Queensland’s Food & Agribusiness Network (FAN) says its new pathway program, Grow National, will help food, beverage and agri businesses scale production, distribution, and market access.

Australian small businesses can now access R&D funding and expertise through CSIRO as it broadens its Kick-Start program, expanding its eligibility to include businesses with a turnover of up to $10 million.

Grant applications are open for Victorian SME manufacturers in the second round of the Made in Victoria Manufacturing Growth Program. Grants of up to $250,000 are available to introduce new technology, improve productivity and competitiveness locally and globally, upskill workers, and create new jobs.

A free trade agreement with the EU will take “quite some time”, the Australian government says, after negotiations on the weekend failed to reach an agreement.

The Food & Drink Business October/November magazine is out, covering all the industry news, with special features on beverages, plant design & fitout, testing & measuring, and meat, fish & poultry.

Frenchies Brewery has bolstered its onsite team and launched its new production facility next door to its original outpost in Rosebery. Double the size, the new space provides an extra 300,000 litres of fermenting capacity.

Food-relief charity Eat Up has made its three millionth sandwich for children facing food insecurity at school, with the help of company partner Chobani. Eat Up currently supplies more than 20,000 free lunches to children in more than 720 schools across Australia each week.

Australian supply chain data provider, Escavox, has launched a new app designed for operators who work with fresh food and other perishable consignments in the cold chain.

Investment in agrifoodtech in Australia fell almost 25 per cent to US$317 million last year, but fared better than the APAC region, which dropped 58 points, a new report by agrifoodtech venture capital firm AgFunder found. Globally the fall was 44 per cent.

Cleaver’s Organic Meat is celebrating a number of recent industry accolades, including Silver at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show, and supplier recognition at the 2023 Meat Standards Australia (MSA) Excellence awards.

Handpicked Wines has settled its acquisition of House of Arras from Accolade Wines. Chief winemaker Ed Carr and the winery and vineyard teams at Pipers River will remain under the new ownership.

SPC Global says its capital raise is aimed at the local Goulburn Valley community to allow them to invest in a business deeply connected to the area. The target to raise is $15 to $20 million.

Dollar Sweets’ Fairy Bread Day is set for 24 November, with The Pyjama Foundation announced as the 2023 charity partner. Over the past three years, the initiative has raised over $85,000 for Australian youth.

Take a look at the stories that caught everyone’s attention on the Food & Drink Business website this week: Sara Lee enters voluntary administration; Foodbank’s annual Hunger Report spotlights cost of living pressures; wine tarriffs set for review; Providoor returns, and Fever Tree’s global mixer success.

WA food and beverage businesses connected with local, national and international buyers at the third annual Buy West Eat Best Meet the Buyer trade event, with a turnout of 80 exhibitors.

Victoria Bitter, VB, is saluting all the champs, weapons, old mates, and more with its new limited-edition stubby range. There are 60 nicknames being rolled out, inspired by Aussie worksites.