Request for quotation (RFQ) from service providers – drought technical decision-making service delivery

Toni Dakis:

It's recording now.

Jodie Harrison:

Beautiful. Thanks, Toni. Hi, everyone. For those of you who didn't hear me before, I'm Jodie Harrison. I'm the Senior Policy Officer with the Ag Services Ag Vic Drought Program and the person who has been emailing you recently about our technical decision-making group events.

I'd just like to start this meeting. I'm on Latji Latji Country, and I'd like for us all to acknowledge and respect the Victorian Traditional Owners as the original custodians of the Victorian lands, waters, and their unique ability to care for Country and the deep spiritual connection it has. We honour their Elders past, present, whose knowledge and wisdom has ensured the continuation of culture and traditional practices.

Our agenda for today for our webinar, first of all, welcome and a bit of housekeeping. And then I'll hand over to Tess who'll run us through a bit of a seasonal outlook looking forward, an overview of the drought support package, and then just a couple of slides on the one-on-one farm advisory service that's currently running that a lot of you are part of. Then she'll hand over to me and I'll run you through the technical decision-making group events RFQ that is currently open at the moment and a few tips and tricks and points there. Then we'll go to where to from here. And then we'll have some time at the end for Q&A. Just to start with, joining us today is myself, Tess McDougall, who I'll hand over to shortly, and Toni Dakis, who a lot of you have talked to and received emails. She is running our slide deck today and will also be helping out with the Q&A. So just like to introduce all of us.

So a bit of housekeeping. All your microphones and videos have been switched off during this webinar. The webinar is being recorded and will be available on the Agriculture Victoria website as soon as we can get it up for everyone to view afterwards. And we will have time at the end for question and answer. Your chats have been disabled at the moment, so if all question and answer can come through the Q&A feature, which is at the bottom of my screen, but I did hear that some people have it at the top of their screens. It looks like this little picture down here, so if all question and answers can come through them and we'll address those at the end of the webinar. So without further ado, I'll hand over to Tess.

Tess McDougall:

Thanks, Jodie. I'm Tess McDougall, the Statewide Agriculture Recovery manager for Agriculture Victoria, and I've been working on drought since prior to our project announcement on the 30th of September 2024. I'm going to give an overview of the seasonal conditions. So late season rainfall, late spring rainfall even, has created a sense of cautious optimism across parts of the state with most of the regions now having received 60-100% of their average rainfall for the nine months from the 1st of March to the 30th of November. This rainfall has been particularly welcome across southern Victoria, particularly in south-west Victoria and Gippsland, where the hay and silage harvest predictions have improved substantially compared to what was expected five or six weeks ago. However, not all parts of the state have benefited from this recent rainfall.

Parts of the Mallee, Millewa, and Northern Victoria in general, the rainfall was too little too late, resulting in highly variable crops and some farmers have definitely experienced a second failed harvest. Livestock farmers in central and northeast Victoria have also had a really difficult season, which has impacted pasture production with the rainfall coming a bit too late. As shown in figures two and three, parts of the states continue to endure historical and record rainfall deficiencies over the last couple of years. This highlights the absolute importance of good rain in 2026, starting with a good autumn, hopefully to support farm businesses and regional community recovery. Next slide. Thanks, Toni. Figures four and five show just how important the spring rainfall has been to most of the state. We've had significant rainfall recorded in recent weeks as seen in figure four.

Additional rainfall from now on, obviously, will have no benefit for crop and pasture growth as the season is finished for many farmers, with the exception of those that have got summer crops that will continue to benefit. Rain has continued to impact the 2025-2026 harvest, causing delays while farmers wait for moisture levels to reach acceptable levels and for grain and hay harvesting to continue. Extended drying periods or further rain may cause grain quality issues across some of the state. Farmers who have cut hay are definitely struggling to find a window for curing, although the last few days will have been assisting with that. Feed quality is expected to be impacted by this length of duration in curing. Regrowth in cut paddocks is complicating baling and increasing the risk of delays as well. Overall, areas that had water concerns have seen an improvement in on-farm water storages, which is positive coming into summer.

