GRASSROOT producer groups have less than a week to apply for up to $10,000 in sponsorship funding from Meat and Livestock Australia for events in early 2016.

The application process has changed to an annual call for sponsorships of $10,000-plus and a bi-annual call for support of less than $10,000.

Applications for $10,000-plus sponsorships for the period July 1 2015 to June 30 2016 closed on June 3 this year.

But applications for the second round of events funding of up to $10,000, for events held between January and June 2016, will close on December 1 this year .

For many years, MLA has offered sponsorship support and MLA expert speakers for events and initiatives that bring long term benefit and add value to the red meat industry.

MLA managing director Richard Norton

MLA managing director Richard Norton said all events that contributed to industry and provided a worthwhile experience for producers and others in the value chain were eligible for financial support or resources on the day.

“We have re-evaluated the way we provide event sponsorship support because MLA sees value in investing in forums and events that bring benefit to producers.

“We understand how important it is to support localised events and grassroots producer education,” Mr Norton said.

“MLA is committed to supporting groups which take the initiative to engage and inform the industry as it’s an important pathway for MLA to continue to build a strong, world-leading and profitable red meat sector.

“An important focus for MLA is events and activities that support the adoption of new tools, information and technology, which can contribute to increasing the efficiencies and profitability of the sector,” Mr Norton said.

“I encourage any group or organisation whose event meets these criteria to apply for MLA sponsorship; and I look forward to seeing these organisers provide innovative and informative events to industry over the next year and beyond.”

Event eligibility criteria

All MLA-supported events and activities must:

– Target commercial red meat producers, with no specific breed focus

– Allow for an MLA presentation/speaker and appropriate levels of branding

– Where appropriate, include an interactive display/session/presentation as a part of the event

– Include agreed measures of success such as number of attendees, satisfaction/usefulness scores and spikes in follow-up activities

– Align messages with one or more of MLA’s 15 key focus areas

– Deliver a post-event analysis within two weeks of event concluding

– Provide follow-up opportunities post-event to further circulate or enhance the information delivered (including: events, online content, workshops)

MLA has supported 39 events since July this year. Events such as the Birchip Cropping Group in Victoria, Banana Beef Industry Summit in Queensland, Murchison Innovation Conference in Western Australia and the Young Beef Producers’ Forum in Roma, Queensland, have all benefited from MLA sponsorship support or in-kind contributions and reached a wide network of growers to provide valuable, seasonal and relevant on-farm information at a localised level.

To find out more about seeking support from MLA for an event or activity email [email protected] or visit the MLA website here.

Source: MLA