Grant Areas

Applicants are invited to apply for a range of grant opportunities including those promoting the dairy industry as a fulfilling, rewarding career and activities or courses including skill development, management projects, innovation, capacity development and emerging issues. Also for secondary school activities to make students (and their families) aware of the career opportunities in the dairy industry. If uncertain of how your proposal or idea fits into a category, please contact the Secretary to discuss.

1. Dairy business management skill development

Scholarships of $2,500 to $5,000 per year to agreed courses.

2. Secondary school activities

Making students (and their families) aware of career opportunities in the dairy industry. Grants upwards from $1,000.

3. Dairy business management projects

Create awareness in appropriate education organisations and assess proposed projects. Grants $1,000 – $5,000.

4. Innovation grants of up to $5,000

Offered to groups of dairy farmers directly or through their service providers.

5. Capacity development grants (grants of $2,000 - $5,000)

Grants to farmers and service providers for short courses, study tours, etc

6. Emerging issues grants

Short proposal developed with relevant Industry stakeholders and reviewed by DDF board.

Uses of Grant Funding

A grant could support:

Relevant study visits outside the Western District
Additional relevant short courses to develop advanced technical and management skills
Costs of obtaining relevant short-term higher-level work experience to gain specialised knowledge and experience relevant to their future work in Western Victoria. This could include travel within or outside Australia to/from the work assignment. Details on the planned work experiences, reasons why it is important and expected extra costs should be included with a proposal
Specialised farm management software / hardware
The proposed allocation of DDF funds provided would be documented in the application for / assessment of a grant.

Please contact the Secretary or Board members if your proposed activity is outside the guidelines above but will deliver direct benefits to fellow dairy farmers or the wider dairy industry. The Foundation wants to be flexible in its approach

Grant Assessment

Potential applicants should contact the Secretary and /or board members to discuss the grant concept and determine the most time-effective way to proceed with an application.

Important aspects that direct applications need to address are:

How many dairy farmers would directly benefit through the grant activities?
What contributions are being made to the total cost of the activity by the implementing farmer or group and other outside co-operators or sponsors (in cash or kind)?
How will the learnings from the activity be transferred to other dairy farmers or dairy service providers could benefit from the activity?

When appropriate, the Foundation will provide support to developing the grant application and interacting with other potential funding agencies to ensure a cost-effective proposal.

Please review our online short application form before commencing initial discussions with the Foundation and then complete and return the form to the Foundation.