Grants up to $100,000 to target solutions to production challenges identified and sponsored by industry, to increase productivity and profitability for South Australian primary producers.
Current status of program
CLOSED
To register your interest in future rounds or discuss alternative grant opportunities please contact us here.
On this page you will find
- An overview of the AgTech Growth Fund
- Every detail you need to know
- Resources and help to get the grant
What is the AgTech Growth Fund?
The AgTech Growth Fund (AGF) is a dedicated program aimed at accelerating the development of technology solutions to significant agricultural production challenges. The purpose of the fund is to incentivise private investment into targeted technology solutions to address ‘real’ industry production challenges. The fund will target solutions to production challenges identified and sponsored by industry, to increase productivity and profitability for the State’s primary producers.
The majority of project activities must be conducted in South Australia.
ATGF level of support
Grants
- Maximum grant funding available is $100,000
- Maximum cash and/or in-kind contribution from a university partner is $60,000
Co-contribution:
To be eligible for funding from the AGF, a co-contribution is required to be made to the project. Co-contributions can include cash or in-kind contributions from the applicant or other parties, financial institutions and businesses.
- In-kind contributions are capped at 50 percent of total applicant co-contribution.
- Co-contributions (cash and/or in-kind) from universities are capped at 20 percent of the total project cost.
ATGF important dates
- This program is currently closed
- Register your interest here with GrantHelper
ATGF important details that you will need to know
ATGF objectives
The program has identified three key area of focus for the AgTech Growth Fund, seeking new technology solutions that address real industry production challenges, in one or more of the following areas:
- Improve drought resilience and climate adaptation for primary producers
- Improve carbon management, sustainability credentials or natural capital on farm to measure and monitor performance to consumers and the supply chain
- Improve market access and maximize value for primary producers through traceability and credentialing.
Technology solutions may include (but are not limited to):
- Digital Ag software/hardware (e.g., sensors, imagery, precision ag, data stewardship)
- Smart farm equipment (e.g., robotics, machinery, automation)
- Supply chain technology (e.g., traceability and credentialing, monitoring and decision support tools)
- Farm management technologies.
Organisations eligible for ATGF support
To apply for a grant from the AGF all the following conditions must be met:
- The applicant must be a primary production business or private entity that is involved in the project value chain.
- The applicant must show evidence of support for their project from all private sector active project partners that represent the project’s value chain (researchers, those involved in the production / supply process, industry members, technology developers).
- An active project partner is one that is participating in the project either through cash and/or in-kind contribution, equity investment and/or letter of intent to purchase.
- An active project partner must have met all the terms and conditions placed on any previous South Australian Government funding, grant or concessional loan provided to them.
- The applicant must have a current primary producer as its project sponsor (unless the Applicant is a primary producer).
- The applicant must be South Australian based.
- The applicant must hold an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and be registered for GST.
- The applicant must be a legal entity capable of entering into a funding agreement.
- The project outcomes must deliver results to a South Australian agricultural sector.
- The majority of project activities must be completed in South Australia.
- The applicant (or any active project partners) must not have received funding from another South Australian / Australian Government program for the same activities.
- Projects must be completed within 12 months from the applicant entering into a funding agreement with the Minister or delegate.
- The applicant must provide a co-contribution (in cash and/or in-kind) towards the project’s total budgeted cost, which can be a combined contribution from active project partners. Where projects have investment from a university partner, this investment cannot be more than 20% of the total project costs.
- Government investment (through the AGF) is capped at $100,000 (GST exclusive). For example, for a project with a total project cost of $300,000 (GST exclusive) the maximum grant funding available is $100,000 (GST exclusive), and the maximum cash and/or in-kind contribution from a university partner is $60,000 (GST exclusive) (see contributions section).
See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible organisations.
Projects and activities eligible for ATGF support
Projects seeking grant funding must meet the following conditions:
- Projects must demonstrate how the technological innovation will solve a specific industry challenge (including how it aligns with one or more of the key areas of focus refer section 2) and benefit an agriculture sector as a whole, not just individual companies.
- Technological solutions must be novel and innovative.
- Projects must identify a feasible path to commercialisation.
- Projects must identify how the benefits of the project will be sustained over the longterm.
- Projects must not be reliant upon on-going government funding.
- The applicant must have the capacity to fund the balance of costs associated with the project activities.
See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible projects and activities.
Information to prepare for the ATGF application
Applicants must provide the following information/documents:
- Applicant details
- Executive summary
- Alignment with industry needs
- Financial leverage and eligible co-contribution
- Project design
- Proponent capacity
- End user impact/adoption
- Challenges to technology adoption
- Competitive analysis
- Risks
- Economic impact
- Environmental impact
- Long-term impact
- Detailed project plan
- Written quotes or cost estimates
- Financial information
- Evidence of support
- List of personnel
- Letters of intent
- Intellectual property management plan.
See the guidelines for full details of information requirements.
Applying for ATGF
Applications must be submitted electronically via myPIRSA portal.
Book a no obligation discovery session with GrantHelper to increase your chances of success.
ATGF assessment process
| Ref | Criteria |
| 1 | Eligibility assessment: – To ensure the application meets all the eligibility criteria of the Program and the applicant has adequately addressed all evaluation criteria. It will also assess the readiness of the application for review by the Assessment Panel. |
| 2 | Technical assessment – To assess the technical merits of the project, reviewers will evaluate technical claims, accuracy of cost projections, feasibility of anticipated results, and proponents’ technical capacity to carry out the project. |
| 3 | Financial assessment – Due diligence will be undertaken to assess the applicant’s financial capacity to deliver the project. Reviewers will evaluate main proponent’s financial health, main proponent’s financial capacity to carry out the project and business case feasibility. |
See the guidelines for full details of the assessments.
ATGF resources
How do I get the ATGF?
You should read and understand the guidelines.
You need to ensure you are eligible for the funding. Applicants that do not meet all the eligibility criteria outlined above will not be considered.
Successful applicants will demonstrate:
- a proposed project aligned with the objectives and outcomes of the AgTech Growth Fund
- a sound project methodology, including robust governance structures and appropriate activities and milestones
- engagement with community, industry and other partners in developing the project
- an appropriate budget relative to outcomes, as well as a risk management plan
- a multi-disciplinary research team with the capacity, capability and experience to deliver the project in full within the agreed timeframe
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