Phase out of Live Sheep Exports by Sea - transition assistance: Enhancing Market Demand Grants Program - Round 2

The Australian Government is inviting applications via an open process to deliver services under Program 1.9 Meat and Livestock Industry - Phase Out of Live Sheep Exports by Sea - transition assistance: Enhancing Market Demand Grants Program (the program) nationally.

The program is designed to increase information available to the Australian sheep, agriculture, food and fibre industries on market opportunities and/or on stronger business-to-business relationships for interstate and overseas markets for sheep products; and for markets for Australian agri-food in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The grant opportunity is part of this program and will award grants totalling up to $4.4 million over 3 years from 2025-26 to 2027-28 for activities to be completed by 29 February 2028.

The grant opportunity is focused on 2 priorities:

• market opportunities for Australian sheep products within Australia and internationally
• diversification opportunities for Australian agri-food exports to the MENA region.

The objectives of the grant opportunity are to:

• explore opportunities to maintain and develop:
  • interstate and overseas markets for Australian sheep products, and/or
  • markets for Australian agri-food in the MENA region
• build on and/or complement other activities funded through the broader $27 million Enhancing Market Demand program.

The intended policy outcomes for the grant opportunity are:

• to provide Australian sheep, agriculture, food and fibre industries with an increased understanding, knowledge or information about potential market opportunities and/or stronger business-to-business relationships (for interstate and overseas markets for Australian sheep products and/or markets for Australian agri-food in the MENA region)
• demonstrated application or benefit across industry(ies) nationally
• strengthened business relationships for the benefit of the Australian sheep industry or Australian agriculture and food industries nationally.

Eligibility:

To be eligible, you must be one of the following entity types:

• Company
• Cooperative
• Corporate Commonwealth Entity
• Corporate State or Territory Entity
• Incorporated Association
• Indigenous Corporation
• Local Government
• Non-corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority
• Non-corporate State or Territory Entity
• Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
• Statutory Entity.

If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust , the Trustee must be one of the eligible entity type as listed above.