The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program goal is to invest in research to address the issues and opportunities facing the industry and deliver the overarching vision of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program to grow the long-terms prosperity of the Australian chicken meat industry.
To ensure the Program goal is achieved, AgriFutures Australia is currently seeking research proposals to address the investment priorities within the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program RD&E Plan 2022-2027.
The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program Open Call for Research closes at 1pm (AEST) Wednesday, 10 June 2026.
Background
AgriFutures Australia main function and purpose is investment, dissemination and commercialisation of research and development for the benefit of our primary industries.
AgriFutures investments are driven by five-year RD&E plans that address the needs of industries and stakeholders, and ensure our priorities are industry and government driven. Our aim is to increase knowledge that fosters sustainable, productive new and existing rural industries and further understanding of national rural issues through research and developing in government-industry partnership.
In planning and submitting proposals for AgriFutures Australia funded projects, prospective researchers need to familiarise themselves with the application procedure, the Corporation’s overarching goals and strategies, the goals and strategies of the relevant RD&E program and the specific priorities for the year for which the proposal is being submitted.
We also welcome and encourage your collaboration with other research providers to build the critical research mass necessary to meet our objectives.
RD&E strategic priorities
AgriFutures Australia welcomes Preliminary Research Proposals, including post-graduate scholarships, that address the research areas under the following priorities within AgriFutures Chicken Meat RD&E Plan 2022-2027:
- Priority Area 1: Improving environmental sustainability outcomes
- Priority Area 2: Enhancing chicken biosecurity, health and welfare
- Priority Area 4: Ensuring the food safety of Australia chicken meat
Please refer to the full Open Call document for specific research topics with problem statements.
Timeline
Activity |
Date |
Open Call – Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) applications open |
Monday, 4 May 2026 |
Open Call Information Session Webinar |
Monday, 18 May 2026 |
End of period for questions or requests for information |
Wednesday, 3 June 2026 5pm AEST |
Open Call – applications close |
Wednesday, 10 June 2026 1pm AEST |
Intended completion date of evaluation of respondents responses by Panel to progress to FRP submissions |
Early July 2026 |
Request for Full Research Proposals (FRP’s) – applications open |
Early August 2026 |
Request for Full Research Proposals (FRP’s) – applications close |
Early September 2026 |
Negotiations with respondents |
October 2026 – February 2027 |
Expected execution of contract or issue of agreement |
April 2027 |
Evaluation criteria
A respondent’s response will be evaluated against:
- The evaluation criteria identified in the table below; and
- The overall proposition presented in the respondent’s response.
Mandatory Requirements |
Complies |
Capability and relevant experience |
20% |
Technical skills |
30% |
Cost and value for money |
20% |
Project plan |
30% |
Desirable Requirements |
Complies |
Provide examples of your Organisation’s ability to provide a similar service. |
Yes/No |
Other evaluation criteria |
|
(a) Professional expression of interest proposal |
|
(b) Organisations capability and resources |
|
(c) History of providing similar service |
|
(d) Availability to conduct and proposed completion date for report |
|
Submission process
Applications for this Open Call for Research must be submitted online using the PRP application in K2.
If you had a previous account in Clarity, you can login using your Clarity username or email address and the initial password K2pass! You will be prompted to reset this initial password when you login. If at any time you forget your password, you can also reset it via a forgotten password link on the login page.
New users need to register for access to the K2 platform, please note the provision of login details may take up to two business days.
Users must create a K2 account before submitting a proposal. To set up a secure account before submitting a proposal, please visit the account creation page below to access our new user or new company request forms.
Usernames and passwords will only be issued while the applicable round is open.
- K2 User Guide: Submitting a Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP)
- K2 User Guide: Admin approval for Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP)
Respondent’s will be expected to provide:
- A detailed project plan – including timelines, how the project will be conducted and how this will meet the requirements of the Open Call.
- A detailed budget – attachments may be included.
- Examples of similar work the respondent has completed.
- Capability and relevant experience.
The resultant Contract is expected to commence April 2027.
It is expected that a contract will be awarded based on how well a respondent addresses the objectives of the open tender. Selection will be based on the evaluation criteria. A detailed response will be beneficial. There is the opportunity to include additional attachments if necessary, with your application in K2.
How to make a submission
Applications for this Open Tender must be submitted online using the application in K2.