Along with the seasonal conditions, we continue to monitor conditions and impacts across the state, noting that while we have seen an improve in conditions in late 2025, the need remains for favourable seasonal conditions in 2026, in particular as farmers look to plant perennial pastures that have potentially been impacted by drought.

So the bureau forecasts a slightly drier December, and hopefully, we don't get any more snow like what happened on the 1st. It seems like the weather is definitely warmed up this week, and we hope that this will continue to ease concerns going into continued harvest. The January forecast is neutral, that could go either way, and we are likely seeing a continuation of forecasts for warmer temperatures across the state from December until February.

Since the 30th of September 2024, the Victorian government has supported the farming community through many functions. There's 15 programs that are available across the state of Victoria, some only available to south-west Victoria. Technical decision-making is a key support to farmers and has assisted farmers in many tangible ways using both our extension staff, our networks, and our valued service providers and their networks. And to date, the support package totals over $146.5 million.

On the 21st of November, the following announcements were made and a couple of new support programs were initiated. A second round for the popular Look Over the Farm Gate program will open in February 2026. And if you are part of a local community organisation or agency, I'd encourage you to consider an activity that could support local mental health. These grants are administered by the National Centre for Farmer Health and more information will be available about applications on their website into the new year.

Announced also was an extension to the well-being counselling service in south-west Victoria. This extends the support for the same duration as the other branches across the state that was announced in July. It's not a new service, just an extension. And farmers across the state can now access a second consultation with a farm advisory consultant. Additional funding was announced, and this will be a key program as we head into Autumn 2026 to support farmers to make decisions in relation to feed budgeting, stocking rates, water budgeting, and livestock health. Along with those extended programs, there were two new programs announced, one specifically for the 12 LGAs in south-west Victoria. This is a grants program to support businesses in this area. It is a partnership between Bendigo Bank and Regional Development Victoria, and more information will be on the Business Vic website in time.

There was also the announcement that have two support officers for the Victorian Farmers Federation for those two positions to help farmers to navigate the financial challenges and access the supports that are available. More information will be on their website as soon as it can.

So while we are seeing the early signs of recovery in many parts, we know that the social and economic impacts of drought will have a long tail and that the sector's productivity has been severely impacted. The current drought support package remains necessary and important and continues to deliver benefits to farmers across the state.

I'd like to highlight some of the engagement and impacts that drought support has delivered to date. The Farm Drought Support Grants Program has supported nearly 5,200 farm businesses with $5,000 and $10,000 grants in the 12 LGAs in south-west Victoria.

Grants are predominantly funding on-farm water infrastructure and pasture, crop restoration, and has a wide range of eligible activities listed on the Rural Finance website. Ag Vic's Farm Advisory Service offering the free one-on-one consultations has proven extremely valuable with over 738 farmers taking up the offer to meet with a consultant of their choice to support farm decision-making. To date, over 352 people have received farm household payments. These are administered by the CWA and available to farmers in the 12 LGAs in south-west Victoria. We've had over 19,700 people attend events through the Look Over the Farm Gate program, and 181 events have been approved, and 119 of those have been held. This program was exceptionally well received, and thus it's been extended into 2026. There are 1,600 active clients with the Rural Financial Counselling Service, showing how important they are to the regional communities that they support.

And we also have Wellbeing Counsellors across the state in each of the branches, and they have 112 people registered for gaining support. We've had 35 permits granted for bringing in larger loads into south-west Victoria. Earlier on in the season, we had a lot of fodder, 30,800, not hectares, that should say tonnes. Anywho, 30,800 tonnes of fodder come into the state predominantly from WA and Queensland, and the Heavy Vehicle Regulator worked with the Department of Transport to ensure that those loads could come in in higher combinations into south-west Victoria where most of the fodder was being deposited.

So the Farm Advisory Service is a free consultation service for farmers to support their decision-making and develop a farm action plan. Many consultants are available on the panel of providers, including veterinarians, farm business consultants, livestock nutritionists, and agronomists across the state of Victoria.

