Charting a course to success: The SIF application process

You’ve got an innovative R&D idea to boost the UK seafood sector? Brilliant! We want to see it. All ideas are welcome, and we’re particularly keen on innovative technologies aimed at:

• Sustainable seafood production.
• Increasing seafood productivity.
• Increasing seafood sustainability.
• Strengthening the evidence base for sustainable fisheries management.

The SIF application process in an oystershell

1. Register on the BRAVO procurement portal.

2. Download the application pack from BRAVO.

3. Review the guidance, including the eligibility criteria (in the pack) and the assessment criteria

• Remember, Call 4 is uncapped – there is no minimum or maximum amount you can ask for, although the requested amount must:
  • Be realistic for an 18-month R&D project
  • Provide value for money.
  • Be justifiable against the anticipated benefits of the project

4. Submit your proposal.

5. Give yourself a pat on the back for submitting!

6. Three independent assessors will review your proposal, based on the assessment criteria. The assessors will be independent experts from the seafood, technology or engineering sector.

7. Applications and the assessments of these will be presented to the UK Seafood Innovation Fund Steering Group, who will review them and agree the list of proposals to be recommended for award.

8. The UK Seafood Innovation Fund Executive Board will review the recommendations and make the final decision about which proposals to award funding to.

9. You’ll be notified of the outcome around 3 months after the application deadline, along with summary feedback on the funding decision.

• If your application is not successful, and you believe this is due to a factual, legal, or processing error, you can appeal within 28 days of the date of the outcome letter.

10. If your application is successful – congratulations! 

• You’ll receive a 30% upfront payment once you’ve signed the contract. We’ll agree a payment schedule for the rest of the funding, in-line with the delivery of specified project milestones.

What about Intellectual Property (IP) for successful proposals?

You will retain intellectual property (IP) rights for your idea. However, given that we are looking to fund scalable innovations (see the ‘Uptake and commercial potential’ criterion under our Assessment Criteria), we may apply need to certain rights of usage including:

• Royalty-free, non-exclusive licence rights – these allow others in the seafood industry to implement the innovation.
• The right to require licences to third parties, at a fair market price – so that the innovation is accessible to others in the seafood industry.

Full details of ownership of and rights to IP are covered in our standard contract, which you can download along with other application materials from the BRAVO portal. 

Still have questions on any aspect of the application or funding process? Here’s our full list of FAQs!