New scholarships on offer for horticulture industry leaders

Hort Innovation is inviting senior executives and innovative leaders from Horticulture levy-paying businesses to apply for one of five funded opportunities to attend the KPMG Enhanced 2020 Agrifood and Internet of Farms Traction Program.

Held from June 2020 to February 2021, the 10-month program is run by KPMG and supported by Food and Agri Growth Centre (FIAL) and education partners Charles Sturt University (CSU), University of Queensland (UQ) and Wageningen University (Netherlands). It has been designed to help drive the success of Australia’s agrifood sector by providing senior executives and innovative leaders with access to best-in-class insights and a platform from which to collaborate and solve complex problems to accelerate the growth of Australia’s agrifood industry to and beyond $100 billion.

It will specifically focus on leadership alignment, collaboration and taking insights and translating them into tangible impacts for Australia. Delegates will come together at multiple points to discuss and identify opportunities for projects and collaboration and turn them into reality to deliver meaningful traction.

One of the key aspects of the Traction program is a 7-day tour in the Netherlands connecting participants with leading Dutch and European innovators and institutions who are developing disruptive technologies and systems that have enabled the Netherlands to become a globally recognized leader in the Agri sector. It will be an action-packed itinerary shaped around people, organisations and technology.

In addition, two pre-tour ‘triggering traction’ virtual workshops drawing insights from international specialist speakers, and post-tour ‘traction enablement and acceleration’ components will be delivered in conjunction with CSU and UQ.

The Hort Innovation scholarship will fund the Program fee valued at $9000 which includes instruction, all meals, ground transportation, guides, entrance fees, meetings, and facilities in the Netherlands. Participants will need to cover the cost of their accommodation and travel expenses to and from the Netherlands.

With over 30 business leaders, government policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs, producers, and growers already confirmed to participate, don’t miss your chance to rub shoulders with the worlds best in the Agrifood sector.

The Program is offered by KPMG and terms and conditions of participation are available here. KPMG has a COVID-19 contingency plan that will be reassessed in August 2020 and may result in changes to the travel date or location if required.

To apply, complete the registration below no later than 18 June 2020. Applications will be assessed by Hort Innovation Management and selected based on the quality of responses to application questions. 

Successful recipients of a Hort Innovation scholarship on the Program will be notified by Monday 22 June 2020. Scholarship recipients must attend all Program events including the International tour (or a replacement if determined due to COVID restrictions), submit a two-page Program report to Hort Innovation and be willing to present at a relevant industry event. If these requirements are not fulfilled at all or in part, then 25% of the $9000 +GST Program costs (which are responsible administration costs of Hort Innovation) will be re-payable to Hort Innovation by the recipient on demand. 

Hort Innovation reserves the right to withdraw the scholarship or amend the participation terms at any time. 

For more details see the course brochure attached or contact Hort Innovation Research & Development Manager Bianca Cairns by email at bianca.cairns@horticulture.com.au.

Application form

Applications must be submitted by COB 18 June 2020