Future Drought Fund – Drought Resilience Leaders

This program aims to provide leadership training and mentoring opportunities for agricultural communities across Australia.

The objectives of the program are to:
- Empower young (18-35) and emerging leaders (of any age) across a range of sectors (Indigenous Australians, women, agri-business, entrepreneurship, natural resource management and industry) to share and apply their skills and knowledge developed and acquired through the DRL Training Course with their community.
- Enable farmers (with demonstrated experience and capacity) as well as other drought and climate experts to share drought and climate resilience and adaptation skills and knowledge with their peers through mentoring (an informal learning program).
- Design and deliver a drought resilience leadership course and a mentoring program that will develop the skills and capabilities of young and emerging leaders, and facilitate a culture of learning and knowledge sharing throughout agriculture dependent communities – building a national drought resilience leadership capability.

The DRL Project includes three activities:
- Drought Resilient Leadership (DRL) Training Course: This activity involves the delivery of a Drought Resilience Leadership Course in agriculture dependent communities that will develop leadership skills (with a focus on drought and climate resilience and adaptation) to young and emerging leaders across a diverse range of sectors.
- Community Extension Grants (CEGs): Upon successfully completing the DRL Training Course, participants would be eligible to apply for a small competitive grant (up to $4,000 per individual) to undertake a public-good focussed activity. These activities would enable training participants to share the skills and knowledge developed at the training within their community.
- Drought Resilience Mentoring (DRM) Program: Seeks to improve drought and climate resilience in agriculture dependent communities by helping farmers connect with other farmers and professionals who have demonstrated experience in drought and climate resilience and adaptation.

Applicants can apply for a grant, which includes administrative funding, up to a maximum of $7.45 million (exclusive of GST). Administrative funding is capped at a maximum of 10% of the actual grant value sought.

Eligible applicants must:
- Be a legal entity with an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Have an account with an Australian financial institution.
- Be capable of entering into a legally binding and enforceable Agreement with the Commonwealth.
- Be one of the following:
a) An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander organisation, council or incorporated association
b) Company
c) Cooperative
d) Incorporated association
e) Sole trader
f) Partnership
g) Trustee on behalf of a Trust

In a legally binding partnership, the executing partner must have authorisation from all other partners to execute the grant agreement.

Consortia applications are eligible to apply, providing all partners are eligible entities individually.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements.

Eligible proposals must demonstrate:
- Capacity and capability to lead and coordinate the delivery of the program’s activities nationally in agriculture-dependent communities.
- Expertise and experience in leadership and mentoring and the ability to deliver drought and climate resilience services to farm businesses and communities throughout agriculture-dependent communities.
- Outline a vision for how the project will be delivered.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of eligible activities/training course/topics/expenditure.

The main assessment criteria include:
- Organisational capacity and capability to lead and coordinate the delivery of the DRL Project’s activities nationally in agriculture dependent communities. (30 points)
- Expertise and experience in leadership and mentoring and the ability to deliver similar drought and climate resilience services to farm businesses and communities throughout agriculture dependent communities. (30 points)
- Outlined vision for how the DRL Project will be delivered. (15 points)
- Ability to effectively undertake stakeholder engagement, communication and media activities for the project. (15 points)

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of the assessment criteria.

The following are ineligible for funding:
- Unincorporated association.
- Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government agency or body (including government business enterprises).
- Corporate Commonwealth Entity.
- Non-Corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority.
- Commonwealth company.
- International Entity.
- Activities that:
a) Do not directly support agriculture dependent communities.
b) Benefit a single individual rather than build long-term drought resilience and enhance the public good in agriculture dependent communities.
c) Do not directly strengthen community networking, wellbeing and drought preparedness, or reduce the risk of social isolation associated with drought.
- Preparation of grant application materials.
- Protecting or patenting intellectual property.
- Creation of new institutions.
- Establishing new commercial ventures.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of restrictions.