Applications are open for a fourth round of funding from the UK Seafood Innovation Fund.
This comes under UK government’s £100m UK Seafood Fund, designed to continue to champion a sustainable future for the seafood sector by seeking ideas from innovators looking to introduce novel and practical solutions for the industry.
The latest round of the UK Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) has been launched, providing £3 million of additional funding and taking the total funding made available under the scheme to £19 million.This 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.
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.
‘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,’ Heather Jones said.
‘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.’
SIF launched in 2019 and has since supported almost a hundred 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.
InsPro Ltd have trialled the process of feeding farmed fish with insects raised on local food waste, while Hook Marine Ltd aims to improve safety at sea by field-testing a system that alerts crew when their vessel is at risk of capsize.
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.
‘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,’ commented Dr. Rob Enever, Head of Science and Uptake at Fishtek.
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.
The Fund will accept applications until midday on 7th December 2022. For more information on how to apply, visit the SIF website
