The fourth round of SIF funding – Call 4 – is now open for applications! We’re looking for ideas from innovators from across the country which could help to steer the UK seafood sector into a more sustainable and productive future.
Call 4 will fund Research and Development projects for up to eighteen months that test new ideas or approaches intended to provide long-term, practical, and scalable benefits to the seafood industry. This time, there is no cap on the amount of funding you can apply for – but we expect every application to be able to make a strong case for the project’s value for money.
Since we started the Fund in 2019, we’ve supported 94 projects across the UK, spanning aquaculture, capture fisheries, and the seafood supply chain. Previous projects have pushed the boundaries of new technologies including vessel stability monitoring, upcycling of chitin from shellfish waste, and ageing of wild lobsters, and have investigated consumer habits, market gaps, animal welfare issues, and the circular economy. In Call 4, we’re particularly keen to widen our net and fund an even greater diversity of projects – including those aimed at benefitting capture fisheries or the supply chain, as well as aquaculture and other parts of the sector. Ideas from Northern Ireland, Wales, and all other regions are encouraged. Our press release for the launch of Call 4 can be found here.
You can apply to Call 4 up until midday on 7th December 2022. We’ve summarised the application process here.
Apply at https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply-now/
Good luck!