This graph shows the uptake by farmers across the state, noting that the service was first open to the 12 LGAs in south-west Victoria in November 2024, and it is subsequently opened statewide in May 2025. There are currently over 70 farm businesses on the panel of suppliers, and some of these businesses have many staff who can undertake the consultancy work. Farmers can express their interest in the service from our website by filling out a simple Microsoft form. Sessions are face-to-face or online for up to three hours, plus there is a follow-up phone call with the farmer at a suitable time after the consultation has occurred. Farmers across the state can now access up to two consultations, and they have the choice of their preferred consultant from our list of providers. If you'd like to join our panel of providers, please feel free to reach out to the...

Please feel free to reach out to the email on the screen to request the request for quotation information. It is different from our group quotation documents that you'll see in this webinar coming up. The quotes are based on a three-hour consultation rate, an hourly rate for follow-up, plus travel rates, and consultants can nominate the regions that they wish to service and their business capability. Expressions of interest are managed by Agriculture Victoria, and suppliers are then notified of clients when they come through the system by email. It is then the consultant's responsibility to contact the farmer within a couple of days to book in the consultation at a time that is mutually beneficial to both the consultant and the farmer. The consultation remains confidential, however, a written summary is required to be provided by the consultant, including the dates of when the consultation and the follow-up took place.

This is required for payment. If you would like to put forward a request for quotation for this part of the service, please reach out to us by email. You'll be send the documentation for your review and quotation. If you're interested in the service, I'd actually encourage you to have a look on our website so that you can see the farmer-facing aspect of the service so you can understand the process by which farmers are undertaking the expression of interest. From that website, you'll be able to see the panel of providers that are already there from across the state, and we would encourage you to join them. I'm happy to answer questions at the end of the presentations, but I'd now like to hand back over to Jodie. Thanks, Jodie.

Jodie Harrison:

Thanks, Tess. And I think I've turned into a bit of a foo there. That's better. You can see me better, not just my nose. Thanks, Tess. Tess has given us an overview of the one-on-one program. I'd just like to give you some facts and figures of the group delivery program and say thank you to all of you who have participated so far. I know it's been a lot of hard work, but the outcomes are just outstanding. I've only come on board the last two months and I'm just overwhelmed with all the feedback that's coming in and the responses to it. So I just want to thank you all for contributing to it and helping our farmers at this difficult time. So far, through the technical group events program, we have had 138 events that have happened since September 30th, 2024, and that's covered or engaged with just under 3,000 farmers.

So that's just an astronomical figure. We still have another 24 approved events still to happen over the rest of this year, which I know there's not much time left, but we still do have two or three events still happening in the next couple of weeks. And then we do have some events already planned and contracted for 2026. So as you can see via the map, the spread across Victoria has been outstanding. We have some concentrated areas and there are multiple tags on top of each other, so you won't be able to see all of those. And the ones out in the ocean, we are not taking on aquaculture. They are statewide events or online events, and that's just where we've put the marker to indicate those.

So we're not taking over events down towards Tasmania. In regards to the topics that the events are covering from the ones that have been contracted, the highest number of events are covering pastures and soil management, as you can see with the 35 events there, followed by 32 down almost opposite, which is covering livestock feeding and nutrition, closely followed by financial decision-making and also animal health and nutrition. So they're our top four type of events that we've been running so far to date that have been contracted.

With this new round that has opened up recently, we're seeking, once again, to contract organisations statewide to deliver publicly advertised group-based events. And those organisations or contractors can be service providers, consultants, landcare groups, LGAs, CMAs, grower groups, farming systems groups, etc, etc.

So we are not limiting the types of people who can run the events. The events are to support farmers, growers, farm business managers, farm staff to help build their knowledge and skills to manage the impacts of drought. So that is really crucial in regards to the events. And delivery of the events for phase three must have happened by the 31st of May 2026. The events can take many different forms. So face-to-face, they can be half day, they can be single day, they can be multi-day, they could be webinars, small working groups, they can be in paddock, they can be in a room. So we are sort of horses for courses and we are open to anything, but we are looking at the viability of each topic and what best suits that.

