About the Biochar Capacity Building Program

The Biochar Capacity Building Program will develop biochar as an option for Australia’s land managers to help mitigate Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and provide opportunities to participate in carbon markets through the $45.6 million Carbon Farming Initiative .

The Biochar Capacity Building Program aims to facilitate the development of biochar offset methodologies that will be publicly available for use by Australian land managers in carbon markets, through the CFI.

The Biochar Capacity Building Program will support research, on-ground testing and demonstration of biochar to provide additional options for land managers to contribute to reducing Australia’s carbon pollution.

The Biochar Capacity Building Program is a $2 million (GST exclusive) grants program that will provide funding for approved projects from 2011-12 to 2013-14.

The Biochar Capacity Building Program will complement work under the Climate Change Research Program, including work through the National Biochar Research Initiative and the Soil Carbon Research Program.

Program Priorities

The Biochar Capacity Building Program program priorities are:

• research that determines and quantifies how biochars mitigate greenhouse gas emissions
• demonstration of integrated biochar systems in Australia, from the production of the biochar to its end use. This would include economic analysis and emissions life cycle assessments to inform land managers’ decisions about biochar
• the development of biochar offset methodologies to enable land managers to participate in carbon markets through the CFI.

Key dates

The table below presents anticipated key dates in the Biochar Capacity Building Program. A single funding round is envisaged.

Who is eligible?

Biochar Capacity Building Program Applicants must be an Australian company, business, research organisation, government agency or department, for example:

• Australian business with an Australian Business Number
• Rural Research and Development Corporation
• National or state primary industry organisation
• Australian, state or territory or local government agency or statutory corporation
• Australian tertiary education institution
• Australian Cooperative Research Centre
• Australian public sector research agency
• Australian private research organisation.

Eligible activities

Examples of activities that would be eligible for funding include:

• research projects examining issues such as the impact of biochar on emissions
• demonstration of the use of biochar, such as in Australian agricultural and forestry systems
• projects to develop CFI methodologies for the use of biochar in Australian systems.

Funding will only be paid for work outlined in the funding deed and undertaken as part of the Biochar Capacity Building Program. The grant will not pay for any expenditure incurred prior to the funding deed being signed.

Ineligible activities

Examples of project activities that would be ineligible to receive funding through the Biochar Capacity Building Program include research that:

• does not address any of the identified research priorities
• has already been undertaken and funded through other programs.

The following costs would also be ineligible for funding through the Biochar Capacity Building Program. It is envisaged that provision of these costs would be part of an applicant’s contribution to the project.

• capital expenditure for the purchase of assets such as office furniture and equipment, motor vehicles, computers, printers, photocopiers, construction, renovations and utilities
• costs involved in the purchase/upgrade of software including licenses
• any cost incurred prior to signing a funding deed with the Commonwealth
• core business expenses such as:
  • staff relocation costs
  • administration/overhead and infrastructure costs
  • international travel and living expenses
• Australian domestic travel and living allowance that is not directly associated with carrying out the research project
• hospitality/catering costs
• financial support for feasibility studies
• commercially based activities, such as costs associated with:
  • the protection or patenting of intellectual property with market research for products or research carried out by surveys to assess the size of the market and/or the price of a particular service or product
  • activities of a distinctly commercial or proprietary nature that are aimed at selling or attracting investment
  • product development and the building or production of commercial prototypes.

More Information

• DAFF Funding Deed PDF [111KB]
• DAFF Funding Deed Word [186KB]
• Application Form PDF [126KB]
• Application Form Word [379KB]

The Biochar Capacity Building Program application period closes on 3 February 2012

Expert Assistance

Contact us to discuss whether your Biochar Capacity Building Program project is competitive on 03 9005 6789.

Purpose of the Next Gen Farmers grants

The Next Gen Farmers (NGF) grants round offers support for activities that will build the leadership and representative capacity of young people entering or involved in primary industries, particularly in the context of the challenges and opportunities facing these industries as a result of a changing climate.

Under the The Next Gen Farmers  grants round, the Australian Government will provide funding of up to a maximum of $50,000 (GST exclusive) for eligible activities. For example, previous NGF grants have been approved between $4,273 and $50,000.

Applicants should consider the types of project activities that will achieve the best results for young people entering or involved in primary industries and living and working in rural, regional and remote Australia.

Activities may include programs conducted via workshops, seminars, conferences or industry events or other innovative mechanisms to improve networking, management, leadership and/or the representative capability of young people.

Next Gen Farmers will not fund an applicant organisation’s day-to-day operating costs.

Who is considered a ‘young person’?

The department does not use a single definition of a ‘young person’. However, in assessing applications, priority will be given to activities which focus on the 18-25 age group and activities for people aged 15-30 will be considered.
Applications targeting young women, young Indigenous Australians and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are encouraged.

Activities

The Next Gen Farmers grant supports activities that:

• Build and share knowledge and experience
• Increase access to planning tools and resources
• Develop leadership and management skills
• Develop pathways to increase participation in primary industries
• Develop skills to contribute more effectively to government and industry decision making
• Build networks among rural, regional and remote Australians.

These activities could be conducted via workshops, seminars, conferences of industry events or through other innovative mechanisms.

Further Information

If you would like to apply for a grant please download the application form below.

