Producer Investment Call

MLA’s Producer Investment Call is designed to fund the research, development and adoption activities that address producer priorities using levies from grassfed beef and sheepmeat. These priorities are identified by producers through the regional committees and are consolidated by NABRC, SALRC and WALRC. MLA uses these priorities to form the Terms of Reference for the project call. The Producer Investment Call seeks the submission of proposals for research, development and adoption projects that are aligned with the Terms of Reference for funding consideration.

When grassfed beef and sheepmeat levies are available, MLA calls for proposals that meet the research, development and adoption requirements outlined during the priority setting process.

Current Terms of Reference

To view the current Terms of Reference for the Producer Investment Call click here.

The Producer Investment Call process

The Producer Investment Call is designed to:

1. maximise producer input
2. give sufficient time for researchers to write effective research proposals including input from producers
3. accommodate MLA’s strategic partnerships and MDC funding where appropriate.

To ensure objectives of the Producer Investment Call are met, it:

1. takes six months from approval of the Terms of Reference to selection of successful projects
2. fits into the Red Meat Panel cycle of meetings
3. is a two-stage proposal process reviewed by producers and the expert panel together
4. includes more time than previous calls to write and submit proposals
5. includes more time for researchers to get input from producers and regional producer councils
6. encourages collaboration between researchers and industry extension/adoption groups.

Previous Producer Investment Calls

• 2016-17 Producer Investment Call
• 2017-18 Producer Investment Call
• 2018-19 Producer Investment Call
• 2019-20 Producer Investment Call
• 2020-21 Producer Investment Call
• 2021-22 Producer Investment Call

For more information on MLA's producer consultation process.

Delivering the best outcomes for industry

Under our Strategic Plan, one of MLA’s guiding principles is to direct resources into fewer, high-impact programs of work that will deliver the best outcomes for industry (fewer, bigger, bolder).

Based on this principle, longer-term, collaborative, multi-disciplinary projects have recently been developed to tackle some of industry’s key priorities, such as lamb survival, calf survival and associated reproductive performance (as identified through the producer consultation process). These projects are longer-term programs of work and are expected to run through the 2022–23 year and beyond.

As we deliver on the Strategic Plan, all parts of MLA are continuing to change the way we plan and deliver our work, with a goal of achieving the greatest impact for levy-payers – and the research, development and adoption programs that are critical to the success of the strategy.

Last year’s Producer Investment Call process was reflective of this shift in strategic approach – with a focus on longer-term, three-to-five year, collaborative and multi-disciplinary programs of work. These larger-scale, longer-term projects are now underway and utilise a significant portion of the research funding for 2022–23. As such, there will not be a call for new R&D projects this year.

The MLA Producer Investment Call is aligned to the producer consultation strategy for setting RD&A priorities for the investment into of sheepmeat and grassfed beef projects.