Deadline: 19 December 2019
The Australian Government is accepting applications for projects to deliver services under the National Landcare Program – Smart Farms Small Grants Round 3.
Smart Farms Small Grants is an open, competitive, grant opportunity to support projects to increase farming, forestry and fishing communities’ awareness, knowledge, skills, and capacity to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture.
The purpose of Smart Farms Small Grants is to support land manager practice change that will deliver more sustainable, productive and profitable food, fibre and forestry business while protecting Australia’s biodiversity; protecting and improving the condition of natural resources, and assisting Australia meet its international obligations.
Projects may relate to any form of food, fibre, and forestry production, including cropping, pasture and rangelands grazing livestock, dairy, horticulture, mixed farming, forestry, farm forestry, fishing and aquaculture.
The purpose will be achieved by supporting projects that contribute to achieving one or both of the program outcomes:
- Outcome 1 – Increased adoption of best practice sustainable agriculture
- Smart Farms Small Grants Round 3 will:
- directly improve eligible natural resources and improve on-farm adoption of best practice sustainable agriculture
- increase the number of Australia’s farming, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry entities that have adopted best practice sustainable agriculture maintain or improve Australia’s soil, water and vegetation resources and accommodate the sustainable use of biodiversity.
- Achieving this outcome will:
- deliver benefits to Australia’s natural resource base and the broader community
- result in improved economic and social outcomes through better food, fibre and forestry industry sustainability, productivity, and profitability
- assist entities and industries to improve their own sustainability, productivity, profitability and ability to adapt to significant changes in climate, weather and markets
- improve the capacity of food, fibre and forestry businesses to demonstrate the sustainability of their operations through the traceability of their products.
- Smart Farms Small Grants Round 3 will:
- Outcome 2 – Increase the capacity of land managers to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture
- Smart Farms Small Grants Round 3 will:
- increase the awareness, knowledge and skills of Australia’s farming, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry entities and managers in best practice sustainable agriculture
- increase the capacity and capability of community and Landcare groups to assist in the adoption of best practice sustainable agriculture.
- Achieving this outcome will:
- increase food, fibre and forestry businesses (and other land manager’s) awareness of; understanding of; ability to; and importance of; adopting best practice sustainable management of Australia’s soil, water, vegetation and biodiversity
- increase the awareness and skill of land managers to adapt to changing climate, weather and markets
- increase engagement and participation by regional communities and groups, including Landcare, professional farming system groups, industry, other community groups or individuals in best practice sustainable agriculture activities
- increase the capacity and confidence of regional community leaders, including women, young people and Indigenous Australians, to support the adoption of best practice sustainable agriculture
- improve the organisational capability of community and Landcare groups, so that they can better improve land manager’s awareness, understanding of, and ability to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture.
- Smart Farms Small Grants Round 3 will:
Grant Information
- The Australian Government has announced a total of $43.5 million (GST exclusive) over 6 years from 2017-18 to 2022-23 for Smart Farms Small Grants. For this grant opportunity (Round 3), $5 million (GST exclusive) is available.
- The grant opportunity is open from 31 October 2019 to 19 December 2019.
- The minimum grant amount is $5,000 (GST exclusive).
- The maximum grant amount is $50,000 (GST exclusive).
Grant Period
The maximum project period is 2 years. Applicants must plan to complete their project by 30 June 2022.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible to apply for a grant, applicants must be an individual or an organisation capable of entering into a legally binding and enforceable agreement with the Commonwealth. To be eligible applicants must be one of the following entity types:
- Commonwealth Company
- Company
- Cooperative
- Corporate Commonwealth Entity
- Corporate State or Territory Entity
- Incorporated Association
- Indigenous Corporation
- International Entity
- Local Government
- Non-corporate State or Territory Entity
- Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
- Partnership
- Person
- Sole Trader
- Statutory Entity
- Trustee on behalf of a Trust
- Applications from consortia are eligible, as long as applicants have a lead applicant who is solely accountable to the Commonwealth for the delivery of grant activities and who is an eligible entity as per the list above. Eligible organisations can form a consortium with ineligible organisations.
- Applicants must have the following additional eligibility requirements in place before they apply, or be willing to put them in place prior to the execution of a grant agreement:
- have an Australian Business Number, or be willing to obtain one prior to the execution of the grant agreement
- be registered for the purposes of GST, or be willing to register prior to the execution of the grant agreement
- have an account with an Australian financial institution
- for individuals, be a permanent resident of Australia
- for international entities, be registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to carry on business in Australia.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply via the given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.communitygrants.gov.au/grants/national-landcare-program-smart-farms-small-grants-round-3