The Farms of the Future grant program aims to deliver improved connectivity and encourage farmers to adopt Agtech to boost productivity and improve resource management, including water efficiency and drought preparedness.
Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $35,000
- Application opened: 3 February 2023
- Application closes: 31 August 2023, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The Farms of the Future program aims to facilitate tech enabled production and monitoring through improved connectivity and installation of sensor equipment which support increased productivity, competitiveness, job creation and sustainable use of resources in the selected agricultural sectors: Cotton, Livestock (sheep and beef), Grains and Horticultural (tree crops and vines).
The program is committed to working with regional communities, farmers and industries, enabling them to become more self-reliant and better prepared for the impacts of future drought events and other economic shocks.
This program is administered by Department of Primary Industries.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for Farms of the Future grant funding, applicants must:
- have a primary production enterprise in any agricultural industry (see the Definitions section of the Grant Guidelines for the list of eligible ANSZIC Codes), however the program focus is on the livestock (beef and sheep), cotton, grains or horticulture (trees crops and vines) sectors
- operate the primary production enterprise in an eligible local government area: Armidale, Ballina, Byron, Cabonne, Carrathool, Griffith, Leeton, Lismore, Moree Plains, Narrabri, Orange
- hold an active ABN in respect of the primary production enterprise
- operate the primary production enterprise as a sole trader, partnership, trust or private company, or a combination of these structures
- obtain a turnover of at least $40,000 per annum from primary production or otherwise operate an ATO recognised bona fide primary production enterprise
- have completed the Farms of the Future Training Program and received a Certificate of Completion
- agree to provide the Department of Primary Industries with access to weather data from specified complying Ag IoT devices purchased under the program to assist with seasonal conditions reporting and provision of future farm-level forecasting tools
- lodge an application by the closing date.
Eligible purchases
Farms of the Future grant funding can only be used to purchase Agtech that is identified in your endorsed Agtech Plan and must be from approved suppliers from the Farms of the Future Agtech Catalogue, which fit the agriculture sectors and use cases defined by the program.
Applicants are accountable for implementing the entire phase of project delivery including obtaining, where relevant, all planning permits, licences and approvals and appointing suppliers and/or contractors to complete works, including power requirements.
Ineligible purchases
The following are ineligible purchases through the Farms of the Future grant program, and will not be paid:
- Ag IoT devices, connectivity solutions or dashboards that are already covered by NSW Government grant funding or under an insurance policy
- Ag IoT devices, connectivity solutions or dashboards purchased prior to the applicant obtaining a Farms of the Future Agtech Training Certification
- Any purchases of Ag IoT devices, connectivity solutions, or dashboards that do not comply with the Farms of the Future Agtech Catalogue at the time of approval.
What your application needs to include
Download the grant guidelines (PDF 11.78MB) for more information about the Farms of the Future grant program, including key dates, eligibility and assessment criteria.
Download Farms of the Future Grant Guidelines (PDF 11.78MB)
Visit the Rural Assistance Authority website to see all the sections that need to be addressed as part of the Farms of the Future grant application.
Grant applications will be assessed in order of receipt by the Farms of the Future program.
Incomplete applications will not enter the assessment queue or be assessed until all required information is provided. Late applications will not be accepted.
Applications will be assessed against the eligibility criteria.
The Department of Primary Industries will make an initial assessment of eligibility, based on your completion of the Farms of the Future training program and provision of an endorsed Agtech Plan.
Applications that pass this stage will be referred to the Rural Assistance Authority for final assessment of eligibility (including Primary Producer status), approval and processing.
The Rural Assistance Authority will not approve an application from a person, or a close associate of a person, who is under investigation or has been charged in relation to the fraudulent receipt of grants under this program or other programs.
The Rural Assistance Authority reserves the right to request further information from you or from any business or individual you have engaged, to assist in assessing your application and to verify any information provided in your application. Failure to provide such information may result in your application being refused.
The Rural Assistance Authority reserves the right to refuse an application where eligibility criteria are not met, or where you do not or cannot provide sufficient information to determine if eligibility criteria have been met.
Applicants should note that past financial assistance under this program or any other program is not a reliable indicator of eligibility for future financial assistance.
Applications submitted may be subject to audit by the Rural Assistance Authority or its agents in order to determine compliance with scheme guidelines.
Before applying for financial assistance under this program, you should seek advice from your legal, business or financial advisers about the tax implications of this financial assistance.
You will be required to provide a range of supporting documentation that may include the latest Local Land Services rates notice, local council rate notice, tax returns and financial statements for the applying entity.
Start the application
The Farms of the Future Training Program is a pre-requisite to be eligible to apply for grant funding. To register for an upcoming training session or for more information on the training, see below.
Please note, if you have already completed the training, ignore this step, and proceed to the grant application below.
Applications for the Farms of the Future grant program must be submitted through the Rural Assistance Authority. Click below to start your grant application.
After the application is submitted
Applicants will be assessed and notified within 20 business days of their submission. Where complex applications are received this time frame may be up to 30 business days.
Details of successful applicants will be supplied to the responsible Minister’s office five working days before the applicant is notified.
Claim processing timeframes will be within 15 business days of the Rural Assistance Authority and Farms of the Future team receiving applicant invoices. Where complex applications are received this timeframe may be up to 20 business days.
Support and contact
The Farms of the Future team are available to answer questions about the grant program. Please contact fotf@dpi.nsw.gov.aufor more information.
Please note, if any information provided in response to an applicant's enquiry has applicability to all applicants, and is not general public knowledge, an update to the online Frequently Asked Questions will be made. The department is not able to assist applicants with the preparation of their application.