AgriFutures Australia is seeking applications from appropriately skilled individuals and organisations for the management of the project A systems thinking approach to Australian agriculture.
Submissions close 12 noon AEST Thursday, 3 July 2025.
Background
Australia’s research and development (R&D) system is internationally recognised for its collaborative and industry-aligned structure. Central to this system are the Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs), which operate under a co-investment model combining industry funding with government support. This approach ensures that research is grounded in real-world challenges and delivers practical benefits for rural industries, while also aligning with broader national priorities. The RDC model has and continues to play a pivotal role in fostering innovation across agriculture through its focus on applied research and stakeholder engagement.
Despite these achievements, a significant gap remains in how the agricultural innovation system operates—particularly in the application of systems thinking and the facilitation of multisector collaboration. Australia now faces increasingly complex and interconnected challenges—such as food and water security, climate adaptation, energy transition, and regional resilience—that cannot be effectively addressed through traditional, sector-specific approaches. These systemic issues demand fresh thinking and integrated innovation systems capable of spanning multiple sectors and disciplines.
A systems thinking approach offers a powerful framework for addressing these challenges. It enables a more holistic understanding of how agricultural systems intersect with environmental, technological, social, and economic dynamics, and supports the development of coordinated, integrated solutions with long-term impact. By moving beyond siloed efforts and fostering inclusive, cross-sector collaboration among government, industry, academia, and communities, agriculture can play a central role—not only as a beneficiary of innovation, but as a catalyst for transformative change across the national landscape.
This project will explore how systems thinking can be embedded more effectively in Australia’s agricultural innovation ecosystem. It will build on the strengths of existing R&D structures, such as the RDCs, while identifying practical opportunities to strengthen multisector collaboration and co-investment. The project will examine how agriculture can more deliberately align with and contribute to broader national objectives, and where strategic partnerships—with sectors such as energy, health, technology, finance, and education—can unlock greater innovation potential and shared value.
Critically, this work will generate actionable and practical recommendations to advance the innovation system. By embedding systems thinking into research design and implementation, and enabling inclusive partnerships that reflect the complexity of today’s challenges, this project will help position Australian agriculture at the forefront of efforts to build a more resilient, sustainable, and future-ready national innovation system.
This project will guide the Australian agricultural sector to engage in innovative approaches by adopting systems thinking. By fostering multi-sector collaboration, it will help address the complex, interconnected challenges facing agriculture and rural communities in a sustainable way. This approach will position agriculture as a central driver of broader societal, environmental, and technological change, facilitating partnerships with industries beyond the sector. The project will provide insights that enable agriculture to tackle current and emerging challenges through collaborative, cross-sector solutions.
The primary audience for this work includes AgriFutures and fellow Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs), as well as key government bodies, such as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Other relevant departments will also benefit depending on the priorities the work uncovers, particularly those involved in environmental sustainability, regional development, and innovation policy. These stakeholders will gain a deeper understanding of how multi-sector collaboration and systems thinking can address the pressing challenges facing agriculture. In addition, it is expected that broader industry stakeholders, including private sector partners, agricultural producers, and other sectors connected to agriculture, will also benefit from the insights and findings of this project. The identification of cross-sector collaboration opportunities will support industries in aligning efforts and resources to drive innovation and sustainability across the Australian agricultural landscape.
Service requirements
Objective 1: Global scan of innovation systems
- Conduct a global scan to identify and analyse innovation systems where agriculture is a central driver of change.
- Focus on both successful and unsuccessful implementations to inform Australia’s innovation architecture.
- Key areas include identifying countries with mature innovation frameworks, examining cross-sector collaborations and analysing policy settings.
- Deliverables include a synthesis of global best practices, strategic insights for Australia and recommendations on policy levers and infrastructure investments.
Objective 2: Mapping Australian Agricultures most pressing systemic issues and their intersection with national priorities
- Map agriculture’s most complex challenges and their intersection with national priorities.
- Identify opportunities where agriculture can act as a strategic enabler of systems change.
- Focus areas include identifying systemic challenges, analysing enabling conditions and prioritising areas for catalytic innovation.
- Deliverables include a systems map, prioritised analysis and guidance on operationalising multi-sector collaboration.
Objective 3: Identify key stakeholders and collaboration opportunities
- Map the ecosystem of stakeholders that agriculture must collaborate with for systemic innovation.
