The Marine Fund Scotland open for applications

The Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) is now open for applications for the 2024-25 financial year.  The deadline for applications to the first round of MFS for 2024-25 is 9 May 2024, and applicants are asked to ensure that they have their application and supporting documentation submitted by this date.

The Marine Fund Scotland for 2024-25 is focused on supporting projects that deliver outcomes relating to Scotland’s Blue Economy Vision, which was published on 31 March 2022.

The Marine Fund Scotland is a relatively small fund and where possible Marine Scotland seek to use it strategically to deliver wider benefits. Applications for projects that demonstrate wider collective benefit (e.g. positive outcomes for communities) over and above, or at least in addition to, benefits for an individual organisation, business or person, are more likely to be successful.

If there are funds remaining, after the first round is awarded, Marine Scotland will hold a further round later in the year.

The application and scheme guidance has been updated for the 2024-25 scheme, please read the guidance before making an application.  This year there is additional eligibility criteria in 2024-25 for applications from the fishing industry.

Providing that the project falls within the scope of Scottish Ministers’ grant making powers as set out in these General Guidance notes, potentially relevant applications might come from (but are not limited to) the following sectors and groups:

• commercial fishing, including ‘young fishers’
• recreational fishing
• aquaculture
• seafood processing (including processing aquaculture organisms[8]) and marketing
• seafood supply chain
• relevant operations at ports and harbours
• research and development (including scientific and research bodies)
• those innovating for the benefit of the marine space for the purposes of developing commercial fish or aquaculture activities or conserving, enhancing or restoring the marine and aquatic environment
• those delivering protection and enhancement of the marine and aquatic environment
• relevant co-operatives
• community initiatives - including beach cleans, events and education (within the specific purposes of the Fisheries Act 2020).
• statutory bodies charged with protecting and improving recreational salmon and sea trout fisheries (District Salmon Fishery Boards and their associated Trusts)

The above list is not exhaustive and the inclusion of a group or sector in the above list does not guarantee an offer of grant funding from the Marine Fund Scotland.

Full details can be found here