Grain Adopt - Regional D&E Open Call

Description: GRDC is introducing this Grain Adopt – Regional D&E Open Call process as an additional mechanism for NGN short term responsive investments. The Open Call is an opportunity to put forward investment proposals that respond to grower-identified issues and priorities and align with GRDC’s RD&E Strategy.
Outcome: 
Regional D&E activities that enable adoption of existing knowledge, address locally relevant challenges, and provide practical solutions for growers. 
GRDC invites short-term, low-risk development and extension (D&E) activities that address locally identified issues that are grower priorities, support adoption and problem-solving at the regional level, and deliver clear benefits to growers’ profitability, sustainability, and resilience in alignment with GRDC’s strategic priorities.
Outputs should be detailed in the project proposals submitted by applicant in a Request for Proposal (RFP) form in alignment with the Terms of Reference and within the following parameters:
•          Contract/Activity duration: maximum of 40 months
•          Indicative budget: Up to $300,000 ex GST
•          Focus: activities that enable adoption of existing knowledge, address locally relevant challenges, and provide practical solutions for growers
•          Impact: be able to demonstrate change
•          Local: demonstrated locally relevant issue
Examples of eligible activities include:
•          Extension events, workshops, and grower forums.
•          Validation or demonstration sites and on-farm trials that show the proven effects of a technology or practice in a real-world setting to facilitate adoption by local farmers, focusing on practical application.
•          Regional initiatives that strengthen capability and improve the translation of research into practice.
Examples of existing short term, responsive investments - access the current GRDC NGN Investment List National Grower Network investments - GRDC Investments
NOTE: This Open Call will not support Proof-of-Concept projects and Proposals with research potential may be referred into GRDC’s broader investment processes.
 
All proposals must demonstrate alignment with the GRDC RD&E Strategy and articulate the expected on-the-ground impact for growers. Proposals should demonstrate clear definition of the issue and evidence of priority support by growers.