Farm Practices Survey 2025 and 2027

Reference number: PROC-9177158

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Release date:: Tuesday 12 November 2024
Closing time:: Monday 09 December 2024, at 05:00 PM ACT local time
Enquiry deadline:: Monday 02 December 2024, at 05:00 PM ACT local time

Summary

The Farm Practices Survey is planned to obtain up-to-date information on the practices of Australian grain growers. The direct survey format has been used by GRDC since 2008 to collect quantitative data to monitor and evaluate key on-farm management practices, including grain growers' adoption of various farming systems. The analysis of this information helps to develop the organisation’s understanding of how these practices drive productivity, profitability, sustainability and environmental improvements on grain farms. The survey also helps GRDC understand the impact of its investments, identify gaps in adoption of R&D outputs, and guide future investment priorities. The Farm Practices Survey is one of several core data assets considered by the 2023-28 RD&E Plan’s Data and Insights Enabler and is anticipated to deliver a variety of tracking inputs for the plan’s Benefits Register.

Offer period

Offers will remain open for acceptance by the GRDC for a period of 6 months after the Closing Time.

Document contact and enquiries

Attention: ET Contract Administrator
Grains Research and Development Corporation
Email: etcontract.administrator@grdc.com.au

Make all requests for further information or clarification in relation to this procurement in writing (email) prior to 2 December 2024.

GRDC will publish all requests and responses to requests on the GRDC website under Questions and Answers at the bottom of this webpage.

Consortia response

GRDC will accept Tenders from Consortia.

Lodgement of Tender

Submit your Tender response electronically through the Grains Investment Portal.

AusTender

https://www.tenders.gov.au/Advert/Show/f2537731-1593-40bd-8229-fa78785a44fb

Description

GRDC requires the services of an experienced social research organisation to develop and conduct the Farm Practices survey in two rounds during early 2025 and 2027. The data and key insights from the project will assist the Corporation to understand grain growers' adoption of various farming systems, the impact of GRDC’s investments and to guide future investment priorities.

The Farm Practices survey has been conducted since 2008, with longitudinal data being collected periodically to evaluate performance criteria for the Corporation. The provider will assist in formulating the questionnaire, be responsible for conducting the survey, and reporting the results of the survey to GRDC.

The agency, in consultation with GRDC will formulate survey questions which may include the following areas but not limited to:

(a) The qualification of farming activities, scale and intended cropping plans.

(b) Fallow and stubble management practices.

(d) Weed, pest and disease management considerations and practices.

(e) Soil and nutrient management practices.

(f) Utilisation of precision farming activities.

(g) Grain marketing and quality assurance measures.

It is expected that the survey will target the completion of 1200 computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) with growers stratified by geographical location across the Australian grain growing regions. GRDC will provide details of the potential interviewees as an extract of its CRM systems. Previous survey data and questionnaires will be provided to the successful tenderer to ensure longitudinal data is captured to monitor trends.

The successful tenderer will:

Develop a survey plan detailing approach and methodology for the quantitative component.
Consult with GRDC to develop and refine the survey approach for both the quantitative and qualitative components.
Be responsible for conducting in-depth interviews.
Report the results and provide expert analysis on the findings, this may include presenting results and analysis to GRDC staff.

Outcome

Outputs

Output 1:

Raw survey data and top-line results

Collection of survey data, undertaking of validation and quality assurance procedures and analysis of key measures to inform GRDC of initial, top-line results.

Output 2:

Farm Practices Survey Report

Analysis of survey data and generation of insights from the survey relating to growers’ farming practices and their potential implications for GRDC’s RD&E activities.

Proposed Budget

Proposed Contract & Term

GRDC will contract under the terms of the Services Contract.

The schedule(s) attached to the contract will detail the project details: the outcomes, outputs, milestones, budget, participating personnel and required intellectual property.

The template contract containing the proposed Terms and Conditions is available on the Application resources page on the GRDC website.

It is anticipated that any resultant contract in relation to this procurement will commence with a proposed term of three years (2024 – 2027).

Conditions for Participation

The following are mandatory conditions with which a Tenderer must comply to participate in this procurement process:

The Tenderer must be a single legal entity or recognised firm of partners except where the Tender is submitted by a consortium and the Tender specifies that each member of the proposed consortium will be party to the contract.
The Tenderer and any proposed subcontractor must be compliant with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 and any other applicable labour laws and standards in the jurisdiction in which they operate.
The Tenderer and any subcontractor must not have a judicial decision against it (not including decisions under appeal) relating to employee entitlements and who have not paid the claim.
The Tenderer and any subcontractor must not be named on the Consolidated List, being the list of persons and entities who are subject to targeted financial sanctions or travel bans under Australian sanction laws, as maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Minimum Form and Content Requirements

The following are the mandatory content and format requirements that the Tenderer must complete and provide to participate in this procurement process:

Submit Tenders using the Grains Investment Portal.
Write Tenders in English and express any measurements in Australian legal units of measurement.
Budget details must be submitted on the ‘GRDC Budget Template’ provided in the Grains Investment Portal.

Evaluation Criteria

In the table below are the Evaluation Criteria that the Tender Evaluation Team will use to assess the value for money of all Tenders.

No	Type	Weighting
1	Technical – Qualitative evaluation criteria related to non-price factors such as methodology, project plan, track record, experience.
1.1	A clear and thorough plan to achieve the project outputs, specifying: (a) method to be used (including anticipated statistical analysis capacity); (b) proposed milestones; and (c) project structure and management arrangements.	34.00%
1.2	Demonstrated track record of the project team, including: (a) relevant achievements of the project leader in providing leadership, co-ordination, management, monitoring and evaluation and the timely delivery of high quality outputs; (a) relevant technical knowledge and experience of all key personnel (including proposed subcontractors).	33.00%
1.3	Demonstrated ability to be responsive and work to deadlines to deliver high quality analytical reports and presentations.	33.00%
2	Price - The tendered budget.	N/A
3	Risk - Risks inherent in the application including the degree of compliance with the draft contract and any actual or perceived conflict of interest.	N/A

Lodging a Tender

Questions and Answers

Q1. I see the suggested parameters of the survey that’s it’s a phone survey, is there any option to take this onto an online platform?

A1. GRDC is considering the Farm Practices survey input to be collected using CATI methods to promote engagement among its base of levy paying growers.

An application using online interviewing methods would be considered and will be evaluated on the merits of the validity of data collected, grower engagement and the comparability with existing longitudinal measures.