Round three of the On Farm Connectivity Program is open, with $10 million available to help primary producers adopt connected equipment. The government announced the round on 16 September, highlighting uses such as monitoring livestock, managing watering and checking soil conditions.
What you need to know
Start with an approved supplier and confirm eligibility before committing to a purchase. This is not a general cash payment that every farmer can claim after buying a device.
Who applies, and how much is available?
The program pays rebates to approved suppliers serving eligible primary producers. The maximum is $20,000 excluding GST, covering up to half the eligible purchase price. Producers must access the program through a supplier and complete a separate online declaration.
The live page lists a closing time of 5pm AEDT on 15 October 2026. Funding may run out, and applications benefiting producers who have not received support in earlier rounds are prioritised.
Check eligibility before getting attached to a quote
The published criteria include an ABN held for at least 12 months, an eligible primary-production activity, and average annual gross income of $40,000 to $4 million across 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25. Hobby farmers are excluded. Read the full rules with the supplier; those headline tests are not the entire assessment.
Buy a solution to a job, not a discount
Our practical advice is to begin with the task you want to improve. For example: which tank needs checking, how often does somebody drive there, and what would a useful alert tell them? Put that in writing before asking for a product recommendation.
Ask the supplier to explain how the equipment will communicate at the actual installation location. A demonstration near the farmhouse is not an answer about a distant paddock. Request a clear description of any extra hardware, installation work and ongoing services the proposal needs.
Also ask who gets the alert, what happens when the connection is unavailable, and how somebody checks whether the equipment is still reporting. These are purchasing questions, not claims that the grant guarantees coverage or reliability.
Look past the subsidised price
Request an itemised quote separating equipment, installation, training and recurring charges. Ask which items qualify under the current program and what you must pay yourself. Do not assume every line attracts the same rebate.
A useful final question is what happens after the first year: what renews, what it costs, and whether you can still access your records if you change supplier. A discounted device can still be the wrong purchase if its ongoing cost or workload does not fit your farm.
Keep the quote, eligibility confirmation and program correspondence together. The official program page is the place to check the current funding position and rules before proceeding.
Michel Elijah covers technology, streaming and online security for Tech X Telco. He writes practical how-to guides on everything from email troubleshooting to spotting the latest scams doing the rounds in Australia, with a focus on clear steps anyone can follow.
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