Contracts and templates

GRDC has standard terms and conditions for contracting our investments. The templates for these contracts are provided below, however, depending on the proposed arrangement, the terms and conditions may be subject to change.

Prospective suppliers and research, development and extension (RD&E) partners are expected to read and understand our terms and conditions prior to applying for any opportunity.

Resources

The resources below are contract and register templates, with a description of the purpose of the template and links to download each template.

Research contract

Research contracts are used for the majority of RD&E investments partnering with research organisations. These are the templates.

Note: GRDC introduced a revised Research Contract on 13 June 2023.  Since that time, GRDC has undertaken some minor amendments to the Research Contract and that document will now replace the 13 June 2023 version on and from 1 July 2024.

For ease of reference, GRDC has uploaded the document below entitled “GRDC Research Contract - outline of amendments in red – 1 July 2024” which outlines the key revisions in red writing and/or strikethrough. Note that this is a summary document only and does not constitute legal advice. This document will be available on the website for a short period of time.

Please see the new document entitled “GRDC Research Contract - Two Party 1 July 2024”, which is the official document to be utilised for tender applications or general contracting on and from 1 July 2023. Please ensure that you have read and understood the further revised Research Contract and have obtained your own advice on the revisions. Note that the amendments will also be carried across to the multi-party Research Contract.

GRDC Standard Two-Party Research Contract

Revised Two-Party Research Contract

We have recently revised our two-party Research Contract.

GRDC Standard Multi-Party Research Contract

We have also recently revised our multi-party Research Contract.

Services contract

Service contracts are used when GRDC fully funds an arrangement for:

  • the provision of services generally (including corporate services) or
  • assistance to deliver an investment.

Download the revised Services Contract template.

Consultancy contract

Consultancy contracts are used when we seek specialist advice and expertise or an independent opinion on a particular process or subject matter.

Download the revised Consultancy Contract template.

RD&E Data Management

View the GRDC RD&E Data Capture and Storage Guidelines for Research Partners, and a link to the GRDC RD&E Data Management Plan Template.

Topics covered in the guidelines include:

Identifying RD&E data for collection and storage

Uploading RD&E Data to an Approved Repository

Registering Project Metadata with the GRDC Data Catalogue

eftsure Data verification software

GRDC has implemented a data verification software solution - eftsure as part of its accounts payable process to improve payment security measures.

View the eftsure Data verification software page.

Research Scholarship contract

Research Scholarship contracts are used when we award scholarships to PhD candidates.

Download GRDC Research Scholarship contract.

Award contract

Award contracts are used when we sponsor events, programs or other activities led by parties other than GRDC.

Download Award contract.

GRDC Study Tour Agreement

Study Tour Agreements are used when we support study tours to facilitate engagement with leading researchers or growers in other regions implementing best practice.

Download Study Tour Agreement.

Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)

Our Research Contract requires our research partners to obtain GRDC’s written approval before any Project Outputs can be transferred to third parties via an approved Material Transfer Agreement.

GRDC has developed two Approved MTA templates that can be used for the transfer of Project Outputs to third parties on royalty-free terms:

NOTE: GRDC has revised its approved Generic Material Transfer Agreement template and its approved Breeder Material Transfer Agreement template in May 2024. The versions linked above should be used going forward.

See below for 'Written approval to transfer project outputs' for more information and for guidance on obtaining approval from GRDC.

Intellectual Property and Project Output (IPPO) Register

Our Research Contract requires that the IPPO Register be completed prior to a contract execution.

The IPPO Register details:

  • any Background IP and Third Party IP brought by a party (including GRDC) to a Project, who the owners are and whether any restrictions applies to its use that would affect the dissemination or commercialisation of the Project Outputs.
  • lists all IP that will be generated through the Project that is (if our standard Research Contract terms apply) co-owned by GRDC and the research organisation.

GRDC may request more detail or documents from the research organisation (such as a Material Transfer Agreement or a Licence Agreement) to understand ownership and terms of access for intellectual property that is used in the GRDC investment.

Our Research Contract contains specific clauses relating to the content, responsibility for maintenance, and format of the IPPO Register, as well as definitions for important terms such as Intellectual Property and Project Outputs. We expect our research partners to inform themselves of these important provisions.

Download the Intellectual Property and Project Output Register.

Written approval to transfer project outputs

Our Research Contract requires:

  • our research partners to obtain our written approval before any Project Outputs can be transferred to a third party, and
  • that the transfer must occur on an approved Material Transfer Agreement (MTA).

Follow the instructions below to seek approval for the transfer of project outputs.

If you are seeking GRDC approval to transfer project outputs to a third party

Then please email the GRDC investment manager and include:

  • a request for GRDC to approve the transfer of the Project Outputs, including a rationale for the transfer
  • a completed Schedule 1 of the applicable MTA, and
  • an up-to-date Intellectual Property Register for the project.

Note: GRDC may seek additional information to understand how the transfer aligns with the aim of the project or delivery benefit to Australian growers, before responding to the request.

If you are seeking GRDC approval to a third party for commercialisation

Then please contact GRDC’s commercialisation team to discuss your commercialisation options. You might need to engage your institution’s commercialisation capacity for assistance.

Note: GRDC’s Approved Breeder MTA allows the royalty-free transfer of pre-breeding material to breeding programs, including with the purpose of incorporation into commercial crop varieties. However, our MTA templates are not suitable for the transfer of Project Outputs on commercial terms.