Program 3B - Improved use of bait products for pest snail management

Overview The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is seeking a suitably experienced provider to deliver Program 3B, Improved use of bait products for pest snail management. This procurement forms part of a coordinated investment, Leading practice management of pest snails in Australian grain systems, and will deliver applied research, development and extension (RD&E) to improve the reliability and effectiveness of existing pest snail bait products under realistic field conditions. About GRDC is establishing a coordinated investment, Leading practice management of pest snails in Australian grain systems, to improve the reliability, adoption and effectiveness of pest snail management in Australian grain production. The investment will be extension-led, focused on improving decision-making and the use and integration of existing pest snail management options, supported by targeted applied RD&E, and will build on existing knowledge, datasets, tools, trial platforms and industry capability. The investment will be delivered through four separate but coordinated procurements: PROC-9177465: Program 1, National coordination, integration, synthesis and learning for pest snail management PROC-9177466: Program 2, National extension and adviser capability to support adoption of effective pest snail management, guided by national technical pest snail expertise PROC-9177467: Program 3A, Pest snail ecology, population dynamics and risk prediction PROC-9177468: Program 3B, Improved use of bait products for pest snail management Although the four programs will be delivered under separate agreements, they are intended to operate as a single coordinated investment rather than as independent activities. Program 1 will coordinate and integrate the broader investment, Program 2 will be the primary pathway for extension, adviser capability and adoption, and Programs 3A and 3B will provide applied evidence to improve management decisions relating to pest snail risk, bait timing and bait performance. Delivery will be nationally coordinated but regionally differentiated, reflecting variation in pest snail species, farming systems, seasonal conditions and management challenges. The greatest effort is expected in established snail-affected areas of the GRDC Southern and Western regions, with activity in other emerging or localised areas where justified by pest risk and industry need. Purpose While substantial technical knowledge and management resources already exist for pest snail management, there remains a need for more coordinated delivery, stronger regional extension, better integration between research and extension, and clearer guidance on the timing and reliability of existing management practices. Objectives By June 2031, Australian grain growers and advisers are intended to be implementing effective, integrated pest snail management practices that improve reliability of control, reduce crop and grain quality impacts, and increase adoption of risk-based management decisions across regions and farming systems. Scope The scope includes: Delivering applied RD&E to improve the reliability and effectiveness of existing pest snail bait products under realistic field conditions Generating practical guidance on bait rate, pellet density, timing, pest snail species and population characteristics, and seasonal conditions and how they influence baiting outcomes Helping growers and advisers understand when baiting is likely to be effective, why performance may vary, and how common causes of poor outcomes can be avoided or managed Developing findings in forms suitable for extension and decision support through the broader coordinated pest snail investment Building on relevant bait-performance evidence, behavioural insights, application data, methods and trial capability developed through previous GRDC and industry investments Assessing field performance and interpreting results across variable conditions, converting findings into practical, regionally relevant guidance rather than standalone trial results Working closely with Program 3A so that findings relating to pest snail activity, seasonal conditions and risk inform bait timing and the interpretation of field performance Working with Program 2 to ensure outputs are developed in forms suitable for adviser and grower use and that grower and adviser experience informs research priorities Providing timely planning, progress, output and impact information to support whole-of-investment coordination, synthesis and monitoring led through Program 1 Preparing and submitting contractual milestone reports to GRDC Making appropriate personnel available to participate in whole-of-program planning, coordination, monitoring and review activities led through Program 1, and meeting associated personnel and travel costs New product discovery, early proof-of-concept development, product registration activities and development of operational variable-rate baiting systems are outside the scope of this procurement and should not be included as proposed activities or budget items. Consideration of variable-rate baiting principles may be included where spatial variation in pest snail populations is relevant to practical bait-use guidance, but development of an operational variable-rate baiting system remains outside scope. The program is not intended to repeat broad product-efficacy testing, or provide contract research or marketing support for individual manufacturers, or develop new bait products. Product-specific evidence may be generated where necessary to answer the approved management questions, provided the resulting methods, findings and guidance are transparent, technically robust and directed towards broader industry benefit. Contractor Requirements Must be a suitably experienced provider capable of delivering applied RD&E relevant to pest snail bait product management Must propose a prioritised and achievable program within the indicative budget range, explaining how activities have been prioritised to address the uncertainties most likely to improve bait-use decisions and industry outcomes Must identify the existing information intended to be used and explain how it will inform the proposed work Must explain how field performance will be assessed and how results will be interpreted across variable conditions Where bait manufacturers or other commercial organisations are involved in the proposed team, applications must clearly describe their role and any product supply, data, intellectual property, cash or in-kind contributions, or other interests relevant to the work Where commercial organisations are likely to receive direct product-specific benefit from the work, an appropriate contribution commensurate with their role and benefit is expected Proposed arrangements must support objective trial design, transparent reporting and guidance that serves the interests of Australian grain growers Contract Terms and Conditions Program 3B is anticipated to commence on 15 March 2027, following completion of the current GRDC pest snail investment, UOA2205-005RTX All four programs, including Program 3B, are anticipated to conclude on 30 June 2031 Offers will remain open for acceptance by GRDC for a period of 6 months after the Closing Time Instructions to Tenderers Application and contracting arrangements Each procurement will be assessed and contracted separately Tenderers may apply for one or more procurements but must submit a separate application for each, and each application must be capable of being assessed and contracted independently GRDC may appoint the same lead entity to more than one program, or different lead entities to individual programs Each application must be submitted by a single lead legal entity that will enter into the agreement with GRDC and be accountable for delivery The lead entity may propose a delivery team involving other organisations or specialists as subcontractors Applications must clearly identify the proposed team, the responsibilities of each participant, key personnel, subcontracting arrangements and how delivery will be managed Tenderers applying for more than one procurement should identify any shared personnel, infrastructure, datasets, field sites, efficiencies or dependencies across their applications Successful providers will be required to work collaboratively with providers appointed to the other programs and participate in coordinated planning, reporting, monitoring and delivery arrangements Enquiries Requests for further information or clarification in relation to this procurement must be made in writing (email) prior to 3 September 2026. Attention: Rimaz Toto Organisation: Grains Research and Development Corporation Email: cpprocurements@grdc.com.au