Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking applications from organizations to co fund development or evaluation of technologies that improve the health and/or the performance of feedlot cattle.

Request for tender

SPECIFICATION:

Summary & Background:

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking applications from organizations to co fund development or evaluation of technologies that improve the health and/or the performance of feedlot cattle. This opportunity is a collaborative funding opportunity whereby MLA, via the MLA donor company can contribute up to 40% of the total project cost (not including project administration fees).

Project objectives:

Complete R&D in any of the following phases (dependent on maturity of product in its’ development lifecycle):

Phase 1. Discovery – Undertake R&D to develop, screen and evaluate technologies or products to improve health and/or performance of feedlot cattle.

Technologies or products may be (but not limited to) the following categories; small molecules, immune stimulants or modifiers, biopharmaceuticals/biotherapeutics (antibodies, peptides, bacteriophages), direct fed or administered microbials and vaccines.

Phase 2. Pre-formulation/formulation - undertake research in any of the following areas:

a. determination of chemical properties of the materials from Phase 1 which show promise.

b. This could include, but not limited to, assessment of solubility, pKa, molecular weight and structure, bulk density, melting point, moisture content, permeability, stability, particle characteristics, excipient compatibility.

c. Determine best dosage form and route of administration for the chemical properties of the materials evaluated.

d. Study the process of milling, drying, extrusion, spray drying (where relevant) or coating on particulate properties (stability, performance, solubilization and dispensability). Study the stability, storage conditions and shelf-life of pre-mixes/ feed (if applicable).

e. For biotherapeutics (vaccines, antibodies, proteins, peptides) – evaluate delivery devices, dosage forms, excipients, stabilizers, compatibility of ingredients, structure and molecular weight of molecule, impacts of freeze thawing, proteolysis, oxidation, microbial contamination.

f. Production capacity and scale up modelling

g. Ex-ante cost benefit analysis for commercial adoption

Phase 3. Safety and efficacy

a. This may include in-vitro and in-vivo trials of varying size and scale depending on the stage of development of the material(s).

b. Studies on absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion

c. Residue studies

d. Toxicological studies – genotoxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, teterogenicity

e. Target animal safety studies – provide animals with increasing concentrations of test item up to 10x dose.

f. Evaluate safety to the consumer of meat/milk/animal products

g. Evaluate safety of user of the test item.

h. Evaluate safety for the environment

i. Efficacy – evaluate efficacy in small pen challenge models for bovine respiratory disease

j. Effect on rumen microbiome

Phase 4. Confirmation small pen studies

a. Undertake confirmatory efficacy studies, with optimal dosage and formulations from Phase 2 & 3 in small scale research environments.

Phase 5. Feedlot cattle performance study

a. determine the effect of the product(s) on feedlot cattle performance and/or health by randomized block design trials in commercial setting.

b. ex-post cost-benefit analysis to determine the economic cost/benefit to implementation the feedlot industry.

c. The R&D should use a short or medium fed british, european, or crossbred (up to 50% bos indicus), single sex, cattle with similar HGP status. Noting that the same class and type of cattle need to be used for the duration of the project. Please specify the specifications of the market category that will be used for the project (breed, sex, implant category, average initial weight, days on feed, average final weight, average carcase weight).

d. Cattle procured for the research should be within a 50 kg initial weight spread (minimum to maximum). This is to decrease within and between pen variation upon randomisation of cattle to treatment.

e. If heifers are utilised they must be pregnancy tested and certified by a PREG-TEST Accredited veterinarian with certificates provided to MLA prior to trial commencement. Any animals treated with abortifacients must be identified for treatment allocation purposes.

f. As outlined above, appropriate replication should be outlined in the application to achieve power to detect treatment differences. Pen sizes (head numbers) are to be kept equivalent across experimental blocks.

g. Pens in each experimental block are to be at a similar pen cleaning status prior to trial commencement. Maximum cleaning interval of 70 days is required for all research pens.

h. Cattle within each block of the experiment should be slaughtered at the same days on feed. If slaughter occurs over a number of days equal numbers of cattle from each pen should be slaughtered.

i. The host feedlot must have appropriate infrastructure and equipment to prepare and supply a commercial feedlot ration in line with industry best practice, including the usage of ionphores. Please provide details of the feed preparation equipment and grain processing method used in the preliminary application and confirm that ionophores will be included in the ration.

j. The site will require scale breaks on the feed delivery truck to be have accuracy of +/- 0.1 kg/hd. For 100 head pens for example this would mean scale breaks of +/- 10 kg. For 50 head pen for example, this means scale breaks must be +/- 5 kg on feed truck scale indicators. For 10 head pens this would be scale breaks of +/- 1 kg. For single animals this would be scale breaks of +/- 0.1 kg/hd. Please indicate scale breaks on equipment used to weigh and deliver feed to animals.

k. The host feedlot must deliver the ration in bunks and manage the bunks in line with industry best practice bunk management. Please provide details in preliminary application.

l. The animals are to be managed in accordance with best practice for the Australian lot feeding industry.

Phase 5. Extension of the results of development of product to Australian lot feeding industry through presentations, articles and peer-reviewed publication of research results

.Applications and supporting documentation as requested in the RFT must be lodged electronically to tenders@mla.com.au