On Farm Connectivity

14/01/25 – The Australian Government has announced a third (3) round of grant funding for the On Farm Connectivity Program.

A total of $20 million will be available for Round 3, with applications opening later in 2025, with grant funding to be delivered in 2025-26.

A review of the grant guidelines and processes will occur to ensure the program is optimising opportunities for farmers and best addressing connectivity gaps.

To read the media release in full, click here.

The Australian Government’s On Farm Connectivity Program (OFCP) is a $53 million initiative over three years to support primary producers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries in adopting connected machinery and sensor technology.

Providing a rebate of 50 per cent of the cost of eligible equipment, including installation and training, with grants up to $30,000 (excluding GST), the OFCP covers digital technologies such as soil moisture probes, water flow and pressure monitors, livestock monitoring systems and pump controllers as well as, associated connectivity equipment.

The ON FARM CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM Round 2 has now been exhausted and the round has closed to new applications.

The Business Grants Hub is continuing to assess the submitted applications received against the program eligibility criteria, and processing applications for rebate.

For all applications which are approved under this round, rebate claims will still be able to be submitted for payment, noting this must be completed within 120 days to secure rebates.

Updates to the program for round two include:

• Increased funding to $18 million available (+$3 million increase)
• Higher revenue cap: The revenue cap for primary producers has been increased to $4 million, averaged over the past three financial years.
• Lower minimum rebate: The minimum rebate amount has been reduced from $3,000 to $1,000 (GST exclusive), broadening accessibility.
• Extended activity timeframe: A single ‘up to 120 calendar days’ timeframe now replaces the previous two 60-day periods.
• ABN registration requirement: Primary producers must have an ABN registered for at least 12 months to be eligible.

The Regional Tech Hub works directly with producers using the independent On Farm Connectivity Information Service to help them make informed decisions around the connectivity technologies best suited to their business. The service complements the On Farm Connectivity Program by allowing producers to research their connectivity needs before applying for the grant.

Whether it be determining how to extend connectivity from the house to the machinery shed or yards, or how to support some of the highly sophisticated production networks and systems they wish to adopt, the Information Service provides practical, tailored solutions.

Producers are urged to make use of this free, independent advisory service, so they can confidently participate in the On Farm Connectivity Program and access rebated support for the cost of eligible equipment, including installation and training, to boost the productivity of their business.

To book an appointment to speak with the Regional Tech Hub about the program, please visit our Contact page.

You can also find more information on the Australian Government website.

The full eligibility terms and conditions for round 2 are available here.

To participate in the Program, the Primary Producer’s business must:

• be a registered business and have an ABN that has been active for the previous 12 months at the time of applying
• have an annual average pre-tax income from primary production of between $40,000 and $4 million. Annual average gross income is calculated as the average of the previous 3 full financial years’ income for each ABN
• not be a hobby farmer
• operate an eligible primary production activity that is defined as those listed in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) 2006 (revision 2.0) codes under Division A, Agricultural Forestry and Fishing, Subdivisions 01, 02 and 03
• agree to the department contacting you for a case study about your connectivity solution for the On Farm Connectivity Program up to 2 years after the Program has closed.
• You can find eligible ANZSIC codes in Appendix D of the On Farm Connectivity Program Round 2 – Grant Opportunity Guidelines .
  As part of the application process, the Primary Producer will be required to sign a declaration to confirm their eligibility.

Eligible connectivity equipment or solutions can be found in the Catalogue of eligible equipment.
Eligible connectivity solutions can be delivered through LPWAN, satellite, cellular and/or Wi-Fi technology.

There are five broad categories of eligible connectivity solutions and associated eligible equipment:
• Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN)
• Connectivity equipment
• Environmental monitoring
• Farm management
• Remote automation and control

Other eligible expenditure items include subscriptions for data aggregation platforms and software, training costs, delivery, and installation costs.

To obtain a rebate from the program, you must use an approved round two supplier.

The list for approved suppliers can be found here.

Please note: No equipment can be purchased before the rebate application is approved.

The process for a rebate is multi step as follows.

• Step 1—Support: Primary Producer may engage with the Regional Tech Hub to discuss their connectivity needs and get personalised advice.
• Step 2—Choose: Primary Producer engages with and selects a connectivity solution from an Approved Supplier.
• Step 3—Quote: Primary Producer receives, then accepts quotes from an Approved Supplier.
• Step 4—Application submission: Approved Supplier submits rebate application.
• Step 5—Application assessment: Business Grants Hub assesses application (estimated 2-6 week turnaround).
• Step 6—Rebate outcome: Approved Supplier and Primary Producer advised.
• Step 7—Invoice: Primary Producer receives invoice at discounted price of up to 50% off from Eligible Equipment Supplier.
• Step 8—Payment: Primary Producer pays invoice.
• Step 9—Equipment installed / shipped: Approved Supplier ships product. If required, an appointment is arranged to install the connectivity solution and/or train the Primary Producer in how to use the connectivity solution.
• Step 10—Rebate claim: Approved Supplier is required to submit rebate claims to the Business Grants Hub for payment within a 120 day timeframe, or by 31 May 2025, whichever is sooner.

Example:

To become an approved supplier for the On Farm Connectivity Program, your company must apply during the EOI process to participate in the
program.

The EOI process is closed for Round 2. Late applications will not be accepted.

The EOI process for Round 3 will open later in 2025.

Please monitor the Department’s website for announcements or email via OFCP@communications.gov.au.

Producers can utilise the Regional Tech Hub’s 1:1 communication channels to ask questions and seek expert advice. You can get in touch by booking a time to speak with our team, contacting our 1800 hotline, or fill out a simple form and we will get back to you with more information.

The Australian Government’s On Farm Connectivity Program page provides a variety of resources including the approved supplier list.

We also have a variety of resources available for the program, developed to cover the topics surrounding agriculture connectivity and technologies. More great resources are found on the page below, available for download.

• • Examples of use of technology on farm
    • Use-case-1_Longline-Fishing
    • Use-case-3_Walnut-Farm
    • Use-case-4_Marketing-Manager
    • Use-case-5_Oyster-Farmer
  • Factsheets and useful guides
    • Agri-4.0-connectivity-digital-innovation-australia
    • Building A Farm Connectivity Plan
    • OFCP Producers Q&A (Round 2)
    • OFCP Suppliers Q&A (Round 1)
    • On-Farm-Connectivity-Stakeholder-Toolkit
    • Article_Regional-Tech-Hub
  • Useful website links
    • AgTech Finder – An independent marketplace helping Australian farmers and producers search, sort, and compare AgTech solutions. An initiative of Food Agility CRC.
    • Farms of the Future Program – A NSW DPI initiative providing training and resources on agtech adoption.
    • Australian AgriTech Association – national body representing the agtech industry and have created an ecosystem map.