Potential value

Farmers taking part in round one of the trial will have access to:

• Grant funding of up to $30,000 (excl GST) to contribute to up to two thirds of the eligible cost of IoT technology selected from the trial Catalogue of Apps & Devices
• Specialised support from an Agriculture Victoria Industry Technology Coordinator who will help farmers select IoT solutions to match their on-farm needs
• Enhanced network connectivity delivered to participating farms to support IoT deployment.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a farm business in horticulture, sheep, dairy or broadacre cropping industries and located in the corresponding trial region.

The trial regions will be determined by the coverage range of IoT network connectivity provided under the trial. Connectivity is expected to cover the local council areas of Wellington (dairy), Buloke (broadacre cropping), Loddon (sheep), and Greater Shepparton and parts of Moira shire (horticulture).

We are seeking a range of Applicants with different levels of technology uptake and different levels of experience with digital technology. Farmers already using IoT technology on-farm are also encouraged to apply.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible to participate in the On-Farm IoT Trial, farms must:

• be a commercial farm that is either a:
• • dairy cattle farm in the Maffra trial region
  • horticulture farm in the Tatura trial region
  • broadacre cropping farm in the Birchip trial region or
  • sheep farm in the Serpentine trial region
• be a business with an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be a legal entity
• meet all industrial relations obligations as an employer in accordance with the National Employment Standards
• have a broadband internet connection
• agree to participate in future evaluation activities.

To be considered a commercial farm business, farm turnover must exceed $50,000 per annum under normal business conditions (a year in which average yields/productivity is achieved and with no adverse climatic conditions such as drought).

Sheep farms must be either a mixed enterprise with at least 100 head of sheep, or a specialised sheep (meat/wool) producer.

The legal entity may be a corporation or individual/s (including on behalf of a partnership) that has legal standing in the eyes of the law. The legal entity may be a trustee on behalf of a trust. A legal entity has legal capacity to enter into agreements, assume obligations, incur and pay debts and sue and be sued in its own right.

The Maffra, Tatura, Birchip and Serpentine trial regions will be determined by the coverage range of IoT network connectivity provided under the On-Farm IoT Trial.

As  part of the EOI assessment process for round one, the location of the Applicant’s farm property will be assessed to determine if it is within a trial region and whether it is feasible to achieve adequate network coverage to the property under the connectivity being delivered as part of the trial. Connectivity is expected to cover the local council areas of Wellington (dairy), Buloke (broadacre cropping), Loddon (sheep), and Greater Shepparton and parts of Moira shire (horticulture).

In addition to meeting the above criteria, farmers wishing to participate in the On-farm IoT Trial must agree to:

• complete an Farm IoT Plan for their business, with support from an Industry Technology Coordinator
• select at least one IoT solution to trial on their farm for at least two (2) years
• contribute to the cost of the Apps & Devices to be trialled
• share data generated by the Apps & Devices with the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (the department) during the On-Farm IoT Trial
• enter into a Grant Agreement with the department
• participate as an On-Farm IoT Trial case study, or in On-Farm IoT Trial demonstration events.

What you get

Participating Farmers will be eligible to receive grant funding toward the cost of acquiring Apps & Devices selected from the Catalogue of Apps & Devices.

The catalogue has been developed by the department and contains a range of IoT technologies that have been deemed suitable for the On-Farm IoT Trial.

Applicants will receive support from an Agriculture Victoria Industry Technology Coordinator who will help them select an IoT solution to match their identified on-farm needs.

Full funding conditions for round one are available in the Applicant Guidelines.

How to apply

Please ensure that you read the Applicant Guidelines for a full explanation of the application and assessment process.

1. Read the Applicant Guidelines carefully to establish your eligibility.
2. Complete an online Expression of Interest (EOI) form.
3. If your EOI is successful, you will be contacted by an Industry Technology Coordinator and invited to develop a Farm IoT Plan.
4. Develop your Farm IoT Plan with the support of an Industry Technology Coordinator.
5. Submit your online Application for Funding, including the Farm IoT Plan, to apply for funding to trial IoT solutions on your farm.
6. Your Application for Funding will be assessed and, if successful, you will be required to execute a Grant Agreement with the department and be enrolled in the On-farm IoT Trial as a Participating Farmer.

You will need your ABN to submit your EOI. The department may request additional supporting documentation to determine your eligibility to participate in the trial.

If you are a trustee on behalf of a trust, please print and sign the Trustee Declaration Form and submit it with your EOI application. You can do this by submitting the EOI form, then logging back into your Business Victoria account and attaching the Trustee Declaration Form to your submitted EOI application.

On-Farm IoT Trustee Declaration (RTF 38.28 KB)

More information on the EOI assessment process can be found in the Applicant Guidelines.

Please note that an Application for Funding will only be received at the invitation of the department on completion of the EOI process.