exclusive of the grant
- administrative support and overheads additional to the normal day to day running costs of the organisation,
- costs you incur in order to obtain planning, environmental or other regulatory approvals during the project period
- direct costs related to the involvement of an international organisation in your consortium
- small-scale infrastructure
- financial auditing of project expenditure
- reporting on project outcomes
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:
- Indigenous Corporation
- Company
- Corporate Commonwealth Entityv
- Non-Corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority
- Corporate State or Territory Entity
- Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
- Local Government Entity
- Cooperative
- Incorporated Association
- Statutory Entity
- Partnership
- Unincorporated Association
The applicant must:
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- have an account with an Australian financial institution
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Timing
Applications close 9 January 2023.
