REMINDER: If you are a relevant employer within the meaning of the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 and seeking to supply goods or services to government at or above $80,000, the Workplace Gender Equality Procurement Principles require you to provide a Certificate of Compliance with the Act as part of the procurement process.

To be eligible for a Compliance Certificate you must submit a report to WGEA by 31 May 2024 or seek an extension before 31 May and submit your report within the extension period. To seek an extension, please email support@wgea.gov.au with the subject heading Application for extension.

Closed ATM View - PROC-9176290

Sorghum National Variety Trials 2021-2024

Dianne Wright

Phone: 08 8198 8400

Email Address: southern@grdc.com.au

Document(s) Contact Name:
Dianne Wright

Document(s) Contact Phone:
08 8198 8400

Document(s) Contact Email:
southern@grdc.com.au

ATM ID:

PROC-9176290

Agency:

Grains Research and Development Corporation

Category:

70140000 - Crop production and management and protection

Close Date & Time:

21-Jan-2021 2:00 pm (ACT Local Time)
Show close time for other time zones

Publish Date:

24-Nov-2020

Location:

NSW, WA, QLD

ATM Type:

Request for Tender

Multi Agency Access:

Panel Arrangement:

Multi-stage:

Description:

Background

The National Variety Trials (NVT), provides Australian growers and advisers with access to independent, robust and relevant evaluation of crop varieties to assist in choosing varieties most suited to their environment.

The need to continue the Sorghum NVT program is driven by grower’s desire to access independent testing data of hybrid performance in order to make variety decisions that will make them more profitable. The sorghum NVT program delivers trials in 22 locations across Queensland, Northern New South Wales, and the Ord River, WA. In providing this information, NVT seeks to accelerate the adoption of new, superior hybrids, leading to increased grower profitability.

This procurement will source, through an open market approach, service providers who have the appropriate technical skills and experience to provide research and development services for the GRDC Sorghum NVT program in order to ensure the program is run successfully.

Investment Description

GRDC requires service providers to independently manage Sorghum NVT field trials and the collection of trial data.

The NVT Sorghum trial network is divided into eight regions of:

1 Central Queensland North

2 Central Queensland South

3 Southern Queensland East

4 Southern Queensland West,

5 Northern New South Wales East

6 Northern New South Wales West

7 Liverpool Plains

8 Ord

Each production region will require a Trial Service Provider to manage three National Variety Trials in each zone except for Kununurra (one trial).

In addition to trial management the Trial Service Provider will undertake replicated grain quality testing for each trial for (i.e. screenings and hectolitre weight).

Expected Outcome

From 2021, growers continue to have access to an independent source of hybrid performance data which enables them to realise increased profit by adopting the best hybrids available for their farming systems.

Expected Outputs

From 2021 annual implementation of the planned hybrid performance field trials as per NVT Sorghum Protocol standards.

Trial design and sowing
Trial management
Data Collection and uploading to database
Grain quality assessments

Proposed GRDC Investment

The GRDC is focussed on delivering value to Australian grain grower, therefore, your application must demonstrate fair market value.

Contracting

The investment will be contracted on the NVT Service Agreement

It is envisaged this investment covers four years, with project planning commencing in April 2021.

For full details on the ATM and any associated attachments as well as information on any Questions and Answers relating to the ATM, visit https://grdc.com.au

Other Instructions:

All applicants must familiarise themselves with the document 'Annex to Conditions of Tender' and the 'Sorghum NVT Protocols' and must complete and submit Attachment 1 and Attachment 2.

Tenderers will be required to submit prices by completion of 'Attachment 2 - NVT Pricing' spreadsheet, in addition to the online budget field.

Tenderers can provide a price for between 1 and 8 Regions.

The Sorghum NVT Protocols provides the methodology; therefore, Tenderers are not required to complete this field.

All applications must be submitted via the GRDC Grains Investment Portal https://access.grdc.com.au/ by 2 pm AEDT Thursday 21st January 2021

To register as a first-time user, please visit https://access.grdc.com.au/ and:

•Click on the register button at the top right-hand side.

•Complete the Registration Form. Fill in all the fields: your email address, a password and the captcha. Your password must be alphanumeric with at least one special character (i.e. not a letter or number). Click register to continue the process.

•Registration is confirmed by the system sending an email to you, with details to complete the registration process.

•Once the registration process is complete, you can sign in and review all investments open for tender

Once you have located this investment, you can commence the application process by completing the details for each field available, until you reach “Submit Application” on the last page.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact GRDC Contracts Administrator South via email southern@grdc.com.au or use the online support function available.

For information on "Applying" and how to register refer to these guides in the GRDC help centre:

•Guide: Registering for the portal

•Guide: Submitting an Application through the Portal

Conditions for Participation:

The investment will be offered based on a set of eligibility and selection criteria:

•Eligibility criteria: the conditions applicants must fulfil to be eligible to apply.

•Selection criteria: the items against which applications will be evaluated. Each criterion is assigned certain points which are summed to rank the applications in each advertised investment area.

Eligibility Criteria

The applicant must be a single legal entity or recognised firm of partners.
The applicant and any subcontractor must be compliant with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.
The applicant and any subcontractor must not have a judicial decision against it (not including decisions under appeal) relating to employee entitlements and who have not paid the claim.
The applicant and any subcontractor must not be named on the Consolidated List, being the list of persons and entities who are subject to targeted financial sanctions or travel bans under Australian sanction laws, as maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
A key requirement is the separation of Breeders’ breeding/release trials from NVT crop evaluation trials. Therefore, tender applicants must demonstrate, their independence from Breeders (private and public) in regard to:

Personnel
Annual budget; and
Equipment

The following relationships with Breeders may be permitted when disclosed in accordance with the Conditions of Tender:

Contractual arrangements with Breeders as long as, at GRDC’s sole discretion, they are assessed as not affecting the Tenderer's ability to provide independent varietal assessment for NVT.

2.The provision (by contract or convention) of expert advice in support of any Breeder in relation to pathology, crop physiology or analysis.

Timeframe for Delivery:

It is envisaged this investment covers four years, with project planning commencing in April 2021.

Address for Lodgement:

For information on "Applying" and how to register refer to these guides in the GRDC help centre:

· Guide: Registering for the portal

· Guide: Submitting an Application through the Portal