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Current tenders

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking applications from individuals, organisations or project teams with the expertise required to undertake one or more of the following projects:

Current tenders

Co-funded Feedlot R&D

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking applications from organisations or partnerships of organisations to co fund research and development opportunities targeting any of the following key strategic themes: automation, animal health and welfare, animal performance & emissions reduction. This opportunity is broad, with the exact scope to be defined by the applicant. As part of this opportunity MLA, via the MLA donor company can contribute up to 40% of the total project cost (not including project administration fees).

Applications and supporting documentation as requested in the RFT must be lodged electronically to tenders@mla.com.au

Request for tender

Applications must be received by 17:00 AEST on 25 July 2025.

Feedlot cattle health and performance technologies

MLA is seeking applications from organisations to co fund development or evaluation of technologies that improve the health and/or the performance of feedlot cattle.

Request for tender

Applications and supporting documentation as requested in the RFT must be lodged electronically to tenders@mla.com.au

Applications must be received by 17:00 AEST on 25 July 2025.

Expression of Interest – Red meat and nutrition innovation

MLA is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) via preliminary applications from organisations (or partnerships) with the expertise and interest to deliver research projects aimed at:

  • Delivering suitable red meat solutions capable of addressing some of the emerging and growing nutrition trends across multiple consumer cohorts that incrementally grow demand for Australian red meat.
  • Investigating novel technical interventions that could assist with the development of a range of new products derived from red meat ingredients, that could assist in addressing some of these emerging trends.
  • Identify new usages and occasions for the some of the most nutritionally dense parts of the red meat value chain (offal, blood, organs, glands & glandules) which, have historically been considered as inedible parts of the carcass.

Expression of interest

Applications must be received by 17:00 AEST on 30 May 2025.

For more information, please contact Angelica Pickup, Food Innovation Project Manager, apickup@mla.com.au +61 429 688 912   

Expression of Interest - BREEDPLAN and Sheep Genetics Technical Committee

MLA, on behalf of the BREEDPLAN & OVIS Owners is seeking expressions of interest from individuals for the role of an Independent Chair of the BREEDPLAN and Sheep Genetics Technical Committee.

The primary objective of the committee is to provide technical guidance and review progress on items against the Animal Genetics & Breeding Unit (AGBU) project focused on the R&D of the BREEDPLAN & OVIS Analytical software. The Committee also provides technical guidance and review of the implementation of new methods and tools into the BREEDPLAN and Sheep Genetics evaluations.

Expression of interest

Applicants should submit both a cover letter and CV to Sarah Butler (livestockgenetics@mla.com.au) by COB 30th April 2025.

Australian red meat export market access - horizon scan of emerging science and non-tariff market barriers

MLA is seeking proposals from individuals or organizations capable of conducting a horizon scan across key export markets for Australian beef, sheepmeat, and goat products. The scan should consider the impact of changing market conditions and emerging science issues/opportunities over the next 5-10 years, particularly in relation to technical barriers to trade (TBTs).

Applications and supporting documentation as requested in the RFT must be lodged electronically to tenders@mla.com.au

Request for tender

Applications must be received by 17:00 AEST on 09 May 2025.Late proposals will not be accepted.

For more information, please contact:

Aleena Joy
Project Officer
Email: ajoy@mla.com.au
Phone: +61 2 9463 9384

PDS open call 2025-26

MLA is seeking levy, co-contributor and partnership PDS projects related to improving sheep, beef cattle and/or goat enterprise profitability and productivity across Australia.

Preliminary applications close at 11.59pm AEST on Monday, 12 May 2025.

All preliminary PDS applications must be lodged electronically as a Word document to pds@mla.com.au

Terms of Reference

For more information, and to access application forms and supporting documentation: PDS Annual Project Call | Meat & Livestock Australia

Strict adherence to the time deadline for applications will occur. Incomplete applications without the required documentation will not be assessed.

For more information:

Alana McEwan
Project Manager – Producer Demonstration Site Program, Meat & Livestock Australia
pds@mla.com.au

Russell Pattinson
Coordinator – MLA Producer Demonstration Site Program
miracledog@bigpond.com

Maria Thompson
Coordinator – MLA Producer Demonstration Site Program
maria@agstarprojects.com.au

 

Methane mitigation in extensive beef cattle and sheep grazing systems with production efficiency and profitability benefits

MLA is seeking preliminary applications from organizations (or partnerships of organisations) to develop or evaluate enteric methane mitigation strategies in extensive beef cattle and sheep grazing systems with production efficiency and profitability benefits.

MLA applications must be lodged electronically as Word document to tenders@mla.com.au

Request for tender

Stage 1 MLA Applications must be received by 17:00 AEST on Thursday 1st May, 2025.

Strict adherence to the time deadline for applications will occur. Incomplete request for tender applications without the required documentation will not be assessed.

Developing real-time diagnostic solutions to identify nutritional deficiencies in cattle

In response to national research and development priorities from the Red Meat Panel, MLA is seeking preliminary proposals from individuals or organisations with the capability to develop and evaluate real-time crush-side or in-paddock diagnostic solutions to identify nutritional deficiencies in cattle.

MLA applications must be lodged electronically as Word document to: projectcall@mla.com.au

Note, the deadline for preliminary proposals has been extended. Applications must be received by 17:00 AEST on Friday 9th May 2025.

Strict adherence to the time deadline for applications will occur. Incomplete request for tender applications without the required documentation will not be assessed

For more information, please contact:

Ainsley Smith
Project Manager – Grassfed Beef Productivity
Email: asmith@mla.com.au
Phone: 0474 199 470

Proposal to pilot a National Veterinary Antimicrobial Usage measurement system

MLA is seeking applications from suitable organizations to develop and pilot a National Veterinary Antimicrobial Usage measurement system for two years.  

Applications and supporting documentation as requested in the RFT must be lodged electronically to: tenders@mla.com.au

Applications must be received by 17:00 AEDT on 23 April 2025.

Request for tender

EOI – Increasing productivity through genetic progress in the northern beef industry with effective extension and adoption practices

MLA is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) via preliminary applications from organizations (or partnerships of organizations) with the expertise to deliver extension and training aimed at increasing the adoption and optimised use of genetic resources and tools in the northern beef industry, to support cattle producers to achieve productivity gains through genetic progress. These initiatives would be co-investment with the MLA Donor Company.

Deadline for submissions: EOIs must be submitted by 17:00 on Friday 28th March 2025.

EOI Information

Use the preliminary proposal template and submit proposals electronically to MLA via sstrachan@mla.com.au

Applicants should carefully review this page and the MLA Project Funding Application Guidelines before completing their application.

For further information please contact

Sarah Strachan
Group Manager – Adoption & Commercial Services
sstrachan@mla.com.au
0438 461 366