Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) is a not-for-profit, grower-owned Research and Development Corporation (RDC) for Australia’s $17 billion horticulture industry. Hort Innovation invests around $154 million in research and development (R&D) and marketing programs annually to provide benefit to industry and the wider community.

Hort Innovation is seeking a suitably qualified, experienced and capable delivery partner for the project: Review of nursery industry biosecurity programs (NY24005).

The objectives of the services being sought are to:

• Review all program activities and their relevance to industry.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of activities

• Evaluate all outputs individually for relevancy and efficiency in delivering R&D outcomes

• Determine relevancy of project objectives to industry needs and priorities

• Comment on the project management structure, governance and resources for delivering the program and changes that may be required to support improved performance.

• Assess the monitoring and evaluation plans for the program and make recommendations for future monitoring and evaluation.

• Assess the benefits of the programs – success to-date against performance measures (e.g. reach of information products)/intended outcomes and contribution of the project to changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills and aspirations (KASA). Does the industry consider the programs valuable to their businesses?

• Assess tangibility of benefits felt by levy payers

• Assess transparency and level of detail in reporting project outputs/outcomes to levy payers

• Communicate return on investment to levy payers

• Identify any deficiencies or gaps within the programs.

• Determine equitability of project benefits to levy payers across business size and location

• Make recommendations for the next phase of the program (including on-going or new themes and activities, and any general improvements).

Hort Innovation has prepared a Request for Proposal (RFP) document that provides background information, outlines the scope of services, the procurement process and the information required from interested parties. There is also a terms of reference document to further inform objectives and scope.