So this is a bit of a horrendous slide, but it just highlights all our key priority areas. So feed budgeting and planning, water budgeting and planning, livestock management, livestock nutrition, pastures, that includes assessment, renovation, reestablishment, agronomy. So variety selection, time of sewing, pests and disease management. We know those decisions have been really crucial this year to help farmers through with the dry times. Horticulture production, so soils, irrigation, crop management on low allocations potential. Stock containment areas, their design, siting, their use, their management. Trigger points and decision points, also how to make decisions. That's another one I've had a couple of questions on, is that we also support events that enable farmers or assist farmers, agricultural workers, to be able to make the best decisions they can.

Bank ready, so helping farmers get their documentation and what they need to be able to go to the bank to have the difficult conversations with them. Farm finances and also highlighting some support services and being able to sign point any farmers to any further services that they may require. So they're our priority areas. But we do understand, and it is not limited to just these topics. We do welcome other topics, but these will be our priority areas.

So a bit of the nuts and bolts about the applications. So all events will need to have a pre-registration process for them. All events must be open to everyone. So there's no closed events for just a specific group. Registrations must be through an external online platform. I've just named a few here, but the list is exhaustive.

I know there are many other types out there. So Eventbrite, TryBooking, Humanitix, MS Forms, that type of thing. Event advertising must include the Agriculture Victoria logo and the acknowledgement statement that we will provide to the successful applicants. All events are to be advertised on the Agriculture Victoria website. So we do ask that that registration link be provided to us so that we can put it up on the website, and then they will be advertised out via our social media. We do do social media posts. I don't know if it's weekly, if not monthly, directing people to our events calendar as well. All events must have, as you can see at the bottom, a minimum in the proposal form, a minimum number and meet that minimum number of registrations for the event to move forward.

So we do ask that you propose that the target for registrations, let's just say, is 10, and that if you've got seven registrations, we would support that event to be postponed as opposed to it running. So those minimum numbers will need to be met. And all participant registration and attendance details need to be provided to Agriculture Victoria. That's also a requirement.

Now, the other thing that is a key for us is that a participant evaluation must be conducted at all events. We ask that four questions be asked so that we gain participant satisfaction with the event, and that's on a 1 to 10 scale. Whether the participant would recommend the event to someone else, that's a yes/no. I can't say the word again, but participants' knowledge of the topic before the event and then their knowledge after the event. And once again, they're on a 1 to 10 scale. So those four questions are a requirement and those evaluation results must be provided to us.

In regards to the quotes, so we've had a few questions, the quotes are provided on the event form. The quotes to include GST. I've just put a screenshot here of the table that is on the events form. And as you can see, it does say total expenses, GST inclusive at the bottom. Travel expenses are capped at 0.88c per kilometre, and that includes GST. Accommodation is at ATO rates. Catering is at ATO rates. And in the form there is links to those. We have also put a supplier facilitation fee there, and it is capped at $550, but we do know that service providers, the costs vary, and some service providers are more expensive or more time is required, and we don't deter those applications coming in.

However, if you are requesting a larger budget, we would be looking for those minimum registration numbers and attendance numbers to be larger. If you're applying to deliver the same event in multiple locations, so I've had a couple of questions on this, if the quote is different per event, then we would need to have a quote per event. So one event, even though it's the same event, is going to cost $3,000 and another one is $5,000, then we would need to have a quote for each of those. However, if you only provide a total amount of quotes, so if you're proposing to run the same event at four locations and you provide us with a quote of $4,000, then we would just evenly distribute that as to $1,000 each. So I hope that helps. And I do have a table later on that I hope clears that up a little bit.

Milestones and payments. So you will see in the RFQ document, there are three milestone payments. 10% is invoiced once the event is advertised and the details are confirmed. So that can be invoiced at that point in time. Milestone two is once the event or the events have been completed. And milestone three is at the end, 60% of the total contract fee will be provided at that point once participant registration and evaluation details come into us.

So some must-haves. So tips and tricks and what we've found with the previous applications. So all applications must include an RFQ and at least one event proposal form. All service providers or all people applying must answer question nine on the RFQ document, which is a conflict of interest question, and it's a yes/no question, but we do need an answer there.

