Background

There has been a substantial increase in the capacity and speed of execution within Australian grains supply chains over recent years. Record grain harvests are now processed faster and stored efficiently, either on-farm or at upcountry receival sites, enabling large volumes to be delivered swiftly to both international and domestic markets shortly after harvest. This rapid processing capacity has facilitated a quicker response to market demands, particularly allowing stakeholders to capitalise on early price premiums available in international markets before the northern hemisphere’s grain harvest commences.

Engaging with key industry stakeholders, GRDC has gathered practical insights on how to further enhance the capacity and cost-efficiency of Australia’s grain supply chains. Summary recommendations as a result of internal and external consultation covered the following themes:

1. Ensuring effective, least-cost grain paths are developed and maintained.
2. Encouraging greater automation and innovation in supply chains.
3. Ensuring accurate information capture.

Opportunities for innovation

Considering opportunities arising from consultation and in alignment with the GRDC’s RD&E Plan 2023-28, GRDC is approaching the market with a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, aiming to invest in projects where there is a clear path to increasing enduring profitability for Australian grain growers. In particular, the GRDC invites submissions from stakeholders who can offer breakthrough innovations and insights through RD&E and encourages investment outcomes that are practical, cost-effective, avoid duplication and easily integrated into current systems and processes. To achieve these goals, the GRDC is interested in proposals that relate to any section of the value chain, which, for the purposes of the RFP process, extends from point of harvest to final delivery before processing.

The Grow Markets and Capture Value pillar of the GRDC’s RD&E Plan 2023-28 focuses on enhancing the competitiveness and profitability of Australian grain growers by improving post-farm gate efficiency and maximizing value along the supply chain. This involves tackling challenges in grain processing, logistics, storage, and handling to ensure Australian grain remains competitive in global markets while delivering higher returns for growers. By addressing key inefficiencies, this pillar supports the grains industry in accessing, growing, and sustaining markets.

One focus area under this pillar is Lower Post-Farm Gate Costs, which aims to reduce expenses associated with grain processing, transport, and market access. GRDC invests in innovations that improve processing efficiency, reduce barriers to market entry, and streamline certification, quality assurance, and compliance processes. These efforts are designed to make the Australian grains industry more cost-competitive while addressing sustainability and market-driven requirements.

The second focus area, Logistics, Storage, and Handling, emphasizes improving the efficiency, quality, and consistency of grain storage and movement. Investments in this area include developing technologies to minimize grain losses during storage and handling, enhancing logistical infrastructure to streamline supply chains, and supporting advanced storage solutions that preserve grain quality. These initiatives aim to reduce waste, maintain grain value, and ensure seamless delivery to domestic and international markets.

Targeted RD&E addressing these issues can improve cost-efficiency, streamline supply chain operations, and enhance Australia's global market position. Investments in infrastructure planning, transport innovation, and grain handling advancements are crucial for strengthening industry resilience, competitiveness, and grower profitability.

Some project examples include but are not limited to:

1. Developing automated and/or objective quality testing technologies, processes and strategies

Enabling automated and objective grain quality assessments on-farm and along the value chain to improve accuracy and speed, reduce quality disputes, enhance market trust, improve opportunities for value adding on-farm, and increase throughput. Examples include:

• Develop new technological solutions: Develop cutting-edge technologies such as spectroscopy, digital imaging, and automated analysers to achieve rapid, objective, and accurate grain quality assessments that are suitable for implementation in Australian grain supply chains.
• Value adding and differentiation: Development and/or extension of new on-farm grain quality assessment approaches that maximise opportunities to profit through value adding (i.e. on-farm arbitrage) and differentiation strategies.