• Next Gen Farmers Application Form Word [520kb]
• Next Gen Farmers Application Form PDF [251kb]
• Next Gen Farmers Application budget Excel [46kb]
• Next Gen Farmers Application budget PDF [213kb]

If you are unable to access the application documents, phone the Australia’s Farming Future hotline on 1800 638 746 or email to have the forms emailed, posted or faxed to you.

To find out about eligible activities, how applications are assessed and the details of the program please refer to the Next Gen Farmers Grants Program Information. To view an indicative funding deed click on the funding deed template below.

• Next Gen Farmers Grants Program Information Word [583kb]
• Next Gen Farmers Grants Program Information PDF [218kb]
• Funding Deed template Word [188kb]
• Funding Deed template PDF [192kb]

Applications close 5.00 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time, 28 March 2011.

Previous Funding

Up to $49,180 — ‘Ngalang Boodja Native Plant Propagation Project’, Ngalang Boodja Council Aboriginal Corporation
This project aims to increase the awareness of Aboriginal youth to the challenges of climate change and implement a strategic planning and plant propagation project to address these challenges.

Up to $49,070 — ‘Young Farmers Getting Funky in the South Burnett’, Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation
Kicking off with a “Funky Futures Forum” — engaging young South Burnett farming families in issues such as climate change, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability, followed by a twelve month training and mentoring program

Up to $49,715 — ‘Building Skills SA Next Gen Farmers’ Ag Excellence Alliance Inc
This project aims to increase the awareness of Aboriginal youth to the challenges of climate change and implement a strategic planning and plant propagation project to address these challenges.

Up to $50,000 — ‘Strengthening Australia’s Farming Future: Enhancing Leadership and Communication through Diversity’, Australian Women in Agriculture
The project will enhance the leadership and representative capacity of young women involved in agriculture, fisheries and forestry and be inclusive of women of a culturally and linguistically diverse background. The training workshop in Darwin will be followed by support and interaction to increase participants’ opportunities to contribute to their industry.

Up to $42,030 — ‘Safeguarding the Future of Agriculture in a Changing Environment’, New England Livestock Health and Pest Authority
The project is a series of workshops designed to build the leadership capacity of the participants by providing professionally delivered training and exposure to a number of networks available to those working in the rural industries.

Up to $50,000 — ‘Developing the Next Generation of Leaders in the Australian Dairy Industry’, Dairy Australia
This project will provide leadership skills, training and mentoring to young people  in the dairy industry. It will target people who have a commitment to the dairy industry, who undertake or are aspiring to undertake leadership roles within their communities and the industry.

Up to $47,660 — ‘Coaching and Mentoring in Rural Queensland’, Regional Service Broker Network
The project will target young women service providers who are engaged in primary industries to be trained, providing them with coaching and mentoring.  Participants will develop their coaching, mentoring, leadership, communication and decision making skills

Up to $26,870 — ‘New Horizons — Enhancing the Skills of Tomorrow’s Farmers with No–Till’,  Victorian No–Till Farmers Association
A workshop looking at the challenges facing the cropping industry and how an innovation like the No–Till Farming system can be used to reduce or overcome the effects of these challenges.

Up to $49,488 — ‘Youth Ag Central (YAC)’, Future Farmers Network
YAC is a two day interactive workshop for representatives from young agricultural groups from across Australia involved in all levels of the supply chain. The aim of the workshop is to provide leadership training and dissemination of information on current issues affecting agriculture.

Up to $48,250 — ‘Growing our Future’, Ninti One Ltd
A 2 day event where 20—30 Aboriginal young people will listen to successful Aboriginal business people involved in primary industries talking about their lives.

Up to $48,750 — ‘Dairy’s Future — Making Milk Solid Business’, Dairy SA
This project will develop business management and industry engagement skills of young dairy farmers in South Australia. This program will provide participants with high level extension in business management using a proven delivery team.

Up to $50,000 — ‘Mallee Mentors Program’, Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association
10 — 15 Young farmers from Mallee will attend a tour of the Eyre Peninsula and Financial/Risk management workshops. Each young participant will be paired up with Mentor for the period of the project.

Up to $50,000 — ‘On–farm Experiential Learning for Veterinary Students’, University of Melbourne
This project is a collaborative, experiential learning activity for all first year veterinary students at the University of Melbourne. It includes communication and leadership sessions to aid intercultural learning and evaluation of external risks to farming, such as climate change.

Up to $50,000 — ‘Beef Producers of the Future Unite to Tackle Climate Change’, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation  — Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
The project is an industry driven initiative of the Young Beef Producers’ Forum in Roma to extend learning about climate change preparedness on a small group level using group and e–technology processes across southern and western Queensland.

Up to $50,000 — ‘Innovation Generation 2010 — Building Supply Chain Solutions’, Grain Growers Association Limited
Grain Growers Association (GGA) will hold its annual under–40 young farmer and agribusiness professionals’ industry and supply chain conference titled ‘Innovation Generation’ and themed Building Supply Chain Solutions in 2010.

Up to $46,580 — ‘Encouraging Young Dairy Farmers to Become Future Industry Leaders’, Bega Cheese Ltd
Investing in young farmers who demonstrate an early commitment to the industry is important for grooming future leaders.  Training programs in
Seven selected young farmers will be offered access to one of two training programs to develop business and leadership skills to be able to handle the challenges associated with climate change and help secure resilience in the dairy industry.