Frequently Asked Questions - Primary Producers

General Questions

Q1: What is FarmReady?
FarmReady is part of Australia’s Farming Future, the Australian Government’s flagship four-year initiative to improve productivity and help farmers manage climate change.
FarmReady aims to boost training opportunities for primary producers, and enable industry, farming groups and natural resource management groups develop strategies to adapt and respond to the impacts of climate change.

Q2. How do FarmReady Reimbursements Grants differ from FarmReady Industry Grants?
The four year FarmReady program offers two types of support to the agricultural, fishing and forestry sectors:

• FarmReady Reimbursement Grants for individual primary producers and Indigenous land managers to attend approved climate change training activities.
• FarmReady Industry Grants for industry organisations, primary producer and natural resource management groups to undertake projects to enable their members to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Questions for Primary Producers

Q1: How do I apply for a FarmReady Reimbursement Grant?
Contact the training provider to confirm the course is relevant to your needs, including dates and location of the course.
Complete and submit an Application form for FarmReady Reimbursement Grant to the Program Administrator prior to commencing the course. Completed forms must be submitted at least five (5) working days prior to course commencement for processing.
A pre-approval notification will be issued to you via email or fax, within 5 working days of receiving your form.
You must be pre-approved before attending the course or you may not be eligible to claim your reimbursement.

Q2: How do I know I qualify as a primary producer?
Your eligibility to receive a FarmReady reimbursement grant is determined from your Application form for FarmReady Reimbursement Grant. The FarmReady Program Administrator will advise you in writing (via email or fax) whether or not you are eligible. You need to know you are eligible before you go to a course that you want to be reimbursed for.
FarmReady is not means or asset tested. To be eligible, you must be a primary producer (farmer, fisher or forester), an immediate family member of a primary producer, a member of the management team of a primary production enterprise, or an Indigenous land manager.
For more information on eligibility requirements, refer to the Program Guidelines on this website.

Q3: How long will it take before I know whether or not I’m eligible?
Generally, you will be advised by email or fax whether or not you are eligible within 5 working days of submitting your application. .

Q4: What if I don’t get my preapproval in time?
The applicant is solely responsible for any outlays of money made before receiving pre-approval.

Q5: I did not get a pre-approval before attending the course. Can I still lodge a claim for a FarmReady Reimbursement grant?
You must have lodged an application form and have received a pre-approval from the FarmReady Program Administrator before the course commences to be able to claim a FarmReady Reimbursement Grant.
You may appeal this program rule, by submitting:

• a completed Application form for FarmReady Reimbursement Grant
• a completed Claim for Reimbursement and Course Review form, AND
• a cover letter detailing your reasons for not submitting an application form prior to commencement of the course.  

Questions on Reimbursements

Q1: How do I claim my reimbursement grant?
You must have applied for a FarmReady Reimbursement Grant and received pre-approval before attending the course.
Complete and submit a Claim for Reimbursement and Course Review form to the FarmReady Program Administrator, together with proof of payment (receipts) for each cost being claimed, and a copy of the course certificate of course completion. Claim forms must be submitted with all relevant paperwork within 30 days of the course completion.
We reimburse to the bank details you provide on the form.

Q2: Do I get a notification on payment?
The FarmReady Program Administrator does not notify claimants of payment, but will contact you if further information is required to complete your reimbursement claim. The Reimbursement Grant will be paid into the nominated bank account(s) within 10 days of the Program Administrator receiving your Claim for Reimbursement and Course Review form.

Q3: I did not get a pre-approval before attending the course. Can I still lodge a claim for a FarmReady Reimbursement grant?
You must have lodged an application form and have received a pre-approval from the FarmReady Program Administrator before the course commences to be able to claim a FarmReady Reimbursement Grant.
You may appeal this program rule, by submitting:

• a completed Application form for FarmReady Reimbursement Grant
• a completed Claim for Reimbursement and Course Review form, AND
• a cover letter detailing your reasons for not submitting an application form prior to commencement of the course.  

Q4: The cost of the course is more than $1500, but I don’t need to travel to it. Can I claim the extra $500 ‘associated reasonable costs’ towards the course costs?
No. The reimbursements grant for course costs is capped at $1500 per financial year. Associated reasonable costs are claimed separately and the two cannot be combined.

Q5: The cost of the course is less than $1500, but it’s going to cost me more than $500 to get there. Can I claim the leftover course costs to pay for more of my travel expenses?
No.  The reimbursements grant for associated reasonable costs is capped at $500 per financial year. Course costs are claimed separately and the two cannot be combined.

Q6: Are the reimbursement grants means-tested?
No. The FarmReady Reimbursement Grants are not means or asset tested.

Q7: Can a company seek reimbursement for its employees?
Where a primary production enterprise has paid for employees to attend a FarmReady approved training activity, the applicant can indicate their employer’s bank details for reimbursement on the Claim for Reimbursement and Course Review form. The invoices / receipts should reflect the employer as the payee.

Questions Specific to Indigenous Land Managers

Q1: How is an Indigenous Land Manager defined by the FarmReady program?  
Indigenous land managers qualify as those involved in the management decisions for Indigenous lands that are zoned for rural purposes, or outside existing control plan areas, if the land is owned, managed, controlled or operated by an Indigenous community, corporation or trust, or an Aborigine or Torres Strait Islander.