Opportunities such as funding rounds and scholarship programs are promoted on this page when available.
Have Your Say on the Future Drought Fund Innovation Challenges Pilot
You can help drive public investment in transformational innovations for Australian agriculture and farming communities to help future-proof them against drought and climate impacts.
Consultation is now open on the complex drought challenges facing Australian agriculture. Your feedback will help design the Australian Government’s Innovation Challenge Pilot – to be delivered through the Future Drought Fund.
The Pilot will provide $20 million over three years (2025-26 to 2027-28) to fund innovative, sustainable and high-impact solutions to the complex challenges posed by drought and climate impacts.
This is a new challenge-oriented approach to finding innovative solutions and it cannot be developed without valuable input from you.
Your knowledge and expertise will ensure the Pilot addresses the most pressing challenges faced by Australian farmers and regional communities.
Feedback will also inform the grant opportunity guidelines for the Innovation Challenges grant round to be launched in 2025.
Consultation closes 13 March 2025 at 5pm (AEDT).
Apply to be part of the Drought Venture Lab - deadline extended to 16 March
Australian innovators with new ideas for drought resilience are invited to apply to be part of the Drought Venture Lab – Cohort 3. Successful candidates will receive coaching to refine business models, commercialisation support, and curated industry connections with investors and agribusiness leaders. Funded by the Future Drought Fund and delivered by Beanstalk Agtech.
Applications close on 16 March 2025.
Apply for a Climate-Smart Agriculture Capacity Building grant - deadline 31 March
Applications for the Natural Heritage Trust’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Capacity Building Grants (Round 2) are now open. With $16.58m available over three years (2025-28), grants of $250k to $3m will help farmers to have better access to knowledge and skills relating to best practice climate-smart sustainable agriculture approaches.
To collaborate with the SW WA Hub, email us at swwadroughthub@gga.org.au.
Applications close on 31 March 2025.
Apply for a Drought Resilience Scholarship with Nuffield Australia - deadline 16 May
The Future Drought Fund is investing in five Nuffield scholarships that are specifically available to study drought resilience and support innovation. These scholarships will support applicants to build drought resilience expertise, adapt innovative technology and practices from overseas and share these learnings to advance Australian agriculture.
Applications close on 16 May 2025.
Expression Of Interest for Resilience Training Program for Farmers
Two Future Drought Fund grant rounds are currently open
1. Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program Round 2
This program builds on the success of the existing Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program which is delivering projects to investigate innovative and transformational farming practices to build drought resilience.
$40.3 million will be available through an open competitive grant process for projects between $3 million and $8 million from 2024-25 until 2029-30.
Round 2 will include an expanded list of eligible agricultural industries.
2. Resilient Landscapes Program
The program requires applicants to demonstrate how proven practices, technology and approaches can be used to manage natural resources and contribute to building drought and climate resilience.
$40 million will be available through an open competitive grant process for projects between $2 million and $6 million from 2024-25 until 2029-30.
Hub team support
As per previous grant rounds, the SW WA Hub can provide assistance to Hub consortium partners and grower groups whose applications align with WA’s drought resilience priorities.
The Hub team is committed to maximising your chances of success. Here’s how we can assist:
- Letters of support: We can facilitate letters of support for applicants who engage with the Hub early, align their projects with WA’s regional drought resilience priorities, and are seeking to partner with the Grower Group Alliance (GGA).
- Facilitating collaboration: We can introduce proponents of similar projects, including interstate partners, fostering opportunities for co-design and project amalgamation.
- Grant application guidance: Our team can help you navigate grant guidelines and offer high-level advice on how to best meet the grant criteria.
Complete an expression of interest (EOI)
Expressions of interest are now closed.
To access our support, complete our expression of interest (EOI) form by 25 October.
The EOIs capture key information such as:
- Contact Details: How we can reach you.
- Project Summary: A high-level overview of your idea or proposal.
- Industry Focus: The industries you are targeting (e.g., cropping, livestock, mixed).
- Level of Involvement: Your desired role in the project (e.g., consortium lead, partner, service provider).
- Project Scale: Whether your interest is local, statewide, or national.
- Skills and Resources: What you bring to the table (e.g., field trial sites, expertise, equipment) and what additional skills or resources you may need from a collaboration partner (e.g., extension expertise, trial design, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning).
- Alignment with local priorities: Which of WA’s drought resilience priorities your project addresses.
The Hub has a strong focus on collaboration and our qualified staff and industry connections can provide significant assistance to grant applicants.
Current Transformational Grants
Small Grants Closed
The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub’s (SW WA Hub) small grants program is now closed. Full proposals are currently being reviewed with project announcements anticipated for later this month.
Led by the SW WA Hub with funding from the FDF, the Hub’s 18 month Transformational Projects Program (the Program) aims to transform current agricultural systems and address drought and climate challenges.
Contact Knowledge Broker Tanya Kilminster with any queries tkilminster@gga.org.au.
Guidelines
Register for SA study tour
September 17 – 22
Join other growers from Sunday, September 17, to Friday, September 22, for a five-day tour looking at innovation in South Australian broadacre agriculture. Look and think ‘outside the box’ while viewing new approaches to soil and water productivity, different ways of unlocking plant potential and examples of efficient input use.
Current Opportunities
Opening January 2023
Future Drought Fund (FDF) grant round: Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Grants Program
This $40 million grants program will support a limited number of long-term trials to build the drought resilience and profitability of cropping and grazing farmers.
