Charged with implementing most of the initiatives arising from the five-year $102 million national food strategy, National Food Industry Strategy (NFIS) Ltd has launched several initiatives aimed at assisting the process of industry innovation.

Towards the end of 2002, the Food Innovation Grants (FIG) program, calling for applications from Australian food businesses interested in developing a scientific or technical innovation, was rolled-out.

Paul Ford, general manager of Innovation at NFIS Ltd, said he was very pleased with the response to FIG.

“We’ve received more applications than we anticipated for a new program, and there’s clearly enormous interest out there.”
The FIG program provides dollar-for-dollar funding to Australian food businesses to support a scientific or technical innovation or R&D.

Ford believes innovation is a key to driving value-added improvements in the food chain and it is the most effective means of gaining a competitive edge in the food industry.
“Innovation carries risks, and the FIG program helps share the risk through contributing to the project costs. We want to encourage food businesses to do the proverbial ‘thinking outside the square’ by supporting them financially.”

Individual grants will range from $25,000 to $500,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

There will be up to four funding rounds for FIG each year of the five-year Strategy. Announcement of successful first-round applications is anticipated by Easter.

Another recently announced initiative is the Food Chain Demonstration Projects program, which will support a range of ‘leading edge’ initiatives that build food industry skills, capability and knowledge in value chain management.

The consultant heading-up the Food Chains Program, David Gregory, said that funding of up to $200,000 is available.
“We’re looking for activities that build skills in chain management or provide leadership to others in chain management through collaboration with others. One of the links in the chain must be the end customer.”

The Food Management Development Program is the third in the trifecta of funding initiatives underway and has been
introduced in response to the views of senior management within the industry.

“While job-specific knowledge and skills of people within the food industry are rated highly, it is also recognised that the managers of the future have shortcomings in their education and skill base,” explained NFIS Ltd Managing Director, Richard Brooks.
Mr Brooks said the aim of an industry-specific management development program was to ensure that program content remains relevant and responsive to industry and that the educational value of the program meets industry's needs.

Expressions of interest have been sought from higher education institutions to develop and deliver a food industry-specific post-graduate level management development program. An announcement of the successful institution(s) is expected in May.
Brooks told Global Food and Wine Magazine that significant and exciting work is also underway in the area of market development, with negotiations at an advanced stage to extend the MoU with Singapore and with feasibility studies now being examined for collaborative effort in other areas.

“Our bottom-line is to support efforts to increase Australia’s share of world food trade, which has hovered around the three percent mark for the past five to seven years.

“There are many organisations already in place which actively support individual businesses to make it to market, and that’s not the role of NFIS Ltd.

“We work with the various organisations, such as Austrade, the States and Territories and others, to select projects that bring all those parties together so we all have a better understanding of markets; that we share information and work together; that we make the process of export as simple as possible for food businesses; and to help ensure that Australian business and Australia get optimum benefit.”

Brooks said that the next meeting of the National Food Industry Council, chaired by Agriculture Minister, Warren Truss, will be held in Canberra at the end of March.

Further information on the National Food Industry Strategy, or any of the programs and initiatives outlined above may be obtained by visiting the NFIS web site at www.nfis.com.au or by contacting NFIS Ltd on 1300 130 360 or 02 6270 8800.