Innovation Grants

The Innovation portfolio focuses on investing in science that underpins the development of technologies for the dairy industry. Ongoing innovation is critical to the future prosperity of the industry. The Gardiner Foundation’s drivers for investment include building best practice innovation, linking science with end users, utilising global networks to avoid duplication, and collaborating to leverage existing work or maximise the impact of limited funding.

Applicants for Gardiner Foundation funding need to build a business case around innovation that will impact at farm, factory, consumer or community level. The Gardiner Foundation actively encourages projects that demonstrate best practice innovation process.

Particular areas of need include (but are not limited to):

• Increasing milk production and processing capacity;
• Increasing the ability of the Victorian dairy industry to compete on a global scale;
• Improving animal health (eg. mastitis);
• Improving herd fertility; and
• Enhancing sustainability and efficiency across the supply chain.

In 2011, applicants may apply for Innovation funding of up to $750,000, with larger scale projects expected to have a duration of 2-3 years.

Applications

Applicants are invited to refer to the

• Guidelines and Application Form
• Model Letter of Agreement (for projects seeking funding of up to $100,000)
  
• Model Project Agreement (for projects seeking funding in excess of $100,000)

Applicants should be aware that from 2011 the Gardiner Foundation will no longer offer funding in Capability Building as a separate program.

Applications close 23 March 2011, 5pm

Previously Funded Projects

Some significant past and current projects include:

• MG FarmC@re – the increasing burden of compliance placed upon farmers led to the development of this integrated risk management system, which enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of on-farm auditing practices.
  (Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co Ltd)

• Higher Value Milk – investigating the influence of new feeding systems on milk composition, and the down-stream processing and manufacturing qualities of the milk. This project explores the impact throughout the whole supply chain, of farmers adapting their feeding system to suit changing environments.
  (Dairy Futures CRC/Department of Primary Industries)

• Green Cleaning – this Gippsland-based initiative is being led by AgVet Projects in partnership with seven of Australia’s largest dairy chemical manufacturers, developing a new cleaning system for milking machines which delivers enormous savings in energy, water and chemical usage.
  (GippsDairy Board Inc./AgVet Projects Pty Ltd)