Open Call: AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program 2026-27

Overview AgriFutures Australia is inviting Preliminary Research Proposals (PRPs) through this Open Call under the AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program 2026-27. The program invests in research, development and extension to deliver measurable improvements to beekeepers' profitability, productivity and resilience. About AgriFutures Australia's main function is investment, dissemination and commercialisation of research and development for the benefit of primary industries. AgriFutures Australia investments are driven by five-year RD&E plans that address the needs of industries and stakeholders and ensure priorities are industry and government driven. In planning and submitting proposals for AgriFutures Australia funded projects, prospective researchers need to familiarise themselves with the application procedure, the Corporation's overarching goals and strategies, as well as the goals and strategies of the relevant RD&E program. AgriFutures Australia welcomes and encourages collaboration with other research providers and industry stakeholders to build the critical research mass necessary to meet its objectives, and has long-term, established relationships and strong networks with the Australian honey bee industry. Purpose The AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program invests in research, development and extension to deliver measurable improvements to beekeepers' profitability, productivity and resilience. In response to the detection and establishment of Varroa destructor in Australia, the industry developed the Varroa destructor Research Strategy 2024-2027 | AgriFutures Australia, which outlines areas that could mitigate the impact of varroa on the industry. Objectives The AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program RD&E Plan 2026-31 | AgriFutures Australia identifies five investment priorities for the industry, alongside strategies to achieve them. AgriFutures Australia welcomes Preliminary Research Proposals that address one or more of the priorities and strategies outlined within the Honey Bee & Pollination Program RD&E Plan 2026-31 and/or the Varroa destructor Research Strategy 2024-2027. Following consultation with industry stakeholders, the following research topics and areas have also been highlighted as requiring urgent investigation. This is not an exhaustive list, and applicants whose proposed approach does not align with these areas are still strongly encouraged to apply. In-hive field trials exploring varroa treatments and management strategies that are likely to deliver practical solutions for beekeepers Management and responses to widespread amidine (Amitraz) resistance in the Australian varroa mite population, including whether amidine resistance can be better managed and what alternatives exist Possible synergies (both negative and positive) among varroa treatments, including the costs and benefits of combining treatment strategies Formic acid use and efficacy under Australian conditions, including best application methods under various environmental conditions and potential effects on queen health, brood, honey contamination and beekeeper health and safety Thymol use and efficacy under Australian conditions, and its potential effects on queen health, brood and honey contamination Investigations of the interactions between varroa and honey bee viruses in the "Varroosis" syndrome in Australia Schedules and efficacy of varroa Integrated Pest Management strategies under Australian conditions and their impacts on honey production and contamination Establishing data standard guidelines to support product registration of varroa treatments Probiotics and honey bee disease protection The relationship between honey bee nutrition and colony health and disease resilience When submitting applications, applicants should explain how their proposal aligns to industry research priorities and strategies as outlined in the Honey Bee and Pollination Program RD&E Plan 2026-31 and/or the Varroa destructor Research Strategy 2024-2027, and clearly communicate the proposed project benefits and potential impacts for the Australian honey bee and pollination industry. Information Requested Proposals should clearly indicate the following: The project benefits for the Honey Bee and Pollination industry The objectives and outcomes of the proposed project and the link to the R&D objectives Who will be undertaking the majority of the work, noting it must be clear if new staff and/or students are to be employed to undertake the work The plan for extension and adoption of research outcomes from the project activity work, beyond distribution of summaries, journal papers and conference presentations Where relevant, collaboration with experts in the field, including those based internationally The researcher's understanding of past research in this field Researcher Submission Checklist The researcher must complete the checklist prior to the submission being accepted: Have you checked the FAQ section on the AgriFutures website? Is the Principal Investigator an early career researcher (less than five years since postgraduate study completion)? Is there an early career researcher involved in the project? AgriFutures encourages research teams with an appropriate mix of experienced researchers and early career researchers including postgraduate students Does the proposal identify how the work relates to the RD&E Plan? Does the proposal clearly identify who will undertake the bulk of the work, noting that this might not be the Principal Investigator? Does the proposal describe the proposed experimental design in sufficient detail for the panel to assess its methodological rigour and statistical power? Does the proposal identify the subject matter expertise and specialist support available to the project and, where