Traceability grants to help grow ag sector

Applications are now open for the National Agriculture Traceability Regulatory Technology (RegTech) Research and Insights grant round.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said the new $6 million RegTech Research and Insights grant round would contribute to enhancing agricultural traceability and supporting the growth of the agricultural sector.

“These grants are vital to find ways to make traceability compliance easier for farmers and simpler for businesses to ensure better market access,” Minister Watt said.

“Increasingly, domestic and international consumers want to know that the products they are buying are authentic, clean, green and produced ethically.

“Australia has a great story to tell the world and enhancing traceability across agricultural supply chains is key to providing our producers the value-added benefits they deserve.

“Effective agricultural traceability mechanisms make it easier to provide evidence of provenance, sustainability and other desirable qualities, and remain up-to-date with changing international import requirements.”

Minister Watt said these new grants were part of a wider focus on animal traceability, which included the recent budget announcement of $46 million to improve livestock traceability.

“We are working with industry and other stakeholders to develop a National Agricultural Traceability Strategy 2023-33 and these grants are an investment towards innovative initiatives that will increase efficiencies and bring greater benefits across the supply chain.

“Successful projects will strengthen partnerships to provide ongoing benefits for traceability and Australian agriculture production and export.”

The grants are available to industry or research applicants who meet 1 or more of the following outcomes: 

• investigation of how RegTech can assist in streamlining agricultural compliance obligations
• feasibility assessments of traceability RegTech systems
• identification and assessment of standardisable features of traceability RegTech applications, devices and platforms that can be applied across agricultural industries, supply chains and commodities to increase value and expand export market access. 

Industry and research organisations will be able to apply for up to $500,000 for projects lasting up to 2 years from April 2023 to June 2025

Applications close on Wednesday 14 December 2022.

For more information and to apply, visit www.communitygrants.gov.au/grants.

To provide comments on the draft National Agricultural Traceability Strategy, visit https://haveyoursay.agriculture.gov.au/national-agricultural-traceability.

Submissions close 16 November 2022