Below are all the tenders that are currently open. Click on the title to expand out the section and find out more information on a tender.
Connecting global innovation with Australian red meat industry challenges
Position your innovation on the world's largest stage
The Australian red meat industry exports 2.24 million tonnes of red meat annually to 104 countries. Behind this scale lie complex challenges in packaging sustainability, supply chain efficiency and changing consumer demands.
As part of the Research and Development (R&D) Food Innovation Program, MLA is launching the Gulfood Innovation Challenge to accelerate breakthrough solutions. Five selected teams will pitch their innovations at Gulfood Dubai in January 2026, connecting directly with Australian meat exporters, international buyers, R&D investors and industry decision-makers.
This is an opportunity to:
- demonstrate your innovation to the global food industry at Gulfood, which draws 100,000+ attendees annually
- access MLA's investment pathways (approximately $320 million invested annually in R&D and marketing)
- build relationships with Australian exporters and brand owners seeking innovative solutions
- receive structured mentoring to refine your value proposition and commercialisation pathway
- join the inaugural cohort of the MLA Innovation Challenge program.
The three challenges to address
Challenge A: Next-generation sustainable packaging
PVDC resin has enabled 90-day shelf-life for lamb and 120-day shelf life for beef but is now classified as a problematic plastic. We're seeking bio-polymers, novel barrier materials or innovative packaging systems that match current performance while meeting evolving sustainability requirements and that can be adopted at commercial scale by Australian processors.
Challenge B: Ambient storage for red meat products
Cold chains are expensive, generate significant greenhouse gas emissions and are unavailable in many potential markets. We're seeking technologies or processes that enable shelf-stable raw meat products with maintained organoleptic properties, food safety at water activity levels below 0.6 and practical preparation methods for end users.
Challenge C: Nutrient-dense wellness meat products
By 2035, over half the world's population will be overweight or obese, yet malnutrition persists. We're seeking products or platforms that leverage red meat as a nutrient-rich ingredient in novel formats, target specific consumer segments with clear health claims and align with government nutrition programs in key markets.
What you receive
Financial support
Each team receives $15,000 to cover travel, accommodation and participation expenses. At least one team member must attend in person.
The Dubai experience (January 26-30, 2026)
Daily mentoring sessions, structured networking with Australian exporters and brand owners, access to MLA's R&D investment managers, participation in the final pitch event, and post-event debrief to explore next steps.
Beyond Dubai
Selected teams will be featured in an MLA case study report (published on MLA's website), receive ongoing connection opportunities with Australian meat exporters and R&D partners, and access MLA's investment and commercialisation pathways for solutions with strong industry fit.
Who should apply
We're looking for teams with deep expertise in materials science, food technology, nutrition, or adjacent fields. You should have a credible approach to one or more of the three challenges (early-stage is acceptable), strong communication skills, commitment to pre-event preparation, Dubai attendance and post-event documentation.
More information
For more information regarding this opportunity please see the Challenge Brief.
Application link
Please apply using this application form.
Deadline
Applications close: November 28, 2025 (11:59 PM AEDT)
Contact Information
Jack Andrews
Project Facilitator
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking applications to undertake an assessment of the current landscape of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and sustainability credential systems relevant to the Australian red meat industry. It will evaluate both top-down regulatory and voluntary frameworks (e.g. SBTi, TNFD, CSRD) and bottom-up systems and tools available to assist red meat companies and producers to help measure and report their ESG management activities. The review will identify the target audience, any claimed return on investment or avoided costs, market access benefits and strategic alignment with industry goals of each system.
The resulting report will inform MLA’s future investments to support the credentials market, particularly those relating to environmental credentials.
For further details please see the Terms of Reference.
To submit your application, please send it to tenders@mla.com.au by no later than 5.00pm AEST Friday 28 November 2025. Late proposals will not be accepted.
For more information please contact:
Jacob Betros
Project Manager – Sustainability Credentials, MLA
The role of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) and the Sheep Sustainability Framework (SSF) is to monitor, measure and report industry performance against sustainability priorities. They assist industry in better understanding its opportunities, challenges, and impacts.
