Hort Innovation invests more than $110 million each year into initiatives and programs that provide benefit to Australian horticulture growers, the wider horticulture sector and the community. Hort Innovation is a not-for-profit Australian horticultural research and development organisation that has heavily invested in key initiatives in research and development, expansion, marketing and international trade to increase productivity, profitability and demand for producers in Australia and the industry.
Hort Innovation is essentially divided into two funding models: Strategic Levy Investment and the Hort Frontiers Strategic Partnership Initiative.
Deadline
Submission for investment plan is open throughout the year.
Applicants may lodge their submissions online by filling out their Grower Investment Ideas form here.
Investing through the Levy System
Hort Innovation uses the levies collected by the government from the growers for strategic investments in the areas of R&D and marketing programs specific to an organisation’s priority activities. The government entered into a partnership with Hort Innovation through the Statutory Funding Agreement that remits the collected levies to Hort Innovation.
All levy investments involve consultation with and advice from industry, delivered through industry-specific Strategic Investment Advisory Panels (SIAPs). Once money is invested, the Australian Government contributes to the costs of R&D investments by making a contribution using public money. Investments from marketing levies do not attract the same contribution from the Australian Government. More details on products and projects entered into by Hort Innovation and its partners may be found on their levy fund grower page.
The majority of R&D work must be aligned to these categories:
- Land and crop management
- Pests and diseases
- Biosecurity
- Varieties and rootstocks
- Postharvest and supply chain
- International trade and market development
- Consumer and market research
- Industry data and insights
- Industry development and communication
- Leadership
- Health and nutrition
- Pollination
- Green space and the environment
- Technology
Hort Innovation also invests voluntary levies on behalf of some horticulture industries, through a collective industry fund (CIF) process. These voluntary CIF levies are not collected by the Australian Government, but by a third party nominated by the industry. The CIF levies follow the same investment process as statutory levies, being entrusted to Hort Innovation and attracting the Australian Government contribution for R&D investments.
Investing through the Strategic Partnership Initiative
Hort Innovation aims to equip Australian growers for the future by facilitating collaborative cross-industry investments that are focused on longer-term, complex and traditionally underinvested themes identified as critical for the industry. More details on existing Hort Frontiers Fund may be found here.
The Hort Frontiers funds are focused on these four investment themes:
- Nourish & Nurture
- Food Safety, Traceability & Quality Fund
- Green Cities Fund
- Health & Nutrition Fund
- People & Enterprise
- Advanced Production Systems Fund
- International Markets Fund
- Leadership Fund
- Planet & Resources
- Biosecurity Fund
- Climate Fund
- Energy Fund
- Pollination Fund
- Water & Landscapes Fund
- Less waste
- Farm Waste Fund
- Food Waste Fund
- Packaging Waste Fund
Investment Ideas
For 2020/21, the investment spend on approved submitted projects range from $10k to $1m. No specific amount for investment was put forth for any grower or producer. It all boils down to your investment idea and how it aligns with the investment themes or categories set by Hort Innovation. The step-by-step process are as follows:
- Growers and producers are invited to submit their ideas to Hort Innovation any time through a new investment idea form or get in touch with Hort Innovation.
- Once an idea is submitted, it will be reviewed to determine whether it aligns to the industry’s Strategic Investment Priorities. At this time, the grower or producer will receive a copy of action.
- Ideas will be assessed annually based on industry benefit and impact as part of the consultation process.
- Recommendations from the SIAPs, EAPs and Trade Panels are used by Hort Innovation to work suitable ideas into project proposals.
- Project proposals are distributed and made public to potential delivery partners for a response.
- Responses are assessed, often with the assistance of industry, and the best delivery partner for the work is chosen.
- Contracts are issued, and the work begins.
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