So if it's yes, then please provide any of the details. And if it's a no, please answer with a no, don't leave it blank. And all RFQs must be signed. I fully understand that when you're looking at a document time and time and time again, that you don't see a few things, but the very last thing on the RFQ document is a signature, and we do need the RFQ to be signed. As I mentioned earlier, this is the little table to hopefully clear things up. So if you're proposing or putting in an application for one event at one location, then we require one RFQ document and one event form with a quote. If you're putting in for one event type at multiple locations, then we need one RFQ document and you can fill in one event form listing the multiple locations. And then as I mentioned earlier, if the amounts are different per event, then we would be looking for a quote for each event.

If it is going to be the same for all events and the total, as I mentioned before, for four events is going to be $4,000 and we get a figure of $4,000 for the four events, we will just divide that evenly out to say $1,000 per event. Now, the third category is if a service provider or a contractor is proposing to run different event types at multiple locations, clearly we still only need one RFQ document, but we do need an event form per event type explaining what that event is going to be. And once again, like the previous category, if each event is going to cost a different amount, we will need a quote per event, or if that event type is going to be standard across each delivery locations, then just an amount on that event form. I hope that's clarified a few issues and I hope it hasn't muddied the waters further, and I'm happy to answer any questions on that.

So the key things is applications do close for phase three at 11:59 PM on Sunday, the 21st of December, and all applications must be submitted to the drought.support@agriculture.vic.gov.au email address. So that will be the closing and that will give us time to allocate them ready to move forward for their assessment.

So where to from here? So all applications, as I mentioned, will be assessed by a panel of Agriculture Victoria staff, and that panel does include technical experts. And I have referred some questions that have already come into some technical experts and they are happy to be involved in the panel and will provide us with their expertise. Applications will be assessed based on industry technical topics and according to the following criteria, so impact, and that's in relation to how well does the event address our key priorities? To what extent is the event relevant to the industry and will result in significant change in skills, knowledge, and/or practices?

So that's the impact assessment. The reach is the appropriateness of the event type for the audience. Is the location appropriate for the audience? The proposed audience demographic, the target minimum numbers, and value per participant. Methodology is around how is it being delivered. Is it a face-to-face? Is it in paddock? Is it in house? And is the event clearly defined? Is there given a clear project description in your application and the impacts and likelihood of it going forward? And then capability and capacity is more around yourselves. So do you have a track record in this topic? Does a speaker have a track record in this topic? Do they have relevant experience? And we are taking into account here that if you have had a contract for previous events that all registration and evaluation information has been submitted, that we haven't had to chase up a million times and we still haven't got it yet.

So that is being taken into account there. Panels. We're hoping panels will meet early in January and you will be provided a written notification via email as soon as we can on the outcome of your application. And then we will be moving into the contracting in January, February, and that will be prioritised based on the events that are the earliest. So we'll try and get those contracts out as soon as we can. I think that's it to the where to from here. And last slide, Toni. I think we're over to questions. So thanks for that.

Toni Dakis:

Okay, Jodie, stay on the line because there's going to be a few, I believe.

Jodie Harrison:

Okay. I'm ready.

Toni Dakis:

Okay. The first one is about the minimum number of registrants. Is it consistent for all providers or does this change depending on the event?

Jodie Harrison:

We do try to keep it consistent, but it's a horses for courses, so we also do take into account the type of event. So if it's, say, a succession planning or a benchmarking, that type of event, then we will take into account the numbers and the trust amongst the group. We don't want 50 people in a room that you're trying to do benchmarking with. So we do take the type of event into account when we're looking at those minimum numbers.

Toni Dakis:

So suppliers should look at the type of program that they want to run and have a chat to us if they want to be specific with that number?

Jodie Harrison:

Yes.

Toni Dakis:

Okay. The next is, we've actually got three parts to this one, it's about the 10% milestone payment, which is the first milestone payment. Lots of suppliers, caterers, venues are requiring payment upfront or on the day. So 10% prior to the event is a bit small. And then there's also a lot of time advertising, marketing, recruiting, and program design prior to the event. Is there some way around that?

Jodie Harrison:

In a nutshell, no. It is a standard contracting milestone timeline, and it's a timeline that we've been using for all events in the past. And it is a standardised timeline following our internal procurement processes, unfortunately. I'm sorry, but I do fully understand your concern there.

