Farm Business Resilience Program NSW

Purpose and Program Overview

The Farm Business Resilience Program NSW supports NSW farmers and farm businesses to strengthen business planning, manage drought and climate risks, improve decision-making and build long-term economic, environmental and social resilience. The program provides practical support through workshops, business planning tools, coaching, advice and peer networks.

The program is jointly funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the NSW Government. The NSW Government’s 2026–27 Budget confirms continued investment in drought support through farm business planning, coaching, capability building and community resilience activities under the program.

The program is designed to help primary producers prepare for changing climatic conditions and make informed long-term business decisions. It focuses on building business capability rather than providing a standard cash grant to each participating farm business.

Key Grant Details

• Program support: Business planning, coaching, workshops, tools, advice and peer networks.
• Grant amount: No fixed cash grant amount is specified for individual participants under the core Farm Business Resilience Program.
• Funding pool: The NSW Government previously allocated $11.1 million to support the Farm Business Resilience Program, while the 2025 NSW–Australian Government funding announcement identified $43.2 million in joint investment for drought resilience measures including training and planning for NSW farmers.
• Application dates: No single statewide application opening or closing date is stated on the current program page. Producers can register their interest to participate.
• Eligible businesses: NSW farmers and farm businesses, including primary producers seeking support to improve business resilience.
• Co-contribution: The core program provides subsidised support; no standard cash co-contribution is specified on the current NSW Government program page.
• Location: New South Wales – state level.
• Program funding: Jointly funded by the Australian Government Future Drought Fund and NSW Government.

Priority Sectors

The current NSW Government program page does not specify a restricted list of priority agricultural sectors. The program is available broadly to NSW farmers and farm businesses.

Support is relevant across primary production industries where businesses need to strengthen planning, drought preparedness, climate adaptation, risk management and long-term resilience. The NSW Government also provides industry-specific resources and drought preparedness information for different farming sectors.

Funding Scope

Farm Business Resilience Program

The core program does not operate as a conventional capital grant with minimum and maximum payments for each applicant. Instead, it provides practical capability-building assistance, including:

• Farm business planning.
• Business coaching and advice.
• Workshops and events.
• Peer-to-peer learning and networks.
• Business management and decision-making support.
• Drought and climate risk planning.
• Tools and resources to support resilience.
• Long-term business and financial planning.
• Support to strengthen business resilience and wellbeing.

Farm Business Resilience Plan

A central component is developing a clear plan for the farm business. The planning process is intended to help producers identify risks, assess their current position and establish strategies for managing drought, climate variability and other business challenges.

The program can also connect participants with other forms of government assistance where appropriate. NSW’s separate Drought Ready and Resilient Fund provides low-interest loans of up to $500,000 to eligible primary production enterprises for activities supporting implementation of a Farm Business Resilience Plan or equivalent. This is a loan program and should not be confused with the Farm Business Resilience Program itself.

Program Timeline

The current program page does not provide a single project commencement or completion period for participating farm businesses. Workshops, coaching and other activities may operate according to individual delivery schedules.

The NSW Government continues to fund Farm Business Resilience Program activities as part of its ongoing drought preparedness and resilience measures.

Eligibility Criteria

The current NSW Government page does not publish a comprehensive national-style eligibility checklist. Key participation requirements can be summarised as follows:

• The participant should be a farmer or farm business operating in NSW.
• The program is intended for primary producers seeking to improve business planning and resilience.
• Participants should be willing to engage with business planning, coaching, workshops or other capability-building activities.
• The program can support businesses in assessing drought, climate and business risks.
• No specific minimum or maximum turnover is stated on the current Farm Business Resilience Program page.
• No specific employee-number requirement is stated on the current program page.
• No specific GST registration threshold is stated for participation in the core program.
• An ABN requirement is not expressly stated on the current program page.
• Additional eligibility conditions may apply to separate funding or loan programs accessed through the broader drought support framework.

For example, the separate Drought Ready and Resilient Fund requires an eligible primary production enterprise to operate as a sole trader, partnership, trust or private company in NSW and requires an appropriate Farm Business Resilience Plan or equivalent.

Eligible Activities and Expenses

The Farm Business Resilience Program focuses on business capability and planning rather than direct reimbursement of business expenses.

Eligible or supported activities include:

• Developing a farm business plan.
• Reviewing and improving existing business plans.
• Business coaching.
• Professional advice.
• Workshops and events.
• Peer learning and networking.
• Drought preparedness planning.
• Climate risk management.
• Business risk assessment.
• Strategic decision-making.
• Financial and business planning.
• Access to practical tools and resources.
• Building long-term business resilience and wellbeing.

The program page does not identify standard funding for capital equipment, wages, R&D expenditure, export development or general operating expenses.

Where capital investment is required to implement a resilience plan, producers may need to consider separate NSW programs. For example, the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund can finance a broad range of drought-related purchases, activities and services, subject to its separate eligibility and loan requirements.

Assessment Process

The Farm Business Resilience Program is not presented as a single competitive grant round. Producers can register their interest and access program activities including workshops, business planning and coaching. The current NSW Government page provides a direct expression-of-interest pathway rather than describing a competitive assessment process.

Key considerations for participation include:

• The relevance of identified farm business risks.
• The need to improve drought and climate preparedness.
• Opportunities to strengthen business planning.
• The producer’s willingness to participate in coaching, workshops or planning activities.
• The potential for improved decision-making and long-term resilience.

The separate Drought Ready and Resilient Fund has its own assessment process, including assessment of business viability, capacity to repay and suitability of the proposed activities.

Recent Program Updates

• The NSW Government continues to support the Farm Business Resilience Program as part of its drought preparedness and resilience measures.
• The program is jointly funded by the Australian Government Future Drought Fund and NSW Government.
• The NSW Government’s 2026–27 Budget confirms continued drought support through farm business plans, coaching, capability building and community resilience activities under the program.
• In August 2025, the NSW Government announced a $43.2 million joint investment with the Australian Government to support drought resilience, including training and planning for NSW farmers through the Farm Business Resilience Program.
• The current program provides several participation pathways, including workshops, farm business planning, coaching and advice, and practical tools and resources.
• The NSW Government also continues to provide related drought assistance, including the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund, which offers low-interest loans of up to $500,000.

Application Tips

• Confirm that the farm business operates in New South Wales and is within the intended primary production audience.
• Register interest through the NSW Farm Business Resilience Program before planning around a particular activity.
• Prepare current business and financial information before undertaking business coaching or planning.
• Identify the farm’s key drought, climate, financial and operational risks.
• Consider both short-term drought preparedness and longer-term business resilience.
• Use the Farm Business Resilience Plan to document specific strategies, priorities and actions.
• Keep supporting financial and business records organised if the business intends to pursue a separate grant or loan.
• Do not assume that participation in the Farm Business Resilience Program automatically provides access to capital funding.
• Review separate NSW funding programs carefully where infrastructure, equipment or other capital investment is required.
• Check the latest program requirements before committing expenditure or relying on a particular funding pathway.

Where to Get Help

Consider consulting a grant specialist like Pattens Group for a personalised eligibility assessment and expert assistance in identifying relevant funding opportunities and preparing a strong, compliant application. Professional assistance can also help a farm business determine whether the Farm Business Resilience Program or a separate NSW drought funding program is more appropriate for its proposed investment.

For official program information, applicants can refer to the NSW Government Farm Business Resilience Program, which provides access to business coaching, workshops, farm business planning, tools and resources. The NSW Government also provides direct program contact details and an expression-of-interest pathway.