Users must create a K2 account before submitting a proposal. To set up a secure account before submitting a proposal, please visit the login page below to access our new user or new company request forms.
Usernames and passwords will only be issued while the applicable round is open.
Click here to view K2 setup, login and user guides in our Researcher Hub
Terms of reference
AgriFutures Australia uses standard form contracts and agreements for projects and research procured by AgriFutures Australia (please refer to https://agrifutures.com.au/contracts-and-agreements/). These contracts and agreements set out the terms on which AgriFutures Australia will engage successful applicants to carry out the project.
Applicants must be familiar with the Research Agreement before lodging Preliminary Research Proposals (PRPs),and are advised to seek legal advice on it before lodging a PRP.
The Research Agreement has been developed to reflect AgriFutures Australia’s statutory and other responsibilities in funding projects. AgriFutures Australia will generally not negotiate substantive amendments to any clauses of the Agreement unless:
- It is satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist that require amendment to the standard form; and
- The applicant completes a statement of non-compliance for each of those clauses.
Applicants will be taken to have agreed to all clauses in the Research Agreement that are not referred to in a statement of non-compliance. The extent of any non-compliance will be a factor in AgriFutures Australia’s evaluation of the application.
If you require further information regarding these contracts and agreements please, contact:
Contact
Should you have any questions about the Open Call, please direct all enquires to Coordinator, Levied & Emerging Industries (details below). For questions relating to making a submission in K2, please email .
Individual responses to questions relating to the Open Call will not be provided by the Coordinator or Manager, Research. A response, along with the question, will be posted in the Frequently Asked Questions section, below, within 1 business day of receival.
Stacey Gardiner
Coordinator, Levied & Emerging Industries (Chicken Meat)
0447 036 709
Frequently asked questions
Previously submitted applications that have been unsuccessful in progressing through to contracting can be resubmitted in response to new Open Calls for research. Any feedback provided in the unsuccessful letter of the previous submitted applications should be addressed but please note that the application will be assessed against the requirements and assessment criteria of the new Open Call to which it is submitted against. The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program team or AgriFutures Chicken Meat Advisory Panel is unable to engage in detailed project proposal discussions or project ideation at preliminary research proposal stage. This also extends to providing guidance on whether a project suitably responds to the research advertising.
The research priorities advertised in an Open Call reflect the needs of the industry and the specific research that proposals should focus on. Proposals that align with priorities in the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Strategic RD&E Plan 2022-27 but not advertised in an Open Call can be submitted. Please note that all proposals will be assessed against the criteria in the Full Open Call Document and the research priorities advertised.
Yes costs for staffing, including students, as well as operating costs covering consumables are eligible costs.
There is no specified duration for proposals being sought during this Open Call. However, we do recommend that the project duration sits within the timeframe of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat RD&E Plan 2022-2027 to ensure alignment against the documented industry priorities. There is also no specified funding limits for proposals, however, please note that cost and value for money is a component of the evaluation criteria against which applications will be evaluated.
The AgriFutures Open Call for Research process consists of two stages that is designed to draw a wide range of responses and allow for refinement of proposals. The first stage seeks preliminary research proposals (PRPs) which requests high level detail of your proposal. A guide on Submitting a Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) is available on the AgriFutures website K2 guides and login | AgriFutures Australia and will provide screenshots detailing the fields of information that need completing. All proposals submitted will be reviewed and assessed against the research requested and assessment criteria – this does not consider a specific page range. Supporting documentation can be included in your application as an attachment. Examples of these include detailed budget breakdown or further detail on the project methodology.
The only fields that need to be completed for the budget section are the budget table indicating the cash (direct) and in-kind (indirect) contributions to the project by financial year as well as any explanatory notes in the “Budget Detail” section. Further information such as a detailed budget and/or justification may be provided as an attachment, however, is not a minimum requirement during the preliminary research proposal stage.
There is no specified duration for proposals being sought during this Open Call. However, we do recommend that the project duration sits within the timeframe of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat RD&E Plan 2022-2027 to ensure alignment against the documented industry priorities.
No, this field seeks details on applications to other R&D Corporations, funding bodies or grants for the same proposed work.
The expected start date for successful proposals resulting from the 2026-27 Open Call is within the 2026/27 financial year. The timeline available on this page indicates that this is expected to be April 2027, however, the start date may be earlier if contract negotiation and exchange takes place earlier.