Toni Dakis:

Okay. Final one at the moment from Camilla. Can the event be delivered by people from a different business? For example, one business being is the key facilitator and then involving a subcontractor?

Jodie Harrison:

Yes. So the answer is yes. So we would contract the main business and then it would be the main business' responsibility to pay the subcontractor and the application would come in through that main business, listing the subcontractor as the speaker, the technical person, that type of thing. So the answer is yes. Just on that topic, I have had a question come in also that I have forgotten to address, is that if you already have an event planned that is, let's just say, a research findings day and that you would like to add in a session on a technical decision-making session, then yes, we can also work through that as well. However, we would not be paying for the research findings part of the day. We would only be paying for the technical decision-making person coming in at that point in time.

Toni Dakis:

So if you want to involve a subcontractor, make sure you're listed on your event proposal. It is then your responsibility that they get paid and then all the evaluations are on the key facilitator.

Jodie Harrison:

Yes. All the responsibilities are on the leader.

Toni Dakis:

Yeah. Is the funding for the second one-on-one consultation the same basis as the first, three hours and a follow-up?

Jodie Harrison:

Tess, I'll hand that to you.

Tess McDougall:

Yep. So it's got the same format. Farmers are eligible for another three-hour consultation and a follow-up from a consultant. They'll need to reapply because they may like to choose a different consultant than who they have had their first one with. So it is up to the farmers to put in another expression of interest. Just to clarify, there was another question in the box earlier about, do people who are already on our panel need to do anything to maintain their currency? No, this is a call for new people onto the panel, not for anyone who is existing. Your contracts are valid until the end of the financial year or until a variation is made to that. So there is no call to action for anyone who is already on our panel.

Toni Dakis:

And there's a statement, "All events must be open to everyone. Please share more here. Does this mean that we cannot deliver to existing groups?" I can add a little bit to that.

Jodie Harrison:

Can you answer that one, Toni?

Toni Dakis:

Yeah. Yes, you can deliver to existing groups. However, we do require that you still advertise externally with an external online link so that other people in the community may access it and join into the group. Jodie, any other additional comments on that?

Jodie Harrison:

No, perfect.

Tess McDougall:

Except for the benchmarking, Jodie.

Jodie Harrison:

Yeah, except for very-

Toni Dakis:

Sensitive.

Jodie Harrison:

Sensitive, that's the word I'm looking for, sensitive topics. Yeah.

Toni Dakis:

Yeah. So if you're looking at benchmarking or succession planning or financial type of workshop, let us know. Put it in the event proposal and it will be given due consideration.

I'll just quickly go through the already-answered text questions so that we can go over it. Is this an average of over 100 people to Look Over the Farm Gate event? It seems like a lot. And Tess replied that there had been a few movie screenings of Just a Farmer, which had been delivered to many hundreds. Well, there was one event in Gippsland that had over 350, so that had significantly increased the engagement over a small number of events.

Do providers need to submit another RFQ for continuation of round three on one-on-one? Everyone who is already on the panel do not need to provide further quotes, for new suppliers only. And Paige, you had, "If we're doing the same event in different spots for the same cost event, is it the total for the three events?" Yes. And we will assume that the total is to be divided equally for each of the individual events. And are there any geographic areas that do not qualify for the drought funding? I had said that all of Victoria qualifies for the current round of funding. And those are all the current questions. If you do have any more questions, feel free to send it through the drought support email. Tess, Jodie, or I will endeavor to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Jodie Harrison:

Yep. So I'll give everyone another minute to get any last-minute questions. Other than that, I'd like to say thank you for coming. Thank you for your work and thank you for moving forward. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Toni Dakis:

And thanks, Paige, for your comment, "Well done team. Ag Vic, you're doing a great job." And thanks, Cynthia. Thanks team. Appreciate the opportunity. Thank you both for your acknowledgement. We're looking forward to seeing what the next round of funding can do for our communities.

Jodie Harrison:

Thank you. We'll leave it there. Have a good day.

Tess McDougall:

See you.