UK Seafood Fund: Infrastructure Scheme (Round 2)

Deadline: 3-Feb-23

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Marine Management Organisation is seeking applications for the Round 2 of Infrastructure Scheme under UK Seafood Fund.

The Infrastructure Scheme aims to invest at least £65 million into infrastructure projects over 3 years. It will be administered by the Marine Management Organisation (the Administrator) however the evaluation of grant applications and final decisions about funding will be made by Defra. The Scheme intends to strengthen the seafood supply chain through investment in infrastructure projects. The scheme will bring social and economic benefits, while reducing the seafood industry’s impact on the environment.

Objectives

The objectives of round 2 of the Infrastructure Scheme are to:

• Boost industry capability at ports, harbours and across processing and aquaculture and other onshore facilities to sustainably land, process and add value to produce
• Contribute to levelling-up to support and develop coastal communities
• Contribute to the Government’s targets on Net Zero by investing in infrastructure projects that aim to offset carbon emissions over time

Funding Information

• You can request between £150,000 and £5 million funding as the Infrastructure Scheme contribution to your project. While the overall total cost of your project may be significantly higher than their cap, please be aware that the most they will fund any project in round 2, is £5 million.
• Duration: The completion date for round 2 and all future rounds of the Infrastructure scheme is 31 March 2025. This means that projects must be complete and all monies must be spent by this date.

Eligible Projects

• capability at ports and harbours and onshore
• processing facilities
• aquaculture capability
• the use of renewable energy in the above
• the social and economic welfare of coastal communities

Eligibility Criteria

You can apply for funding for projects at ports, harbours and onshore, for processing facilities and in aquaculture if you are one of the following:

• a public body (including local authority ports and public charities).
• a private SME (business or company that meets 2 or more of the following requirements: an annual turnover under £36 million, a balance sheet total under £18 million and/or no more than 250 employees).
• a private non-SME (a large business or company has 2 or more of the following requirements: an annual turnover above £36 million, a balance sheet total above £18 million and/or more than 250 employees).
• a fisherman’s association is an organisation that acts to safeguard fishermen’s rights and interests, enhance fishermen’s knowledge and skills, increase fishermen’s profits from production, improve fishermen’s livelihood, promote the modernisation of fisheries and seek development of fisheries.
• a private trust and foundation
• a trade association (an organisation founded and funded by businesses that operate in the processing, aquaculture or commercial fishing industry)
• an officially recognised producer organisation.
• a trust port

For more information, visit Marine Management Organisation.