The ABSF and SSF have been operating for a number of years and are now in a stable delivery phase. The Goat Industry Sustainability Framework is expected to be able to leverage much of the elements that make the ABSF and SSF operations stable. MLA manages the Frameworks on behalf of industry, amongst other sustainability priorities, including opportunity development and project management.
On behalf of the Frameworks, MLA is seeking an administration and communications expert to support the coordination and public extension of the Frameworks. For further details, please see the terms of reference.
To apply for this project, please submit a preliminary application form (background available from Project application guidelines and forms) that contains the following:
- Information on relevant experience addressing the selection criteria.
- A quote to deliver the project in full, phased by financial year.
- Name(s) and contact details for person(s) providing services.
- Clear budget justifications for each line item, including units and cost per unit, captured within the Appendix 1 “Comment” column.
To submit your application, please send it to tenders@mla.com.au by no later than 5.00pm AEST on Wednesday 12/11/25. Late proposals will not be accepted.
For further information please contact:
Alister Hawksford
Program Manager – Sustainability Credentials, MLA
The role of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) and the Sheep Sustainability Framework (SSF) is to monitor, measure and report industry performance against sustainability priorities. They assist industry in better understanding its opportunities, challenges, and impacts.
The ABSF and SSF have been operating for a number of years and are now in a stable delivery phase. The Goat Industry Sustainability Framework is expected to be able to leverage much of the elements that make the ABSF and SSF operations stable. MLA manages the Frameworks on behalf of industry, amongst other sustainability priorities, including opportunity development and project management.
On behalf of the Frameworks, MLA is seeking agriculture sustainability expertise to execute the technical delivery of the outputs of the Frameworks, so that MLA can focus on standing up the red meat industry’s next sustainability priorities. For further details, please see the terms of reference.
To apply for this project, please submit a preliminary application form (background available from Project application guidelines and forms) that contains the following:
- Information on relevant experience addressing the selection criteria.
- A quote to deliver the project in full, phased by financial year.
- Name(s) and contact details for person(s) providing services.
- Clear budget justifications for each line item, including units and cost per unit, captured within the Appendix 1 “Comment” column.
To submit your application, please send it to tenders@mla.com.au by no later than 5.00pm AEST on Wednesday 12/11/25. Late proposals will not be accepted.
For further information please contact:
Alister Hawksford
Program Manager – Sustainability Credentials, MLA
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking full applications from individuals, organisations or project teams with the capability to enhance weaning efficiency in the WA Merino industry. This proposal will encompass research, development and adoption (RD&A) activities in the Sheep productivity sector that achieve outcomes in line with the priorities of the Red Meat Panel.
Projects will investigate and identify the control points, management and production factors that will provide the greatest return for effort for WA Merino producers implementing management change to increase weaning rates, whilst also increasing resilience of the farming systems in WA.
The objectives and outcomes identified will help WA Merino producers understand the control points, management and production factors that will provide the greatest return for effort for individual producers to implement new management strategy/change on farm, to increase weaning rates and resilience of the farming systems in WA.
Further information
For further information please see the project Terms of reference.
Application link/contact
To access the Full Application form, please click here. Please refer to the MLA Project Funding Application Guidelines for further information.
Deadline
Full applications must be received by MLA before 11:59pm (AEDT) 14 November 2025. Late proposals will not be accepted.
Contact information
For any questions regarding this tender, please contact:
Dr Melanie Smith
Program Manager – Sheep and Goat Productivity
msmith@mla.com.au
0499 649 072
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is establishing a program within the Livestock Genetics research sector to build advanced research capabilities, alongside professional development. This program will be supported by the National Livestock Genetics Consortium (NLGC) and MLA, who are requesting project proposals to answer research questions from early career individuals working in livestock genetics research with the capability to undertake research, development and adoption (RD&A) activities in the Livestock Genetics sector. The aim is that alongside fostering development and capability in industry, the outcomes of the projects will be in line with the priorities of the NLGC and industry genetic progress.
This program is designed to target post-doctoral researchers, final year PhD candidates or early career individuals looking to pursue a research career, with a focus on livestock genetics R&D in the red meat industry. There will be four positions available within the program.
