The People and Capability Program is a new pilot that will fund practical, industry-led initiatives to address workforce pressures with our Levied and Emerging Industries. The program aims to support solutions that attract, develop and retain people, while building a stronger, more resilient agricultural industry.
Applications open on Monday, 16 February 2026.
About
AgriFutures Australia invests in research, development, and innovation to advance the prosperity, sustainability, and resilience of Australia’s rural industries. A key priority is building a workforce capable of driving innovation, technology adoption, and leadership across rural industries
From chicken meat and rice to industrial hemp and truffles, workforce attraction and retention is one of the most significant constraints on the growth of both levied and emerging industries support by AgriFutures.
The People and Capability Program offers grants for industry and providers to design and deliver tailored programs that address the challenges and opportunities identified in the Workforce Strategy, supporting AgriFutures Levied and Emerging Industries.
Program objectives:
- Provide a longer-term, strategic plan for fair allocation of capacity-building funding across levied and emerging industries.
- Understand and respond to current and future workforce needs.
- Attract and retain skilled industry participants by identifying and enabling key drivers of attraction and retention.
- Support capability development by equipping stakeholders with the skills and confidence to lead effectively.
- Respond to workforce and leadership needs unique to levied and emerging industries.
- Embed measurement and evaluation frameworks to demonstrate workforce impact.
Scope of grants
Industry Workforce Program Grants (up to $25,000)
Designed as a clear and transparent mechanism for distributing an annual allocation of funds to support Levied and Emerging Industries workforce needs.
Providers will be required to:
- Develop, design, and/or deliver an industry-specific program tailored to a levied or emerging industry (new or existing).
- Demonstrate alignment with AgriFutures’ priorities and industry needs.
- Engage stakeholders to co-design relevant activities, ensuring programs are practical, scalable, and industry led.
- Incorporate innovative approaches to workforce attraction, retention, and skills development, including technology and leadership pathways.
- Provide evaluation and reporting to AgriFutures’ impact framework.
Capacity Building Grants (up to $10,000)
Designed for industry associations to nominate individuals or groups for funding that benefits their industry.
Applications should:
- Showcase knowledge-sharing for levied and emerging industries.
- Demonstrate motivation and skills to lead industries into the future.
Who can apply
We are inviting Industry associations, individuals and service providers who have a new or existing program which can address workforce or capacity building challenges for Levied or Emerging Industries. The application must be able to design and deliver initiatives that support workforce attraction, retention and skills development.
How to apply
Applications links will be available on this webpage on Monday, 16 February 2026.
Please ensure you have read and agree with the program T&C’s prior to applying.
Timeline
Activity |
Date |
Applications open |
Monday, 16 February 2026 |
Applications close |
Friday, 13 March 2026 |
Intended completion date of evaluation of submissions |
Friday, 10 April 2026 |
Expected execution of contract or issue of agreement |
Friday, 1 May 2026 |
Date of commencement of projects |
Monday, 4 June 2026 |
Assessment Criteria
Industry Workforce Program Grants |
|
Mandatory Requirements |
Weighting |
Project overview: • Project title and summary are clear, relevant, and concise. • Project objectives align with workforce needs in levied or emerging industries. • The summary demonstrates understanding of industry context and AgriFutures’ priorities. |
30% |
Impact & scalability: • The project addresses a genuine workforce challenge or opportunity. • Expected impact is well-defined (number of beneficiaries, industry reach, scalability). • Sustainability and scalability beyond the bursary period are clearly explained. • Stakeholder involvement in co-design and delivery is practical and meaningful. |
40% |
Project plan: • The project plan is detailed, realistic, and achievable. • Key objectives, milestones, timelines, deliverables and budget breakdown are clear and justified. • The plan demonstrates value for money and feasibility. |
30% |
Capacity Building Grants |
|
Mandatory Requirements |
Weighting |
Project overview: • Project title and summary are clear, relevant, and concise. • Project objectives align with capacity building and leadership needs in the industry. • The summary demonstrates understanding of industry context and AgriFutures’ priorities. |
30% |
Impact & Scalability: • The project builds leadership and capability for the industry. • Knowledge and skills sharing across levied and emerging industries is well described. • Success measures (KPIs) and alignment with AgriFutures’ impact framework are robust. |
40% |
Project plan: • The project plan is detailed, realistic, and achievable. • Key objectives, milestones, timelines, deliverables and budget breakdown are clear and justified. • The plan demonstrates value for money and feasibility. |
30% |
Terms of Reference
AgriFutures Australia uses standard form contracts and agreements for projects and research procured by AgriFutures Australia (please refer to https://www.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 Service Provider 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: