UK Seafood Fund: Skills and Training Scheme

There is up to £10 million in funding available through the Skills and Training Scheme. The scheme will fund training projects for workers in the seafood and aquaculture industry, and recreational angling sector. This money will be split to allocate:

• up to £5 million for training courses and specialist equipment (round 1)
• up to £5 million for modernising and building training centres (round 2)

It’s a competitive scheme. To get funding, you must apply for a grant.

The Skills and Training Scheme is part of the UK Seafood Fund.

When to apply

Round 1 of the Skills and Training Scheme closed for applications on 12 October 2022.

Round 2 will open for applications in lateJanuary autumn 2022.2023.

If you have any questions about round 2, email uksfskillsandtraining@defra.gov.uk.

Who can apply

The following types of organisations can apply for this grant:

• public bodies (including trust ports, local authority ports and public charities)
• private small to medium-sized enterprises that have 2 of the following:
  • an annual turnover under £36 million
  • a balance sheet total under £18 million
  • no more than 250 employees
• private non-small to medium-sized enterprises that have 2 of the following:
  • an annual turnover above £36 million
  • a balance sheet total above £18 million
  • more than 250 employees
• fishermen’s associations
• private trusts, foundations or social enterprises
• trade associations
• officially recognised producer organisations set up by fishery or aquaculture producers

You can work with other eligible organisations to make a joint application.

You can apply for this scheme even if you have previously applied for other UK Seafood Fund schemes.

Round 1 projects and funding

Lots

Round 1 is separated into 2 lots. You can apply for one or both lots in the same application.

Lot 1 is for:

• developing new or existing training courses and qualifications
• running a pilot of the training course

You cannot use grant money to run the training courses.

Lot 2 is for funding for specialist equipment for new or existing training courses.

When you get the equipment you must test it to show how it will improve your training course.

Projects

We expect to fund projects that:

• improve access to training courses for workers, especially in coastal communities and remote locations
• develop and pilot new training courses
• offer recognised qualifications and certificates
• invest in new specialist equipment to improve training courses
• improve the skills of trainers who run training courses
• improve the learning experience for trainees
• encourage training providers and seafood employers to work more closely together
• improve the health, safety and wellbeing of workers

Duplicate funding

We will reject applications that ask for funding for projects that are already funded from another source.

Match funding

You need to provide match funding for your project. You must include evidence that you’ll provide match funding when you make your application.

The amount of match funding you need to provide will depend on the type of your organisation. The maximum amount of match funding as a percentage of total project cost is:

• 75% for public bodies and public charities
• 50% for private small to medium-sized enterprises
• 30% for non-private small to medium-sized enterprises
• 75% for private fishermen’s associations
• 75% for private producer organisations
• 50% for private charitable foundations

Your match funding must not be from another grant scheme.

How to apply

You must nominate a lead applicant to submit your application. They will receive the funding if your application is successful. They will also be responsible for running the project and reporting on its progress.

The lead applicant can only apply once (they can apply for lot 1 and lot 2 in the same application). They may be part of other applications but only as a consortium member, not the lead applicant.

The lead applicant must apply using Bravo, Defra’s e-Tendering system.

Find the opportunity listing for the Skills and Training Scheme on Bravo.

Read the Invitation to Apply (ITA) on Bravo. This provides complete information about the tendering process, including eligibility and assessment criteria.

Register on Bravo

1. Go to the Bravo website.

2. Select ‘Register now’.

3. Accept the conditions of the user agreement and select ‘Next’.

4. Enter your organisation and user details.

5. Make a note of the username you chose and select ‘Save’.

You’ll get an email with your unique password.

If you need help, email help@bravosolution.co.uk or telephone 0800 069 8630.

Correspondence and clarification sought by applicants will need to be submitted via Bravo.

Outcome of your application

Defra will not assess your application until after the closing date.

You’ll need to log in to Bravo to find out if your application has been successful.

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