Background

AgriFutures Australia invests industry levy and Australian Government matching funds to support the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the Australian export fodder industry through the Export Fodder Program.

The Export Fodder Program is guided by the Export Fodder RD&E Plan 2021–2026, which sets out four priority areas for investment:

• Production of high‑quality export grade fodder
• Continued access to export markets
• Supporting innovation across the supply chain
• Increased adoption of R&D outputs by industry

As the RD&E Plan period concludes, AgriFutures Australia is seeking to commission an independent, CRRDC‑compliant economic impact assessment of investments delivered under the Plan. The assessment will support RD&E Plan renewal, future investment prioritisation and transparent reporting of outcomes and value to levy payers, stakeholders and government.

download the full RFQ document

This RFQ closes 12pm (AEST) Monday 4 May 2026.

Project requirements

The successful applicant will be expected to:

• Define the investment population
  •  Identify and document RD&E projects funded under the Export Fodder Program within the assessment period
  • Align projects to RD&E Plan priorities and clearly document inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Quantify investment costs
  • Quantify total investment costs, including AgriFutures RD&E investment, overheads and partner contributions
  • Convert costs to real terms and discount in line with CRRDC guidelines
• Develop impact pathways
  • Develop logical frameworks mapping activities, outputs, outcomes and economic impacts
  • Clearly articulate adoption pathways, attribution logic and counterfactual scenarios
• Stakeholder consultation
  • Undertake structured consultation with relevant stakeholders (e.g. Advisory Panel members, exporters, levy payers, researchers) to validate assumptions and impact pathways
• Qualitative and quantitative assessment
  • Undertake a qualitative assessment to identify projects suitable for quantitative valuation (noting that not all projects will have measurable metrics for economic benefit)
  • For selected projects, undertake cost benefit analysis consistent with CRRDC guidelines
  • Estimate NPV, BCR, IRR and/or MIRR, as appropriate
• Sensitivity and risk analysis
  • Conduct sensitivity analysis on key assumptions
• Clearly document uncertainty, data limitations and risk drivers

Project deliverables

Project deliverables should include:

• An inception report outlining scope, methodology and stakeholder engagement approach
• A concise technical report detailing methodology, assumptions, results and implications
• A clear synthesis of economic impacts aligned to the Export Fodder RD&E Plan priorities
• Practical insights to inform future RD&E priorities and investment decisions
• A short plain‑English summary suitable for communication to levy payers, stakeholders and government

AgriFutures will provide access to relevant background documentation and program information to support delivery of the assessment.

Timeline

AgriFutures Australia believes that the project should be completed within 15 May 2026 – 15 June 2026. If a longer timeframe is required, the respondent should explain why that is the case.

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.

Applicants must declare to AgriFutures Australia any matter or issue which may be perceived to be, or may lead to, a conflict of interest regarding their proposal or participation in the supply of the services described.

Submitting a response

Applications for this Request for Quote must be submitted online using the application in K2.

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 RFQ.
• 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 on 15 May 2026

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 Request for Quote must be submitted online using the application in K2.

Click here to login to 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.

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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 (available via 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 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:

Stephanie-Kate Bratton
General Counsel
Email: .

Contact

If you have any questions about the RFQ process or requirements in the management services, please contact:

James Holding
Program Manager
0438 889 492