Application Deadline: 15 September 2026 at 24:00
Application Period: 1 August 2026 – 15 September 2026
Funding Year: 2027/2028
Sector: Agriculture
Provider: AgriSETA
Opportunity Type: Discretionary Grant Funding
Who Can Apply: Eligible organisations, employers, institutions and training providers
Location: South Africa
IMPORTANT: This is an organisational funding opportunity. Individual applications will not be considered.
About the AgriSETA Discretionary Grants
The Agriculture Sector Education and Training Authority (AgriSETA) is inviting eligible stakeholders within the agricultural sector to apply for Discretionary Grant funding for the 2027/2028 financial year.
The funding is intended to address skills needs identified through the Agricultural Sector Skills Plan and other national and agricultural-sector priorities, while improving the supply of qualified and competent workers in the sector.
Important: This is not an individual bursary application. AgriSETA states that individual applications will not be considered.
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants include:
- Levy-paying employers
- Non-levy-paying employers
- NGOs
- Community-Based Organisations (CBOs)
- Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs)
- Cooperatives
- TVET Colleges
- Accredited Training Providers
- Agricultural Colleges
- Universities
- Universities of Technology
- SMMEs
- Community Education and Training Colleges (CETs)
- Agricultural trade unions/federations
- Companies
- Land Reform beneficiaries
- Small BEE companies
Programmes Covered
AgriSETA’s 2027/2028 Discretionary Grant window includes:
- Internships / Work Integrated Learning (WIL)
- Graduate Placement Programmes
- Bursaries
- Learnerships 18.1 for employed learners
- Learnerships 18.2 for unemployed learners
- Skills Programmes 18.1 for employed learners
- Skills Programmes 18.2 for unemployed learners
- Skills Programmes for seasonal workers
- Artisan Development Programmes
- Skills Programmes for persons living with disabilities
- Skills Programmes for Land Reform Beneficiaries
- Rural Structures / Mentorship
- Commodity Organisations
- Partnership proposals
Bursary Funding
For the bursary intervention, AgriSETA states that agriculture-related qualifications will be supported for unemployed learners, while levy-paying companies may apply for other qualifications aligned with the sector priority occupations.
Funding is generally from NQF Level 6 upwards, with an exception for NATED courses offered by public TVET and agricultural TVET colleges.
The stated bursary value is up to R70,800 per learner for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. First-year learners are encouraged to apply.
Internship / WIL Funding
The internship funding is intended for learners who require practical workplace experience to complete a qualification from a TVET or agricultural TVET college.
The document states:
- University of Technology and Agricultural College learners: R60,000 per learner, up to 12 months
- N6 TVET learners: R90,000 per learner for 18 months
- Learners who have previously participated in an internship/WIL programme will not be funded.
Graduate Placement
Graduate placements will prioritise graduates from agricultural or public TVET colleges, universities and other qualifying institutions who require workplace experience to improve their employment or self-employment prospects.
- Duration: 12 months
- Funding: R60,000 per learner
Learnerships
AgriSETA is accepting applications for both:
18.1 Learnerships – Employed
- Email: 2027LSE@agriseta.co.za
- Grant value stated: R30,000 per learner
18.2 Learnerships – Unemployed
- Email: 2027LSU@agriseta.co.za
- Grant value stated: R30,000 per learner
- Learner stipend: R24,000 for 8 months, equivalent to R3,000 per month.
Artisan Development
Only AgriSETA workplace-approved employers seeking to enrol learners in trades are eligible to apply for Artisan Development funding.
The document states funding of R206,290 per learner for a minimum of three years for the contracted intervention.
ARPL funding is stated as:
- Employed: R35,000 for one year
- Unemployed: R55,000 for one year
Application Period
Applications opened on:
1 August 2026
Applications close on:
15 September 2026 at 24:00
Late applications will not be considered. AgriSETA also states that only fully completed applications with the required supporting documentation will be considered.
Important Application Requirements
Applicants should carefully follow the requirements for their specific intervention.
The document lists requirements including:
- Company registration documents
- Proof of accreditation or programme approval
- Valid SARS Tax Clearance Certificate or Tax Compliance Status PIN
- Current Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR), where applicable
- EMP 201 form for employers
- Selection of interventions from the 2027/2028 Sectoral Priority Occupations list
Application Emails
Different programmes have designated email addresses.
Internships/WIL: 2027INT@agriseta.co.za
Graduate Placement: 2027GP@agriseta.co.za
Bursaries: 2027BU@agriseta.co.za
Learnerships 18.1: 2027LSE@agriseta.co.za
Skills Programmes 18.1: 2027SPE@agriseta.co.za
Seasonal Workers: 2027SW@agriseta.co.za
Artisan Development: 2027ART@agriseta.co.za
Learnerships 18.2: 2027LSU@agriseta.co.za
Skills Programmes 18.2: 2027SPU@agriseta.co.za
Persons with Disabilities: 2027PWD@agriseta.co.za
Land Reform Beneficiaries: 2027LRB@agriseta.co.za
Rural Structures/Mentorship: 2027SRS@agriseta.co.za
Commodity Organisations: 2027COMM@agriseta.co.za
Where I recommend putting it on NextStepZA
For your website, I would make this a main opportunity/article, rather than trying to squeeze it into your ordinary student bursary listings.
Primary category:
Funding Opportunities / Grants
Secondary categories or tags:
- AgriSETA
- Discretionary Grants
- Agriculture
- Bursaries
- Learnerships
- Internships
- WIL
- Graduate Placements
- Artisan Development
- Skills Programmes
- Training Providers
- 2027/2028