Herd Instinct

eID 2027

The NSW eID equipment rebate closes 31 August 2026

Published

The short version: if you’re a NSW sheep or goat producer with a PIC and an ABN, you can claim back 50% of the cost of a new handheld eID reader, up to $1,500 excluding GST. Applications close at 4pm on Monday 31 August 2026 — or earlier if the funding runs out.

What you can claim

The rebate covers 50% of the cost of eligible items, capped at $1,500 excluding GST. It applies to new handheld eID readers — stick or wand readers. Second-hand gear isn’t eligible.

Who’s eligible

To apply as a producer you need to:

  • have an Australian Business Number
  • operate as a sole trader, partnership, trust or private company
  • hold a NSW Property Identification Code
  • have an Australian bank account
  • not have received funding under a previous round of this scheme

You’ll also need to show you’re actively involved in the sheep and goat sector — tax returns, financial statements, or an Annual Stock and Land Return from 2024 or later.

Licensed NSW stock and station agents can apply too, using their agent licence instead of a PIC.

How to apply

Applications go through the program’s online portal, run on SmartyGrants. One application per applicant, so get the paperwork right the first time. Read the program guidelines before you start — the assessment criteria ask for proof the item has been paid for in full.

Find it via the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development website, under the Sheep and Goat eID Equipment Rebate Program.

Is a reader worth it if you’ve only got a few head?

Honest answer: it depends on whether you’ll use it.

A handheld reader saves real time if you’re moving stock through a race regularly, or if you’re selling enough that reading tags one at a time by eye gets old. For a dozen sheep that leave the property twice a year, you can type the numbers in and be fine.

But at half price, capped at $1,500, the maths is a lot friendlier than it will be after 31 August. If you were ever going to buy one, this is the window.

Don’t forget the other half

The reader scans the tag. It doesn’t keep the record. Once you’ve got individual numbers coming off every animal, you need somewhere for the treatments, movements and withholding periods to live — and that’s the part the rebate doesn’t cover.

Where to check

Confirm the current terms, closing date and eligibility on the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development website before applying. Programs close early when funding is exhausted.

General information only, current as at August 2026. Not advice.