GRDC Farm Business Updates

For over ten years GRDC has invested in Farm Business Updates (FBU) “to raise awareness of farm business knowledge, information and services around key decision points which have an impact on profitability and financial sustainability of grain production businesses, to identify areas where further information should be sought to make informed business decisions and assist growers to action intent to seek further information.”

Recent independent review of the FBUs identified strong support for continued GRDC investment to support growers and their advisers in the areas of:

a. Refreshing knowledge and networks (continuous improvement and professional development);

b. Challenging the existing status quo in farm businesses through the provision of diverse views, advice, new information and perspectives, including challenging their paid advice;

c. Upskilling in areas which may not be supported by industry (specifically conditions of local market failure -i.e., while online support has increased the scope of accessibility, many growers are still seeking on farm face-to-face support in a range of key areas which are not delivered locally); and

d. Serendipitous discovery, where growers attend for one topic and find another of high value, or meet other farm business managers that share valuable information and insights.

With a continual stream of succession and professional development occurring in farm businesses across the country, there is an ongoing need to raise awareness of issues relating to business management, not just agronomic and technical skills in producing crops. Growers, young and old, need support to understand the implications of these issues for their businesses, and to take the next steps into actioning their intent to build their knowledge and skills in farm business management.

This request for tender seeks applicants prepared to deliver a range of online and face-to-face farm business events to support raising the awareness of farm business knowledge, information and services as well as supporting resources. It is proposed FBUs are designed with regional nuance, taking into account the local farm business advice landscape.

A number of bespoke in-depth workshops and resources are also proposed to be delivered through this investment. This includes updating the most searched GRDC farm business online content– online material has the benefit of legacy, enabling growers to review content in their own time, as well as developing a cache of more in-depth, peer reviewed farm business content to support FBU delivery. These workshops and resources will only be deployed where it has been determined that there is no commercial offering that meets industry need. Follow up with growers after attendance at events with information provision and to evaluate FBUs in terms of motivating action for growers to further their knowledge post event is another component of the planned investment.

Applicants may submit a proposal to deliver one or more of the Outputs and where applicable in one or more of GRDC’s regions (Western, Southern and/or Northern). All evaluation criteria must be addressed for each output and budgets must be broken down into outputs.

See document for further description