Applications closed
The Australian Government announced the $20 million Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot Program in the 2024–25 Budget.
The program adopts a challenge-based approach that supports innovative solutions to address complex and multi-dimensional challenges imposed by drought and climate impacts. It will fund projects that address one of the following challenges:
- Advancing Natural Capital and Biodiversity for Drought Preparedness and Resilience
- Innovating Water Management for Enhanced Drought Resilience in Australian Agriculture
- National Innovation for Enhancing Community Resilience to Drought in Australian Agricultural Regions
Grant recipients will investigate the effectiveness of high-impact and evidence-driven innovations, that have achieved proof of concept, over two years to increase drought resilience.
Projects will use a consortium of project partners that include farmers or farmer-led organisations.
Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot Program recipients have been announced.
Selected projects include:
| Lead organisation | Project location | Project name |
|---|---|---|
| Arca Sustainability Pty Ltd | WA | Farm Forward, Building Drought and Climate Resilience in Western Australia's Broadacre Sector |
| Australian Fodder Industry Association Limited | NSW & VIC | Transforming Australia's Fodder System. A Collaborative Network for Tough Times |
| Berries Australia Limited | NSW, QLD, VIC & WA | Bioreactors - Turning runoff into a resource for the protected cropping berry industry |
| Deakin University | VIC | Building Drought Resilience Through Simulation-Based Learning for Farmers and Rural Communities |
| Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action | VIC | Optimisation of production and on farm demonstration of beneficial microbes to alleviate drought stress in cereal crops |
| Desert Channels Queensland Ltd | QLD | RAINS - Resilient Agriculture through Innovation in Native Seeds |
| James Cook University | QLD | CLOVER - Climate-smart Optimisation for Valuable & Efficient Irrigation |
| Mallee Sustainable Farming Ltd | NSW, SA & VIC | Accelerating the adoption of farmer led intercropping and multi species innovations in southern Australia's fragile low rainfall environments |
| Mollongghip & District Enterprises Pty Ltd | NSW, QLD, SA & VIC | Transformative AI-Driven Soil Microbiome Analysis and Customised Biofertiliser Development |
| Outback Academy Australia Limited | NSW, SA, TAS, VIC & WA | Thriving Country Thriving Communities - Traditional Ecological Knowledge Meets New Science and Technologies to Support Drought Resilience |
| Riverine Plains Incorporated | NSW, SA, VIC & WA | WaterSmart Decisions - Scaling Farmer Confidence in Water Use Efficiency Technologies |
| Seed Force Pty Ltd | NSW, SA, VIC & WA | SowSure - A Farmer-Led National Trial of Crop Establishment Protection for Drought Resilience |
| The University of Newcastle | NSW & WA | Hydro Harvester Pilot Program |
Funding information
Find details of the payment information for Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges program as required under Section 27A of the Future Drought Fund Act 2019 below.
Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot program
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