2. Developing Automated Grain Handling, Processing, and Storage Technologies

Automation in the grain supply chain can improve labour efficiency, reduce operational costs, and enhance work safety. Processes such as handling and transportation may be automated, leading to faster and more reliable grain flow throughout the supply chain. Examples include:

• Automation and robotics: Implement robotic systems for automated sorting, handling, and processing to increase efficiency and reduce labour costs.
• Smart storage: Develop intelligent storage systems that monitor and control environmental conditions, ensuring optimal grain preservation.
• Predictive analytics: Convey results from historical and real-time data analytics to growers that optimise processing and storage operations, overcoming bottlenecks and anticipating issues before they arise to optimise harvest activities on farm.

3. Desktop research, data analysis, and/or tools

This is a broad category that could involve desktop research and/or leveraging or building analytical tools that assist in decision making along the value chain. Examples include:

• Data-driven insights: Using data-driven approaches to Identify opportunities to cut costs and add-value within the grains value chain.
• Risk identification: Identify risks to the value chain and developing strategies to mitigate them to improve resilience and sustainability.
• Brand new innovations: Discovery activities relating to the invention or adoption of new technologies such as AI, automation, and IoT including detailed plans/schematics and expected return on investment.
• Infrastructure insights: Better understanding of the current state of infrastructure along the supply chain, identifying specific opportunities for investments that lead to enhanced grower profitability, e.g., specific road and rail transport upgrades etc.

4. Reducing freight costs for growers

Reducing freight costs for growers can be achieved by optimising transportation routes, improving load efficiency, and utilising technologies that enhance logistics management. Automation and data-driven insights can also help in minimising delays and reducing fuel consumption, leading to overall cost savings for growers. Examples include:

• Optimise transportation routes: Analysis to improve route planning to reduce distance and time, leading to lower fuel and operational costs.
• Enhance load efficiency: Analysis to maximise the use of available space in transportation vehicles or optimise vehicle choice to reduce the number of trips required.
• Logistics management technologies: Analysis for or development of advanced technologies for better tracking, scheduling, and coordination of freight movements.

5. Infrastructure that supports RD&E on value chain innovations

Developing experimental sites, research infrastructure, and comprehensive datasets or resources enhances the ability to test and validate new technologies, supporting innovation and informed decision-making in grain supply chains. These efforts lead to improved efficiency, greater competitiveness, and more robust solutions to industry challenges. Examples include:

• Experimental sites: Establish and maintain dedicated experimental sites for testing and validating new technologies and practices in real-world grain value chain environments.
• Research infrastructure: Invest in advanced research facilities equipped with state-of-the-art tools and equipment to support cutting-edge R&D in grain value chains.
• Data sets and resources: Develop and curate comprehensive datasets and/or resources that provide valuable insights and/or enable training/calibration of analytical models, facilitating evidence-based research and innovation.

6. Developing advanced data collection and traceability systems

Developing advanced data collection, value chain monitoring, and traceability systems enhances the ability to capture and analyse static and real-time information, ensuring better visibility and control across the supply chain. These systems support informed decision-making, help to improve efficiency, and ensure the integrity and quality of grain products. Examples include:

• Data hubs: Create centralized data hubs to collect, store, and manage real-time information from across the supply chain, ensuring seamless access and integration of critical data.
• Data aggregation: Develop industry-good datasets to support improved efficiencies up and down the value chain.
• Decision-making: Develop advanced analytics and decision-support tools that leverage collected data and metrics, empowering stakeholders to make informed, timely decisions that optimise supply chain operations.

7. Biosecurity technologies

In relation to improving outcomes in the value chain, developing biosecurity technologies enhances threat detection, ensures accurate mapping of pest-free zones for better market access, and leverages quality training data to improve detection models. Examples include:

• Pest detection: Deploy advanced surveillance and diagnostic technologies for accurate and reliable pest detection, ensuring evidence of pest-free status and prompt and effective responses in the event of a positive detection.
• Pest distribution datasets: Develop reliable data and auditable data sets to support claims for pest-free place of production, or pest-free zones. These areas support better market access and supply chain outcomes for growers.
• Supporting Resources: Develop systems for generating high-quality imagery from pest and disease samples to train AI/ML detection models. This includes protocols for acquiring, managing, and photographing samples, ensuring reliable, real-world data to improve detection algorithms and support biosecurity claims.

