Food Industry For a Regionally Sustainable Tomorrow (FIRST)

Project Aim

The FIRST program aims to grow businesses and create jobs and investment in rural and regional Victoria. The program will encourage innovation and collaboration, and will help regional Victoria's food industry to become more sustainable, globally focused and competitive.

Nature of Assistance

The FIRST Program provides funding for activities that support at least one of five key action areas:

1. Innovation
2. Food for Life (developing a healthier food supply)
3. Industry Capability
4. Supply Chain Development
5. International Growth

Within these five key action areas, funding proposals should meet at least one of the following program
objectives:

• creating new investment
• creating new jobs
• addressing existing and emerging skill needs
• enhancing industry innovation in products, processes, services and markets
• planning and developing sustainable food industry practices
• encouraging collaboration along the food value chain
• developing strategic capability within or across food industry sectors
• improving export competitiveness
• responding to emerging market trends
• developing niche market opportunities
• promoting industry capability and excellence
• creating regional recognition in the wider marketplace

The activity must have the potential to benefit individual businesses or sectors within regional Victoria's food industry.

Levels of funding will depend on the proposed activity and the projected outcomes (to be presented in a detailed project proposal).

Eligibility

Applications will generally be accepted from food businesses (including industry organisations), regional development organisations, local government, education and training providers, science and research institutions and state government agencies.

	FIRST Guidelines (DOC 158Kb)
	Guidelines for the Food Industry for a Regionally Sustainable Tomorrow program.

	FIRST Fact Sheet (PDF 52Kb)
	Details on the Food Industry for a Regionally Sustainable Tomorrow program

Contact

Carla Montori
Regional Development Victoria
Level 33, 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: (+61 3) 9651 8103
Email: carla.montori@rdv.vic.gov.au

OR

Valerie Ramsperger
Regional Development Victoria
Level 33, 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: (+61 3) 9651 9166
Email: valerie.ramsperger@rdv.vic.gov.au