Part 5: Tapping the grant well
The key to unlocking government grants to fund automation is understanding what government is trying to achieve.
Right now, says Edward Day, Senior Manager, Government Grants at RSM, those priorities are clear: decarbonisation, sustainability and innovation.
Programs are increasingly designed to push industries, including agriculture, toward low-emission technologies, smarter resource use and improved resilience.
Edward Day
“With the move to net zero and the rise of low-emission technologies, there’s a lot of funding available for organisations putting in new ways of working that will significantly reduce emissions,” he says. “That’s where we’re seeing the strongest support.”
The Future Drought Fund
This multi-billion-dollar federal initiative aims to strengthen Australia’s resilience to drought by funding innovative practices, trials and technologies in water efficiency, crop management and regional adaptation.
“Future Drought Fund programs often require collaboration between farmers, researchers and industry,” Day says. “That’s part of what makes them complex but also powerful. It's about testing new ideas that have impact beyond one property.”
He cites the case of a Queensland company that had developed an innovative approach to weather, drought, and climate risk mitigation through the shared management of 11 properties dispersed across different weather zones.
Returns were shared based on a given participant’s landholding as a percentage of the whole.
A guarantee of some form of return regardless of their specific yield built economic resilience into farms allowing them to endure through changing climatic and market conditions.
The National Reconstruction Fund (NRF)
Launched in 2023, the NRF focuses on building sovereign capability and supporting industries with long-term growth potential.
The NRF targets seven priority sectors, including value-add agriculture, fisheries and forestry,” Day says. “It’s about helping businesses move from proof of concept to commercialisation, developing innovative products or processes that strengthen Australia’s industrial base.”
The corporation arm typically invests between $10 million and $30 million in the form of equity, debt or guarantees. The NRF also supports the Industry Growth Program, offering matched funding of $50,000 to $5 million towards the commercialisation and growth journey of smaller firms developing innovative products, processes and services across the priority sectors.
Applicants first access a government-funded advisor to help prepare a growth plan before they can apply for capital support. “It’s a structured, genuine pathway for developers of innovative agritech,” Day says. “If you’re building the technology that helps farmers, rather than just using it, you’re in the sweet spot.”
Making the system work
Navigating the grant maze can be daunting, with different rules, documentation requirements and deadlines for each program.
Some allow stacked funding, where state and federal grants can be combined, while others prohibit it. Understanding these nuances is where expert support adds real value.
“For someone whose main job is running a dairy or managing a feedlot, it’s a lot to take on,” Edward Day says. “You might have to prepare risk registers, business plans, costings, partnership letters, all under tight deadlines. Having guidance can make the difference between a winning submission and a wasted effort.”
Timing is critical in grants.
While the largest grants often go to collaborative or technology-development projects, smaller projects are not excluded, with smaller grants of $10,000 to $50,000 available.
“If you’re trying a new drought-resilient crop or improving water efficiency on-farm, those are good entry points,” Day says.
He points to state-funded transition programs, such as those supporting businesses affected by changes in government policy or encouraging farms to change farming practice to sequester carbon or deliver land restoration outcomes, as examples of where strategic alignment pays off. “If your business direction supports what government is trying to achieve, there’s usually money on the table.”
Importantly, agribusinesses need to flip the narrative. “People often ask, ‘Can I get a grant to help me?’” Day says. “But the question should be: ‘How can my project help the government deliver its goals?’ Once you flip that mindset, you start seeing where the real opportunities lie.”
For producers and innovators ready to think strategically, the grant space can accelerate transformation.
“If you’re developing something new – whether it’s a smarter way to irrigate, a low-emission technology, or an automated process that boosts productivity – there’s probably a grant somewhere that wants to help you do it,” Day says
KEY CONTACTS
CONTACT US
CONTACT US