Hort Innovation: On‑farm Innovation Program for Rubus (Berries)
Opportunity for
- Research organisations, consultants and collaborative consortia to design and deliver a scalable on-farm innovation program framework that enables rapid, on-farm trials and demonstrations of AgTech solutions in the Rubus industry.
Opportunity description
Industry challenge
The Australian rubus industry is a rapidly growing, high value fruit industry. Australian rubus production is dominated by raspberries (68%), followed by blackberries (31%), and other rubus varieties such as silvanberries, boysenberries and loganberries equating to about one percent of fresh production. Rubus growers face increasing pressure to remain competitive while managing rising input costs, labour constraints, biosecurity risks and climate variability.
There is a strong need for practical, on‑farm solutions that can be tested under commercial conditions and translated into clear, adoptable outcomes for growers.
Innovation in production systems, decision‑making tools, and farm practices is critical to support long‑term industry resilience.
Current opportunity
Hort Innovation is seeking collaboration partners to support the delivery of its On‑farm Innovation Program for Rubus, focused on improving productivity, sustainability and profitability for Australian berry growers.
The program is designed to test, validate and demonstrate practical on‑farm innovations that can be adopted by growers, advisors and industry. Hort Innovation is looking to work with organisations that can bring new ideas, technologies, research capability or extension expertise to support real‑world outcomes for the Rubus sector.
The initiative described in this RFP aims to establish up to three demonstration sites on commercial farms, serving as practical hubs for rapid technology trials, real-world demonstrations, and peer-to-peer learning. These sites will enable growers and industry stakeholders to observe technologies in opera on, share practical experiences, and build confidence in adoption. Through a collaborative and structured approach, the program will help de-risk investment in new solutions and accelerate the uptake of innovations that address key industry challenges.
Key benefits
- De-risking technology adoption: The on-farm Innova on program will allow growers to evaluate solutions before committing significant resources.
- Access to emerging technologies: AI, robotics, and automation can drive productivity gains by reducing labour dependency, optimising input use, and strengthening on-farm operational efficiency.
- Knowledge sharing: Peer-to-peer learning fosters collaboration and ensures that insights are widely disseminated across the industry.
This opportunity is open to organisations interested in collaborating on program delivery, including research organisations, technology providers, grower groups, consultants and industry service providers. Partners are expected to contribute practical expertise and work closely with growers to trial, evaluate and share outcomes from on‑farm innovation activities.
To find out more and apply, the RFP download the pdf from www.tenders.net.
Opportunity background
Hort Innovation invests in research and development programs to support the growth and sustainability of Australia’s horticulture industries. On‑farm innovation programs are a key mechanism for translating research and emerging ideas into practical outcomes that can be adopted at farm level.
The Rubus program builds on this approach by focusing on innovations that can be demonstrated in real production environments and scaled across the industry where successful.
The overall objectives of the services are to:
- Design and deliver a scalable on-farm innovation program framework that enables rapid, on-farm trials and demonstrations of AgTech solutions in the Rubus industry.
- De-risk and accelerate adoption of AgTech innovations by validating their technical performance and business value under real commercial farming conditions.
- Build grower confidence and capability through practical demonstrations and peer-to-peer learning, supporting the adoption of solutions that improve productivity and long-term industry viability.
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