Farming and Community Group Drought Funding Program

This program aims to increase and strengthen farmers’ technical knowledge and capability, enabling farm businesses and landholders to be more prepared and responsive to drought and dry seasonal conditions.

The objectives of the program are to:
- Identify technical knowledge or capability gaps relating to drought and dry seasonal conditions.
- Increase and strengthen farmers’ technical knowledge and capability, enabling farm businesses and landholders to be more prepared and responsive to drought and dry seasonal conditions.
- Encourage farm business and landholders to share and collaborate, thereby increasing skills knowledge and capacity, preparedness and responsiveness to drought and dry seasonal conditions.

Grants of up to $25,000 are available. Venue hire and catering costs (excluding alcohol) will be capped at $2,000 per application while event promotion and advertising will be capped at $1,500 per application.

Groups can apply for one or more activities per project funding application, however multiple actives should engage different target audiences or be held in different regions.

Recipients will be reimbursed for actual project costs upon the provision of itemised invoice.

Eligible applicants include:
- Landcare and land management groups (for example, Landcare Network)
- Farmer discussion and producer groups
- Not for profit and community organisations (including incorporated bodies, cooperatives or associations, (for example, agribusiness groups, development associations)

To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have a current Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Be registered as a business in Victoria.
- Have a Victorian business address.
- Be a legal entity.
- Meet all industrial relation obligations as an employer in accordance with the National Employment Standards.
- If applicable, projects that have received (or are approved to receive) funding from a third-party funding source to support activity(ies) must provide details in writing.
- Provide relevant business information on the project, including costs.
- Declare freedom from any conflicts of interest by the applicant and/or service provider in writing.

Individual farm businesses, landholders, service providers and consultants are encouraged to contact and collaborate with their local group or network in development and submission of an application by an eligible group.

Applications are encouraged from across Victoria however preference will be given to projects in the Wellington and East Gippsland shires, in far North-West Victoria (Millewa and surrounding areas ) and the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District.

Eligible activities include engaging technical experts and/or specialists to provide relevant and appropriate technical advice, information and support to a group of farmers or landholders to help them prepare for, respond to and manage drought and dry seasonal conditions. This can include, but is not limited to the following technical themes:
- Irrigation and water
- Livestock management, including animal nutrition, health, feed and water budgeting
- Crop, pasture and grazing establishment and management
- Land and soil management
- Stock containment area use and management
- Whole farm and business planning
- Climate adaptation
- Other targeted themes will be considered on a case by case basis

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of eligible expenditure.

The main assessment criteria include:
- The capability and expertise of the applicant to deliver the activity within budget and scope, identifying project risks and mitigation strategies.
- The capability and expertise of the technical expert/service provider to deliver sound and evidence based technical advice and information.
- Identification of new or improved knowledge and skills to assist the region and industry to be better prepared and responsive to drought and dry seasonal conditions.
- The rigor of the project design (including evaluation incorporating 'before' and 'after' analysis of relevant production, economic and environmental measures).
- Maximising value to the state including reach or extent of engagement and impact/outcomes of the activity.

The following are ineligible for funding:
- Fees for services provided by State and Commonwealth government employees who present or facilitate at events.
- Applicants who have applied for another state government grant for the same project.
- Applicants and activities not based in Victoria.
- Projects, activities or purchases undertaken prior to approval of the Grant Agreement.
- Subsidising attendance at conferences or annual memberships fees.
- Purchase, subscription or promotion of any commercial products, programs, apps or insurance products (for example multi-peril insurance).
- A project or activity which does not improve farm businesses or landholder preparedness and responsiveness to manage drought and dry seasonal conditions.
- There are no practical outcomes to farm businesses or landholders in Victoria.
- No demand or a need from the group for the proposed activities.
- Purchase of any infrastructure or capital items (for example, fencing, equipment, vehicles or associated costs).
- Group administration, legal or insurance costs.
- Groups and facilitators may not charge participants for attendance/participation.