On behalf of Defra, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) are administrating the final round of the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS). Projects developing England’s catching, processing and aquaculture sectors, and those enhancing the marine environment can now apply to access the FaSS pot of £6 million match funding.

The funding is available for both new and existing projects and builds upon the £27 million already committed to more than 1,300 projects since 2021. Whilst the MMO will accept applications from smaller projects until 31 March 2025 or until all funding has been allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, however, projects valued at more than £150,000 will need to be submitted by the spring of 2024.

Activities successful applications will be able to invest in include in fishing crew health and safety equipment, vessel modification to improve energy efficiency, website development for groups or partnerships as well work to develop business diversification. Coastal groups and hand-and-pole fishers of under 10m vessels impacted by pollock fishery closures are encouraged to seek advice from the MMO to see how they can potentially grow new partnership working opportunities, with successful applications will be expedited bringing the application processing time down from eight weeks to four.

Credit: Marine Management Organisation

Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said:  “Our world-class fishing industry leads the way in making sure we offer the highest quality of seafood, support a multitude of highly skilled jobs and play a valuable role in ensuring our coastal communities thrive. 

This funding will help other projects and businesses to be more sustainable and resilient, enter new markets and improve our efforts to enhance and protect our precious marine environment.”  

To be eligible for this England domestic grant scheme applications must come from one of the following:

• An individual or business engaged within commercial or sea fishing, aquaculture or processing or an organisation or business engaged within recreational sea fishing;
• A public body or local authority in a local community that has a focus on fishing, aquaculture or processing activities (including trust ports and local authority ports, and public bodies, using funds for environmental improvements or the management of fisheries);
• A university or research institute;
• A new entrant to the industry or unemployed individual that could benefit from knowledge or skills in fishing, aquaculture or processing activities.

Applications can be submitted here.

Read more about this round of FaSS here.