The latest round of the UK Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) has launched today, providing £3 million of additional funding to support cutting-edge solutions that disrupt the status quo and help address challenges across the UK seafood sector.
Taking the total funding made available under the scheme to £19 million, the latest round will support even more pioneering research that tests new ideas and approaches to provide long-term, practical, and scalable benefits to the seafood industry.
Open to innovators across fisheries, aquaculture and the seafood supply chain, funding will be provided for up to 18 months and there is no cap on the amount an applicant can apply for, although a strong emphasis on value for money must be demonstrated in the proposal.
Part of the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, SIF launched in 2019 and has since supported almost 100 projects across the UK, spanning aquaculture, capture fisheries, and the seafood supply chain. Previous projects have pushed the boundaries of new technologies, and have investigated consumer habits, market gaps, animal welfare issues, and the circular economy. For instance, InsPro Ltd have trialled the process of feeding farmed fish with insects raised on local food waste, while Hook Marine Ltd aims to improve fisher safety by field-testing a system that alerts fishing crew when their vessel is at risk of capsizing.
Another of SIF’s high-profile projects, led by Fishtek Marine and best known as “Scallop Discos”, recently worked to refine a novel and low-impact method to catch scallops using illuminated pots. Dr. Rob Enever, Head of Science and Uptake at Fishtek, said: “Without doubt, the Seafood Innovation Fund was responsible for a new scientific discovery. The fund continues to facilitate the research investigating the potential for a new, low impact fishery for scallops.”
In Round 4, SIF is looking to further diversify the range of work funded. The Fund welcomes applicants and collaborations from across the UK that draw together knowledge from the seafood sector and beyond, and apply novel solutions to sustainability challenges. SIF is keen to see ideas aimed at benefiting capture fisheries or the supply chain, as well as aquaculture and other parts of the sector.
Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena said:
“Britain has a brilliant fishing and aquaculture industry, and we are backing their cutting-edge ideas in order to help the British economy to grow.
“Through the £100m ‘UK Seafood Fund’ we are funding ambitious projects using the latest science and technology to unlock potential across the seafood sector and supply chain.”
Defra Minister Mark Spencer said:
“The additional £3 million we are making available through the Seafood Innovation Fund today is about giving the seafood industry a boost and laying the groundwork for its success in the future.
“I encourage fishermen, businesses and experts from across the sector to come forward and apply to help secure our seafood industry for generations to come.”
Heather Jones, CEO of the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), sits on the Seafood Innovation Fund steering group, and provides input and guidance on aquaculture innovation. Speaking on the launch of Call 4, Heather said:
“Building on the success of previous rounds, SIF is again inviting innovative applied solutions to boost the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the UK’s seafood sector. Applications that address the commercial needs faced by those seeking to farm the seas responsibly, those operating in sustainable wild-caught fisheries, and those who can see ways to improve seafood product quality and shelf-life are warmly welcomed from all quarters of the UK.”
Call 4 opens on 21st September 2022, and the Fund will accept applications until midday on 7th December 2022. For more information on how to apply, visit the SIF website: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply/.
Project teams are also being offered the opportunity to submit their innovative idea for feedback (in advance of a full application) via an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, up until 31st October 2022. The form can be found at: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply-now/">https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply-now/
For more information on previously funded projects, and those that have received follow-on funding, visit the fund’s website: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/projects/.