The primary aim of the NLGC is to increase the rate of genetic progress achieved for traits that drive value chain productivity and sustainability in the sheep and beef industries. The Terms of Reference (ToR) is based on the RD&A priorities from the NLGC, NLGC Strategy to 2030 as well as the MLA Strategic Plan 2030 and Red Meat 2030.
For further details, please see the TOR Livestock Genetics Early Researcher .
Applicants must include as part of their submission:
- application form – Early Career Researcher –Application Form
- CV
- preliminary project proposal
- two-minute video pitch.
Applications must be lodged electronically to livestockgenetics@mla.com.au
Applications close 11:59pm (AEST) 7 November 2025. Late proposals will not be accepted.
For any questions regarding this tender, please contact:
Clara Bradford
Program Manager – Livestock Genetics R&D
The Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Donor Company (MDC) is seeking expressions of interests (EOI) from publicly funded research organisation’s (PFRO) commercialisation entity who have technology prototype(s) that are ready to be considered for delivering benefits to the Australian red meat and livestock sector. Prototype(s) must be at least partially validated at a low-medium fidelity technology readiness level of 4 or greater and will be evaluated on a first-come-first-served basis against MLA investment decision criteria and priorities.
There is no maximum or minimum project size, only that all submissions are based on 60% participant and 40% MDC co-investment cash contribution. MLA is flexible on Intellectual Property (IP) ownership to best drive future commercial success and welcomes a clear adoption pathway for PFRO’s to engage with industry stakeholders in the build, test and launch stages.
For further details, please see the EOI Tech Funding guidelines.
Expression of interest must be lodged electronically using the EOI response template and emailed to commercisalisation@mla.com.au.
Applications close 5:00pm (AEST) 1 July 2026.
For any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact MLA IP team:
Rhys Pirie – E: rpirie@mla.com.au or Tom Dobbie – E: tdobbie@mla.com.au
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking expression of interest (EOI) to co-design a producer adoption program, targeted at the Australian southern rangelands. The broad intention of this project will be to improve business productivity, profitability and sustainability. To achieve this, expressions of interest (EOI) are invited from all industry stakeholders, including but not limited to supply chains (processors/brand owners), producers, industry organisations, research bodies and advisors. By partnering with MLA there is an opportunity to expand reach and resources to maximise the impact of producer engagement activities and long-term improvement.
Application link/contact:
Deadline:
Applications close 12:00am (AEST) 20 October 2025.
More information:
For any questions regarding this EOI, or to discuss potential proposals, please contact:
Mitchell Plumbe
Project Manager – Producer Adoption
0458 273 715
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking expressions of interest from commercial and/or research organisations (or partnerships of organisations) to co-invest via the MLA Donor Company in research, development and adoption projects for the following areas:
- Safeguarding our feedbase resources – includes the monitoring and management of soil health and land condition to improve productivity, along with protecting pastures (the feedbase) from weeds, diseases and pests.
- Future feedbase design – includes investments that raise the productivity ceiling of pastures and whole farm feedbase management, including through plant breeding and agronomy activities.
- Enhanced adoption of feedbase innovation – investing in the development of more expert advisors, demonstration sites, and information resources, to support producers in adopting innovative practices.
MLA applications must be lodged electronically as Word document to tenders@MLA.com.au
Applications close 5:00pm AEST Friday 3rd October 2025.
No late applications will be accepted. Incomplete request for tender applications without the required documentation will not be assessed. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their EOIs with the Feedbase R&D Team prior to submission.
For more information, please contact:
Further information:
Dr Joe Gebbels: (jgebbels@mla.com.au)
Dr Allan Peake: (apeake@mla.com.au)
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) are seeking partnerships to co-design a whole-of-supply-chain long-term adoption program.
We are seeking projects that employ peer-to-peer learning methods, focused on supporting producers to meet breeding objectives and market specifications while optimising productivity and profitability.
Further information can be found here.
A submission can be made by completing the MLA Preliminary Application Form.
Applications close Friday 10 October 2025.
All organisations considering submitting an expression of interest are encouraged to reach out to MLA to discuss their concept early on. Contact Will Atkinson watkinson@mla.com.au and Hilary Connors hconnors@mla.com.au for more information or to arrange a meeting.