required, include relevant experts such as statisticians, technical specialists or industry practitioners on the research team? Does the proposal clearly articulate what the applied outcome for industry will be, even if it is a long-term applied project? Does the proposal clearly outline an extension plan that goes beyond research publications and the final report? Does the proposal clearly outline what the potential process might be for monitoring and evaluation of results? Does the proposal take into consideration available international expertise in the area of research? The Principal Investigator must comply with the application process within K2 Respondents will be expected to provide: A detailed project plan, including timelines, how the project will be conducted and how this will meet the requirements of the Open Call A detailed budget, with attachments where relevant Examples of similar work the respondent has completed Capability and relevant experience Contractor Requirements The following criteria will be used to assess applications: How relevant the project is to the research priorities of AgriFutures Australia and the Honey Bee and Pollination Program How much value the benefits of the research provide to industry How important the expected outcomes and outputs/deliverables of the project are to industry The value for money of the project The project design, including how conceptually sound and technically feasible the project is The potential for adoption in industry The potential for commercial pathways The capability and experience of the Project Lead The capability and experience of the Research Organisation Researchers are expected to actively participate in extension and dissemination activities throughout the project, and to work collaboratively with AgriFutures to assist in the communication of project findings to industry stakeholders. Applicants should outline in their proposal any expected learnings or outputs for industry and the expected timing of their delivery. Examples of extension activities AgriFutures funds or generates include podcasts, articles, webinars, demonstrational films, training materials, factsheets, training courses and workshops. To minimise the likelihood and period of embargoing publication of the final report on the AgriFutures Australia website, AgriFutures encourages project manuscripts to be drafted and published, or submitted for publication, during the project, and encourages and will fund open-source publication if included in the project budget. Contract Terms and Conditions AgriFutures Australia uses standard form contracts and agreements for projects and research it procures (refer to agrifutures.com.au/legal). These contracts and agreements set out the terms on which AgriFutures Australia will engage successful applicants to carry out the project. Applicants must be familiar with the contracts and agreements before submitting a response and are advised to seek legal advice beforehand. If amendments to the standard agreement are required, applicants must complete the statement of non-compliance for each relevant clause. AgriFutures will assess those requests. Applicants will be taken to have agreed to all clauses in the Service Provider Agreement that are not referred to in a statement of non-compliance. The extent of any non-compliance will be a factor in AgriFutures Australia's evaluation of the application. A contract will be awarded based on how well a respondent addresses the objectives of the Open Call, with selection based on the evaluation criteria. The resultant contract is expected to commence before October 2027. If you require further information regarding these contracts and agreements, please contact Stephanie-Kate Bratton, General Counsel, AgriFutures Australia, email: stephanie-kate.bratton@agrifutures.com.au. Instructions to Tenderers Download the full RFQ document for more detail. Timeline Open Call, Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) applications open: Thursday, 12 November 2026 End of period for questions or requests for information: Wednesday, 20 January 2027 Open Call, Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) applications close: Wednesday, 10 February 2027, 1 PM AEDT Intended completion date of evaluation of respondents' responses: end March 2027 Request for Full Research Proposals (FRPs) applications open: end March 2027 Request for Full Research Proposals (FRPs) applications close: early May 2027 Intended completion date of evaluation of respondents' responses: end June 2027 Negotiations with respondents: July 2027 to September 2027 Expected execution of contract or issue of agreement: September 2027 Submitting a Response Applications for this Open Call for Research must be submitted online using the PRP application in K2, AgriFutures' web-based application portal. Users must create a K2 account before submitting a proposal. To set up a secure account before submitting a proposal, visit the account creation page to access the new user or new company request forms. Usernames and passwords will only be issued while the applicable round is open. K2 User Guides are available for Submitting a Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) and Admin approval for a Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP). If you require assistance with submitting in K2, please contact helpdesk@agrifutures.com.au. There is the opportunity to include additional attachments with your application in K2. Enquiries Should you have any questions about the Open Call, please direct all enquiries to the AgriFutures Honey Bee Program by Wednesday, 20 January 2027, 5 PM AEDT. Individual responses to questions relating to the Open Call will not be provided by AgriFutures; a response, along with the question, will be posted in the Frequently Asked Questions section. Contact: Luke Evans, Program Manager Email: honeybees@agrifutures.com.au