South-West WA Hub collaborating to drive drought resilience investment

The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) is offering practical assistance to potential applicants for grants worth up to $3 million each which are aimed at driving large-scale farmer adoption of drought resilience practices and technologies.

Those considering applying for the recently announced $14.3m Future Drought Fund (FDF) Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices grant round are urged to contact the SW WA Hub to maximise their opportunities for success.

“The SW WA Hub, also supported through funding from the Australian Government’s FDF, assists Hub consortium Partners, stakeholders and grower groups during FDF grant rounds to help deliver on its aim of improving local drought resilient practices and accelerating innovation and adoption,” Hub Knowledge Broker Tanya Kilminster said.

“Led by the Grower Group Alliance, the Hub has a strong focus on collaboration and our qualified staff and industry connections can provide significant assistance to grant applicants.”

The FDF Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices grant round, which opened on November 11 and closes on January 9, offers grants between $100,000 and $3m (GST exclusive) per application.

Successful applicants will work with farmers to drive large-scale adoption of proven Australian or international practices or technologies that improve drought resilience and agricultural productivity.

Ms Kilminster said the Hub would provide letters of support to applicants which engaged with the Hub early and whose applications aligned with grant criteria and SW WA Hub priority project topics.

“The guidelines specify that strong applications will align with Hub priority project topics,” she said.

“Local priorities have been identified by the SW WA Hub after a comprehensive consultation process and are available on the Hub webpage at gga.org.au/activity/drought-hub.”

Ms Kilminster said activities funded under the new grant program must be targeted at driving adoption at large scales, and the Hub could introduce proponents of similar projects so they could consider co-design and amalgamation.

“The program also has a strong focus on extension and adoption (E&A) and the SW WA Hub’s experienced adoption and extension specialists Julianne Hill, Theo Nabben and Maddison McNeil are happy to advise applicants on how to meet the grant E&A criteria,” she said.

If you are considering applying for the FDF grant round, please contact Hub Adoption Officer Maddison McNeil, as a first point of contact for the SW WA Hub, via swwadroughthub@gga.org.au.

Potential applicants are also encouraged to participate in a FDF information webinar which will be held on November 22.