National Schools Food & Fibre Education Strategy - Implementation Project One

⁠⁠⁠GRDC is seeking to engage a service provider to undertake an independent, evidence based desktop review and analysis of education focused investments and initiatives relevant to the implementation of the National Schools Food & Fibre Education Strategy.

The purpose of this work is to provide a clear, system level assessment of current education investment activity across agriculture, with a particular focus on RDC led and sponsored initiatives, and to identify opportunities to improve coordination, efficiency, and impact in future stages of Strategy implementation. The review will also draw on relevant comparator sectors to inform potential models and approaches for strengthening education outcomes within agriculture.

The successful Tenderer will be required to undertake a structured desktop review and analysis across the following three areas:

1. RDC‑level education initiatives

A systematic review of current and historic education, training and workforce focused investments delivered by all 15 Research and Development Corporations. This analysis will examine program objectives, target audiences, delivery models, governance and funding arrangements, and geographic coverage. The review will identify areas of overlap, duplication, and gaps, as well as examples of effective, innovative, or scalable initiatives that support schools based food and fibre education.

2. Broader agricultural education activity

An analysis of education, training, and workforce pipeline initiatives across the Australian agricultural sector that contribute to schools based engagement, capability building, or pathways into food, fibre, and agricultural careers. This will include consideration of initiatives led by industry bodies, education providers, and other relevant organisations, with a focus on identifying complementary activity, gaps, and opportunities for improved alignment with the Strategy.

3. Comparator industry investments

An analysis of education, training, and workforce pipeline initiatives in selected comparator industries that share structural characteristics with agriculture, such as distributed workforces, fragmented employer bases, and reliance on coordinated, sector wide approaches to education engagement (for example construction, energy, advanced manufacturing, and environmental or natural resource sectors). The analysis will focus on identifying transferable design principles, governance arrangements, funding models, and coordination mechanisms relevant to agriculture

Recommendations and evidence based models

Drawing on findings across all three areas, the Tenderer will be required to develop a robust, evidence informed set of recommendations that:

• identify education investment models and initiatives with demonstrated or emerging effectiveness, and clearly describe the strength and maturity of the available evidence
• consider different levels of scalability, including funding, governance, delivery requirements, and dependencies
• include models as case studies of education investments or initiatives with evidence of positive outcomes, noting where evidence is limited, mixed, or still developing.
• clearly articulate how recommended models and approaches align with, and support, the objectives and collaborative action areas of the National Schools Food & Fibre Education Strategy (appendix 2 )

Recommendations should be informed by consideration of key themes of effectiveness outlined in the strategy; relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and collaboration, including evidence of reach to target audiences, cost‑effectiveness relative to reach and impact, areas of overlap or duplication, existing collaboration mechanisms, barriers to collaboration, and opportunities to strengthen coordination and leverage complementary investment.

The outputs will consolidate insights into a system level view of education focused investment activity and provide an evidence base to support future decision making. This will include identifying priority gaps, opportunities to reduce duplication, and practical pathways for strengthening collaboration and maximising national impact.

Document contact and enquiries

Attention: Linda McDougall

Grains Research and Development Corporation

Email: linda.mcdougall@grdc.com.au

Make all requests for further information or clarification in relation to this procurement in writing (email) prior to 8 April 2026.

GRDC will publish all requests and responses to requests on the GRDC website under Questions and Answers at the bottom of this webpage.