AgriFutures has access to industry data that is publicly available. Any data that is not publicly available is not shared by AgriFutures with applicants during an open call process.
No, there is no requirement for referees to be included part of your response to this Open Call process.
There is no requirement for CV’s to be included part of the Open Call response. Demonstrating the project lead and team’s experience can be addressed under the “Project Detail” tab in the field “Organisational capability & experience”. Provision of additional information can be supplied as an attachment to the proposal but is optional.
There is no specified duration for proposals being sought during this Open Call. However, we do recommend that the project duration sits within the timeframe of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat RD&E Plan 2022-2027 to ensure alignment against the documented industry priorities.
Any data that is not publicly available is not shared by AgriFutures with applicants during an open call process.
To ensure a transparent and fair process which enables all researchers and service providers equal access to information and guidance prior to submitting their proposal, the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program team is unable to engage in detailed project proposal discussions or project ideation at PRP stage. This also extends to the members of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Advisory Panel. Any questions received that can be answered will be answered and published in the FAQ area on the AgriFutures Chicken Meat webpage advertising this Open Call.
Outside of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program team and Chicken Meat Advisory Panel members, project proposals can be discussed with anyone from the wider chicken meat industry. It is recommended to discuss your proposal with industry to ensure that your proposal will test and provide a solution to solve a real industry problem. Please refer to the following webpage to familiarise yourself with the current Chicken Meat Advisory Panel members Our people | AgriFutures Australia
AgriFutures does not provide a budget range for proposals to be submitted in response to this Open Call. While there is no specified funding limits for proposals, please note that cost and value for money is a component of the evaluation criteria against which applications will be evaluated.
All project proposals need to nominate an individual as the Project Lead. If you wish to nominate co-leads please note this in the field “Organisational capability & experience”.
Direct costs of a project are those which would not be incurred unless the project took place, e.g., salary, laboratory supplies for the research, travel etc. A project lead’s time corresponding to their nominated research time commitment can be requested within the project budget and included as a Direct cost.
Details about the Program, including its strategic research priorities can be found in the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program RD&E Plan (2022-2027)
If you are unsure of which topic your proposal aligns to, please identify the one that you think it best aligns to. You could also indicate in an appropriate text field within the proposal if it overlaps with other research topics, or broader strategic research priorities.
The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program is unable to fund research that commercially validates or promotes a specific product. AgriFutures growAG is a great option for seeking commercial partners to scope Australian validation of an already commercial product, or product exploring commercialisation opportunities. All the information on this platform is free to access and allows investors, corporates, startups, researchers, industry, government and universities from Australia and around the world to locate information and opportunities to deliver innovation back to the farm and the food supply-chain.
The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program accepts proposals from various types of organisations. Applications from universities are not assessed more favourably over other types of research organisations/providers. All proposals will be assessed against the criteria in the Full Open Call Document and the research priorities advertised.
If your intention is to submit an application under your Research Organisation and a K2 account already exists, please use the new user option. If the Research Organisation doesn’t exist in K2, please use the new company/user option. For help on requesting access to K2, please visit K2 guides and login
Yes, the PRPs are submitted to the AgriFutures internal project management software, K2. All Advisory Panel Members and AgriFutures staff are bound by confidentiality agreements.
All overhead or in-direct costs are to be included within the budget provided in the submitted proposal. Applicants should present the budget with all overhead costs and in-direct costs itemised.
December 2027
The webinar will be recorded and will be available for viewing here: Webinars | Chicken Meat Extension
The best way to differentiate between these two questions is as follows:
- Proposed R&D adoption – describe any potential or opportunities for adoption with specific reference to commercialisation or commercial pathways.
- Extension and adoption – description of what outputs will be available or could be developed for extension and adoption by industry with specific reference to on-farm and grower pathways.
It is not compulsory to have industry on-board before the submission. Where industry are on-board, ensure that this is identified in the application and that individuals or entities are aware you are naming them in your application. Proposals can be submitted while industry partners are identified, as above, please note this in your application.
There is no proposed budget range specified for this Open Call round. Ensure value for money is considering when developing and preparing your application as this is one the criteria against which it will be assessed. There are no specific requirements for the split of cash or in-kind contributions.