8. Open Category

Open call: Propose projects that do not fall under these examples provided they meet the Guiding Principles and deliver on the stated Outcome.

This open call is not limited to the examples provided. Approaches that clearly address any aspect of value chain innovation as per GRDC RD&E Plan 2023-28 are encouraged.

This Procurement

Collaborative proposals

The technical and innovation challenges in this area are complex. GRDC therefore encourages interdisciplinary and collaborative solutions where it will improve proposed outcomes. Due to the segmented nature of the supply chain, GRDC recommends that applicants consider collaborating with their upstream and downstream counterparts to help ensure proposed innovations address the needs of different supply chain participants. GRDC particularly encourages collaboration with Australian growers or their representative groups.

To help facilitate collaboration, GRDC invites prospective applicants to share their organisational details and a brief description of their interests and capabilities. These details would be available to other prospective applicants that have also opted in, to help them find potential collaborators.

This is an obligation-free process, applicants may choose not to share their details. Applicants that have opted in may also decline to collaborate with any other organisations that have opted in. Applicants may also collaborate with organisations outside of this process to develop and submit proposals.

To opt in, please submit an entry via the online Collaboration Form. GRDC will immediately upload the submitted details to an online list visible to other applicants that have opted in.

Analytics Support

Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) is a GRDC strategic partnership with Curtin University, the University of Queensland, and Adelaide University. AAGI has capabilities across the breadth of analytics applied to grains RD&E, including biometry, bioinformatics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, mathematical and biophysical modelling, and geo-spatial statistics. AAGI involvement is available as an in-kind GRDC contribution to these investments.

To explore options for AAGI involvement, applicants must make enquiries to AAGI during this RFT period and identify potential areas of collaboration as part of their application. Successful applicants will be required to complete an Analytical Collaboration Plan to specify the data to be provided to AAGI and the analytics AAGI will provide. A sample Plan template is available from AAGI. Applicants must make enquiries to the AAGI Director, Dr Nathan O'Callaghan, nathan.ocallaghan@curtin.edu.au. Please note, applicants that request funding for analytics readily available through AAGI must provide a technical and/or value-for-money rationale for not using in-kind AAGI capabilities.

Submission of Proposals

Applicants are invited to submit their proposal to the Grains Investment Portal using the Proposal Template attached to the RFP (max 8 pages).  The template requires applicants to address evaluation criteria which proposals will be evaluated by.

Guiding principles for Open Call investments

The following guiding principles are designed to ensure that proposals meet GRDC requirements:

1. The work must comprise RD&E activities with an identified outcome for the benefit of Australian grain growers. GRDC is unable to invest in non-R&D infrastructure.
2. The benefit to growers must be quantifiable with a clear and tangible path to impact for investment outcomes. Importantly, this includes where investments seek to displace existing or well-established technologies, methods, processes, and/or standards. Applicants should outline in their proposal the approach to achieving path to impact, including evidence of key stakeholder engagement and/or industry acceptance pathways.
3. Applicants should be aware that investments under this initiative are not grants. The GRDC looks for proposals that align with its commercialisation principles, expecting benefit sharing upon commercialisation of products and/or services that is proportional to overall development contributions.
4. GRDC can do research that informs policy but cannot advocate or author industry policy. Proposed R&D that informs policy must have a clear path to impact.
5. Investment under this RFP does not include providing for commercial infrastructure or capital for business ventures.

Scope of Proposals

Innovation RFP Project Categories and Types

Categories:

Out of Scope:

• Pure evaluation of commercial products: Projects focussed solely on the evaluation of one or more commercial products -- readily available in the Australian market – are out of scope.
• Investing in commercial infrastructure or raising capital for business initiatives. For further details on how GRDC supports business investments, please refer to our GrainInnovate program.