About the Australian Rural Leadership Program

Designed for: Established leaders ready to tackle complex challenges and have significant impact on rural, regional and remote Australia.
Course commencement date: TBC
Duration: 15-months program including 4 face-to-face sessions between 5-10 days in length, online sessions and independent project work.
Location: Combination of face-to-face residential workshops, online sessions and project work, including both international and remote domestic travel (locations TBC) with isolation from day-to-day duties and limited to no contact.

The ARLP program initiates structured pathways for leadership development. The program is delivered over 15 months across multiple sessions including four face-to-face sessions across the country and internationally. Cohorts are announced every February and the program runs from June until September the following year.

Participants will learn to:

• Understand self and others, including behaviour, values, motivations, and cognitive biases to develop a personal leadership plan.
• Respond to changing contexts and mobilising others to act in rural, regional and remote Australia.
• Experience and understand leadership in an international context, including cultural differences, global perspectives, and cross-cultural communication.
• Engage in activities that present complexity, disruption, and ambiguity, and encourage risk-taking, creativity, courage, and celebrating mistakes.
• Develop communication and deep listening skills to fully appreciate and understand the diversity of multiple perspectives.
• Experience conflict and productively work toward resolutions for economic, social, cultural and/or environmental benefit.
• Utilise mentoring, coaching, and reflection as part of leadership practice.
• Engage with and become part of a broad network of authentic and ethical leaders working for the greater good of Australia’s regions, as well as globally.

In addition to this formal course outline, our participants have access to a diverse, national alumni network of over 2,500 rural, regional and remote leaders.

Find out more about the ARLP

Eligibility and Essential Requirements

Eligibility

To be eligible for an AgriFutures-supported position, you must be one of the following:

• An engaged member of — and intending to remain involved in — one of the following Australian industries:
  • Chicken meat
  • Export fodder
  • Thoroughbred horses
  • Honey bee & pollination
  • Rice
  • Pasture seeds
  • Ginger
  • Tea tree oil
  • Kangaroo
  • Buffalo
  • Goat fibre
  • Deer
• An engaged member of — and intending to remain involved in —an emerging Australian agricultural industry (e.g. coffee, hazelnut, industrial hemp, insects, crocodile, seaweed/algae, sesame, truffle, or other up-and-coming rural industries).

Essential Requirements

Two industry participants (one from a levied industry and one from an emerging industry) will apply to ARLF and be sponsored by AgriFutures Australia to attend the program (valued at $60,500 per position). The position is not transferable. Participants are required to complete the course assessment and provide evidence of completion to AgriFutures.

You’ll need to be able to commit to 15 months of sessions, which will require interstate and international travel. These dates are not flexible. The ARLF recommends you speak with your family and your employer before you apply. They need to understand exactly the commitment you’re making and be supportive of the time you’ll be investing.

Application Information

Before you apply

The course fees are fully sponsored by AgriFutures Australia. Eligible AgriFutures stakeholders (outlined above) are encouraged to apply with applications to be assessed and selected by AgriFutures Capacity Building staff.  Applicants are required to respond to a number of selection criteria and provide evidence of their engagement in their specified category.

Applicants must also complete a formal interview by a panel which may include ARLF staff and ARLP alumni. The unique feature of having our ARLP alumni interview applicants adds a nuanced and experienced level of insight and questioning of the applicants. At the completion of interviews, the ARLF matches highly ranked applicants with available scholarships.

How to apply

Applications for 2026 are currently closed. Applications for 2027 will open in mid-2026.

The ARLF accepts expressions of interest year-round.

Register your interest with the ARLF

Contact

Enquiries about AgriFutures-supported positions

For questions about eligibility, funding support, or the AgriFutures application process, please contact:

Sarah Hope
Manager, Capacity Building

Emily Jones
Coordinator, Capacity Building

Information about the ARLP program

For program details, structure, and delivery of the program, visit the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s website:

Click here for more information about the Australian Rural Leadership Program