Blue Collar Laboure Hire Services for Agriculture Victoria Smart Farms

⁠⁠⁠Overview

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action requires access to reliable blue-collar labour hire services to support Agriculture Victoria's SmartFarms network, an integrated group of advanced research and innovation farms located across regional Victoria.

Purpose

The Department will establish and maintain a prequalified panel of Service Providers assessed against mandatory requirements and defined capability and experience criteria, determined suitable to deliver labour hire services across the SmartFarms network in Victoria. The panel will operate as a sourcing mechanism to streamline procurement activities, enabling the Department to efficiently engage Service Providers without undertaking a full tender process for each requirement. Engagements under the panel will be made on an as-needs basis, having regard to workforce requirements specific to each SmartFarm location.

Scope

The scope includes:

• Provision of blue-collar labour hire candidates to support research and development activities
• Provision of labour hire candidates to support fieldwork and trials
• Provision of labour hire candidates to support day-to-day farm operations
• Provision of labour hire candidates to support short-term or project-based requirements
• Engagement of labour hire candidates during peak demand periods and at other times as required

Contractor Requirements

• Service Providers must be capable of rapidly sourcing, screening, and deploying suitably skilled labour hire to one or more SmartFarm locations
• Service Providers must be assessed against mandatory requirements and defined capability and experience criteria to be determined suitable for the panel

Contract Terms and Conditions

• Service Providers appointed to the panel will be awarded a standing offer contract with the Department, setting out the terms and conditions under which services may be requested from time to time
• Inclusion on the panel and execution of a contract does not guarantee the allocation of work

Tender Briefing

• Date: Thursday 16 July 2026
• Time: 10.30am
• Format: Virtual briefing
• Venue: Online, Microsoft Teams

Confirmation of attendance is required by 5.00pm, Wednesday 15 July 2026. Invites will be sent out on receipt of an RSVP to agvicprocurement@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Location

The Department's SmartFarm network is located across key agricultural regions of Victoria, with sites at Horsham, Hamilton, Irymple, Ellinbank and Tatura. These strategically located SmartFarms support research, innovation and operational activities aligned with the dominant agricultural systems and regional priorities of each location.

• Horsham SmartFarm: View on Google Maps
• Hamilton SmartFarm: View on Google Maps
• Irymple SmartFarm: View on Google Maps
• Ellinbank SmartFarm: View on Google Maps
• Tatura SmartFarm: View on Google Maps

Enquiries

Jo Bettiol, Contractual: agvicprocurement@agriculture.vic.gov.au