Cross-RDC Fall armyworm R&D Facilitation

⁠⁠⁠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 $170 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: Cross-RDC national Fall armyworm R&D facilitation (VG25006).

The overall objective of the project is to create a role that provides a single focal point of facilitation for FAW. The role will encompass the:

- Development and delivery of workshops and communication platforms: The FAW facilitator role will organise and lead national and regional workshops, as well as establish communication platforms to support effective information exchange.

- Reporting on FAW updates and industry impact: Regular updates on FAW developments, industry impacts, and management issues will be systematically reported. The role is responsible for developing independent reports on industry impact, R&D gaps, and management challenges. This may be derived by liaising with existing industry specific project leads.

- Identification of R&D gaps and opportunities: The role will identify and report on gaps in research and development and opportunities for further investigation.

- Communication and engagement plan development: A comprehensive communication and engagement plan will be developed and implemented to ensure effective stakeholder interaction and information dissemination. A structured C&E plan is essential to address this gap. However, the budget allocation for this activity is unclear in the contract.

- Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan development: An M&E plan will be established and executed to track progress, measure effectiveness, and ensure continuous improvement. A steering committee comprising of RDC’s investing in this project will guide the development of this plan.

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.