Reef Trust Tender – Wet Tropics Fact Sheet 5 Frequently Asked Questions 1. If I submit an EOI do I have to submit a Tender application? No. Applicants can withdraw from the process at any time before signing a Grant Contract. However, only sugar cane farmers that register their interest by 2pm [EDST] 18 December 2014 will be eligible to submit a Tender.
2. What if my farm is partially in the Wet Tropics? If your property boundaries extend beyond the Wet Tropics Natural Resource Management region, the whole property will be eligible for the Programme.
3. Can I submit a Tender Application with multiple farms? Yes. A Tender application can include more than one sugar cane farm owned or operated by a single legal entity. In this circumstance, applicants will be required to provide three years of historical data and current documentation that clearly distinguishes activities related to the individual sugar cane farms covered by their Tender application.
4. Can sugar cane farmers submit a group Tender application? No. Group Tender applications will not be accepted. However, family owned farms are considered as one management unit, so a Tender can be submitted for one or multiple farms managed by the one family unit.
5. Can I submit more than one Tender application? No. Only one Tender application per legal entity will be accepted. Where a legal entity owns and/or operates more than one sugar cane farm in the Wet Tropics NRM region, they can include more than one sugar cane farm in their single Tender application.
6. When will I have to implement proposed improvements to my nitrogen use efficiency? Successful Applicants will be required to implement their proposed improvements in each of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Reef Trust Fact Sheet 5 – Frequently Asked Questions
7. What is the maximum value of funds I can seek through the Tender application? The Tender price must be equal to or less than $500,000. Tender applications will be evaluated based on value for money. The nominated Tender price will need to be competitive to be considered for grant funding. Applicants will need to be realistic and ensure they nominate sufficient funds to support them to carry out their proposed changes.
8. Do I have to complete any training? Yes. Within the first year of the Grant Contract you will need to complete the self-assessment component of the following three Smartcane Best Management Practice Modules: 1.
Soil Health and Nutrition Management;
2.
Weed, Pest and Disease Management; and
3.
Irrigation and Drainage Management.
Smartcane BMP Modules can be completed online. It is likely you can complete all three in less than three hours. Please see fact sheet number 4 for further details. By the end of the Grant Contract period, you will also be required to have developed a Nutrient Management Plan. Depending on any previous training, you may be required to attend an updated, prerequisite course related to nutrient planning.
9. Can I submit a Tender application if I have participated in another Australian Government Programme? Yes, so long as you do not have an overdue final report and/or acquittal for another programme delivered by the Department of the Environment. It is also important to remember that you will not be funded for activities that have already been undertaken or are substantially the same activities as those funded by another initiative or programme. For example, if you received funding through Reef Programme (formally Reef Rescue) to purchase equipment, you cannot include in your tender price the cost of purchasing that equipment again.
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