Future Drought Fund Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot Program
The Innovation Challenges Pilot Program will provide $20 million in funding for high-impact projects that increase the drought resilience of Australian agriculture, farmers and communities by:
- Fast-tracking innovative and transformational solutions, at or above the applied research stage, to one or more drought and climate challenges listed below
- Providing a strong evidence base for scaling up of adoption of these solutions
- Involving a consortium of project partners including farmers or farming organisations.
Funding of up to $2 million is available per project through an open competitive grant process. Activities must be completed by 30 June 2028.
Projects must provide solutions to one of more of the following challenges:
- Advancing Natural Capital and Biodiversity for Drought Preparedness and Resilience.
- Innovating Water Management for Enhanced Drought Resilience in Australian Agriculture.
- National Innovation for Enhancing Community Resilience to Drought in Australian Agricultural Regions.
Applications must involve a consortium or partners, with a lead organisation nominated as the ‘applicant’. Each applicant must develop a theory of change for the project.
The grant opportunity is expected to be open for up to 11 weeks. Program details may change with the published grant opportunity.
Grant Opportunity Guidelines and other supporting documents, including challenge descriptions, will be published on GrantConnect when the opportunity is open for applications.