- Focus on identifying industry partners, government entities, corporates, community organisations and First Nations stakeholders.
- Deliverables include a strategic stakeholder map, analysis of public-private partnership models and a catalogue of self-organising innovation ecosystems.
Additional requirements
- Extensive stakeholder consultation and co-design are required across all objectives.
- The provider must deliver stakeholder engagement activities such as webinars, briefings and workshops.
Timeline
Date |
Activity |
Friday, 9 May 2025 |
RFQ – applications open |
Friday, 27 June 2025 |
End of period for questions or requests for information |
12 noon AEST Thursday, 3 July 2025 |
RFQ – applications close |
Wednesday, 23 July 2025 |
Intended completion date of evaluation of respondents responses |
Friday, 1 August 2025 |
Expected execution of contract or issue of agreement |
Monday, 11 August 2025 |
Date of commencement of Project |
The project is expected to take 8 months to complete. |
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How to make a submission
Applications for this Request for Quote 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.
K2 guides and login | AgriFutures Australia
If you require assistance, please contact
Terms of reference
AgriFutures Australia uses standard form contracts and agreements for projects and research procured by AgriFutures Australia. 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 contracts and agreements before submitting a response and are advised to seek legal advice beforehand.
These contracts and agreements have been developed to reflect AgriFutures Australia’s statutory and other procurement responsibilities.
If you require any amendments to the standard agreement, please complete the statement of non-compliance for each of the relevant clause. AgriFutures will then assess those requests.
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
If you have any questions about the RFQ process or requirements in the management services, please contact:
- Jane Knight, Senior Manager, Rural Futures
- Ulicia Raufers, Senior Manager, Rural Futures
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there flexibility on the timeframe?
While we’ve indicated an eight-month timeframe as a guide, we are open to proposals that require longer durations. If your project demonstrates a clear need for extended time and delivers valuable activities and outputs, we are happy to consider a longer schedule.
Is a place-based approach acceptable?
We recognise the value of place-based approaches and see their potential in future stages of this work. However, the current project is national in scope. Our primary focus is on developing a foundational systems framework informed by global learning and national-scale insights. A regional or place-based application may naturally follow once this national evidence base is established, however that is not the focus of this work.
What are the expectations for stakeholder engagement?
Significant stakeholder consultation is expected for this project. We welcome a variety of engagement models as long as they enable meaningful input, foster shared understanding, and support the system-level objectives of the work.
Regarding the reference to consortia applications, will applications of two organisations be considered sufficient?
Yes, applications involving two organisations can be considered a consortium, provided the collaboration brings complementary strengths and demonstrates clear value in addressing the complexity of the project. We encourage applicants to consider partnerships that span disciplines, sectors or perspectives that will support systems-level thinking.
Is the vision for the work focused internally on the RDC system or more broadly?
The work will acknowledge and build upon the significant strengths of the RDC system. However, its focus is broader — exploring how agriculture can collaborate with sectors beyond its own to drive impact at a national scale.
What will the degree of engagement be for this work? From the AgriFutures team and more broadly?
This will be a highly engaged project. AgriFutures will work closely with the successful delivery partner to ensure strategic alignment and access to relevant networks. Engagement will also extend to key stakeholders across the agricultural innovation system—including RDCs, government departments, researchers, and adjacent sectors. A Steering Committee and targeted stakeholder engagement processes will support co-design and ensure relevance and adoption.
Will this project leverage on previous work?
Yes. This project is expected to build on existing insights and frameworks—both from within the RDC system and more broadly. This includes work on agricultural innovation, cross-sector collaboration, systems approaches, and rural policy development.
Is there budget?
The budget for this work will be determined by the market response we receive through the RFQ process.
Who will be the key users of this work?
The primary audience for this work includes AgriFutures and fellow Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs), as well as key government bodies, such as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Other relevant departments will also benefit depending on the priorities the work uncovers, particularly those involved in environmental sustainability, regional development, and innovation policy.
Would proposals that incorporate simulation modelling or digital twin technologies be considered for exploring the integration of agricultural systems with circular economy principles and renewable energy transitions?
Proposals that consider appropriate technological infrastructure required to manage the complexity required to deliver systems thinking in areas of national significance are welcomed.