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Current tenders

MLA is seeking applications from individuals, organisations or project teams with the expertise required to undertake one or more of the following projects:

Extending the practical shelf life of vacuum-packed, chilled sheep meats

The practical shelf life of vacuum-packed sheep meat stored at around -0.5°C is about 90 days for lamb but can be around 160 days in beef. While it is not necessary to be able to achieve 160 days for lamb, advantages may accrue to supply chains and customers if shelf life could be extended.

The shelf life of bone-in product is considered to be shorter than boneless products, but in some laboratory studies this could not be demonstrated. The reasons for the shorter shelf life of bone in product, and development of bone taint also needs to be investigated.

Storage at low temperature successfully lengthens the shelf life of vacuum-packed sheep meat, but is not practically achieved throughout the supply chain. Bone-in product may also have a shorter shelf life than boneless product. The factors leading to the relatively short (compared to beef) shelf life of sheep meat products, further exacerbated in bone-in products will be investigated and practical approaches to the extension of shelf life will be suggested and trialled.

Request for proposal

MLA Research Terms

For more information, please contact:

Dr Ian Jenson
Manager - Market Access Science and Technology
Email: ijenson@mla.com.au

Enhancing animal disease reporting and developing a common approach for regional benchmarking

Enhancing the animal disease reporting within LDL will provide supply chains with better business insights to make informed decisions as well as supporting industry to identify key areas of investment across research, development and adoption. The purpose of this project is to improve the current animal disease reporting to provide benchmarking, seasonal trends and regional hot spotting for red meat producers and processors across Australia.  This project will also investigate the opportunity to link to other datasets with the animal disease and defect data to see if any trends can be identified such as eating quality or carcase compliance impacts. The overall aim of this project is to further develop the animal disease reports and test their usability with a group of processors and producers to ensure they are easy to use and provide meaningful feedback.

Terms of reference

MLA invites interested parties to submit tenders by 5pm on 15 January 2021.

For more information, please contact:

Verity Suttor
Project Manager - Future Feedback Systems
Integrity Systems Company Limited
Email: vsuttor@integritysystems.com.au

Goat Genetic Improvement Strategies – Producer Demonstration Sites(MDC)

Want to improve your goat herd performance by engaging with like-minded producers and an industry support network?

An MLA Donor Company Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project could be for you.

Purpose and background

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is committed to partnering with producer groups to improve business profitability and productivity. Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS) aim to increase the rate of adoption of key management practices and technologies that improve business profitability, productivity and sustainability through livestock producers pursuing new skills, management practices in their own commercial livestock production systems.

The PDS program underpins MLA’s research, development and adoption (RD&A) programs by supporting groups of producers to demonstrate, adapt and validate the triple bottom line benefits of integrating new management practices, research and development outputs and associated skills within the context of their commercial production systems. The key outcome of a PDS is producer adoption of the demonstrated management practices resulting in improved business performance.

MLA is calling for applications for MDC PDS projects related to improving goat enterprise profitability and productivity through improvements to herd genetics.

Nominations must be lodged electronically as Word document to jgebbelsl@mla.com.au and elitzow@mla.com.au along with other requirements of this ToR.

Applications must be received by 5pm AEST on Monday the 1st of February 2021.

For more information, please contact:

Joe Gebbels
Program Manager – Sheep & Goat Productivity
Phone: 0407 002 928 
Email: jgebbels@mla.com.au

Emily Litzow
Project Manager – Sheep & Goat Productivity
Phone: 0428 917 047
Email: elitzow@mla.com.au

Goat Genetic Improvement Strategies – MDC Projects

Purpose and background

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is committed to partnering with industry partners and producer groups to improve business profitability and productivity.

MLA is calling for applications for MDC projects related to improving goat enterprise profitability and productivity through improvements to herd genetics. Projects submitted against these terms of reference will focus on developing strategies for genetic improvements in goat herds and on demonstrating and accelerating the rate of genetic gain. MDC projects have matched funding.

Projects may be conducted in a range of situations including, on research stations or on commercial properties and may deploy existing tools, technologies and management practices or develop a new approach to supporting improved genetic gain. Demonstration of production and economic benefits, within the local environment and across the supply chain is the desired outcome.

Nominations must be lodged electronically as Word document to jgebbelsl@mla.com.au and elitzow@mla.com.au along with other requirements of this ToR.

Applications must be received by 5pm AEST on Monday the 15th February 2021.

For more information, please contact:

Joe Gebbels
Program Manager – Sheep & Goat Productivity
Phone: 0407 002 928 
Email: jgebbels@mla.com.au

Emily Litzow
Project Manager – Sheep & Goat Productivity
Phone: 0428 917 047
Email: elitzow@mla.com.au

 

MDC call for proposals (j20412) - RDA Summer’21 Adoption Drive

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking expressions of interest from individuals, organisations or project teams with the capability and commercial expertise to drive adoption in several key themes:
Theme 1: Digital Agriculture dashboards and Internet of Thing (IoT)
Theme 2: Polledness in cattle
Theme 3: Enabling new sources of revenue for Australian red meat producers (from environmental stewardship)
Theme 4: Red-meat based Premium Pet Foods for export markets

All submissions are for co-investment proposals (noting no MLA levy contributions) – that is, matched cash funding via MLA Donor Company (MDC). Successful proposals are to target adoption and commercialisation impact and must use standard MDC terms and conditions.

Projects must relate to growing demand/productivity of either Australian beef, sheep or goat meat or livestock and address the opportunities listed in the Tender.

It is envisaged proposals will be between $AUD 250-700K per entity with an appropriate resource plan and ability to commence work before 1st May 2021.

Proposals must be lodged electronically to MLA at: apickup@mla.com.au

Proposals must be received by 2nd February 2021. Late applications will NOT be accepted.

Successful tenderers will be notified by 19th February 2021.

For more information, please contact:

Joshua Whelan
Phone: (02) 9463 9222
Email: jwhelan@mla.com.au

ParaBoss Phase III Producer Communication, Extension and Adoption Delivery and Website Management

ParaBoss is a national resource for sheep and goat parasite control in Australia. ParaBoss provides sources of information for major parasites through its suite of products. Currently in development, and due to be added to the ParaBoss website in 2021 is CattleBoss – a national information and management tool for Australian cattle producers following the sheep ParaBoss model.

ParaBoss is overseen by a project and technical committee and is owned by the University of New England (UNE), Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).

The goal of ParaBoss Phase III is to enhance and support the profitability and sustainability of Australia’s sheep, goat and beef cattle producers through the delivery of effective, independent, accurate and objective advice on best practice management of parasites.

We are seeking tenders for the delivery of the ParaBoss website maintenance and management and/or the producer communication and extension and adoption activities.  Further information is provided in the Terms of Reference.

Applications must be received by 5pm Friday 19th February 2021

Download Terms of Reference

For more information, please contact:

Alana Boulton
Northern Beef Adoption Project Manager
Meat & Livestock Australia
Phone: 0419 661 262
Email: aboulton@mla.com.au