Applicant guidance on funding to replace or modify engines for commercial fishing vessels (fleet modernisation)

Question 1

Section 1: Response particulars and conditions of application

Accepted Answer

Glossary

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and expressions used within this guidance shall have the following meanings (to be interpreted in the singular or plural as the context requires):

“Agreement” means the agreement (substantially in the terms and conditions template) to be entered into by the Authority and the applicant if the applicant’s application is successful.

“Administrator” means the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

“Applicant(s)” or “you” or “your” means the business or organisation(s) who submits a completed application in accordance with this guidance. You may employ an agent or consultant to help you complete your application form, but you must sign the form. You will be responsible for ensuring that all the terms and conditions of funding are fulfilled. Responsibility for the content of the application and any supporting information and documentation rests with you and cannot be transferred to your agent or consultant. This means that you will be expected to retain ownership of the work for which you are seeking funding.

“Application process” means the process by which applicants apply for support including completion of the application form on UK Fisheries Support System (UKFSS) and responses to the application questions. This is further explained in section 9 of the Statement of requirements.

“Application” means an applicant’s formal proposal in response to this guidance.

“Authority” or “we” means Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

“Branding Manual” means the ‘Funded by UK Government’ branding manual.

“Conditions of application” means the terms and conditions set out in this Guidance relating to the submission of an application.

“Conflict of interest” means an actual or potential conflict of interest on the part of the applicant in connection with this guidance or the Agreement.

“Devolved Administrations” or “DAs” means the legislatures and executives in Scotland (Marine Scotland), Wales (Marine and Fisheries Division, Welsh Government) and Northern Ireland (Department of Agriculture, Environmental and Rural Affairs).

“EIR” means the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (as amended) together with any guidance and/or codes of practice issued by the Information Commissioner or relevant government department in relation to those Regulations.

“FOIA” means the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (as amended) and any subordinate legislation made under such Act from time to time together with any guidance and/or codes of practice issued by the Information Commissioner or relevant government department in relation to that legislation.

“Grant recipient” means a successful applicant who subsequently receives funding from this scheme.

“The scheme” has the meaning given to it in Section 2: Statement of Requirements.

“Guidance” means this guidance and all related documents published by the Authority and made available to Applicants.

“NI” means Northern Ireland.

“Statement of requirements” means the requirements set out in Section 2.

“Terms and Conditions” means the terms and conditions of the agreement.

“Timetable” means the timetable for the application process set out in paragraph 11 of Section 1: Response particulars and conditions of application (as may be updated from time to time by the Authority).

“UK Fisheries Support System” or “UKFSS” means the system used by the Authority for conducting this application process.

References to a “Paragraph” or “Section” are references to a paragraph or section of this guidance.

Reference to a statute or statutory provision is a reference to such statute or statutory provision as amended or re-enacted. A reference to a statute or statutory provision includes any subordinate legislation made under that statute or statutory provision, as amended or re-enacted.

General

The Authority is looking to award grants through the UK Seafood Fund. This round will trial replacement engines and the modification of engines in commercial fishing vessels, to support the modernisation of the UK fleet. More detail can be found in Section 2: Statement of requirements.

2. You can access the application pack via the UK Seafood Fund webpage.

3. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will be acting as the Administrator for this round and will be the first point of contact for the applicant via the UK Fisheries Support System (UKFSS).

4. It is important that the applicant provides all the information asked for in the guidance in the order and format specified. Only applications verified as complete and compliant will be considered. Applicants will be assessed on a first come, first served basis.

5. You should read this guidance carefully before applying. The guidance sets out:

the timetable and process for the application
eligibility criteria
the administrative arrangements for the submission of applications
the information to allow you to submit a compliant application

6. You are responsible for ensuring you submit a complete and accurate application and that costs quoted are arithmetically correct.

7. You can apply from 17 July 2023 until midday GMT on 13 December 2024 or until the fund for the trial has been allocated, whichever happens first. Defra reserves the right to award funding that best reflects the strategic aims of the UKSF, taking into account project type, location and applicant. The Authority will make an announcement at least two weeks in advance of the round closing for applications. Applications received after midday GMT on 13 December 2024 may not be considered. If you experience any technical problems submitting your application to the UKFSS, you can contact the Administrator by calling 03300 416 579.

8. By applying, you agree to be bound by the terms of this guidance and accept the Terms and Conditions to this guidance. Failure to comply with the instructions set out in the guidance or the provision of false, inaccurate, or misleading information, may result in your exclusion from this application process.

9. The Authority may amend or withdraw all or any part of this guidance at any time. This could include by way of example amending the process for submitting applications or extending the deadline. You can sign up for alerts to notify you of any changes on the UK Seafood Fund webpage.

10. If there is any conflict between the information set out in the guidance and the information displayed in the UKFSS, the information set out in the guidance shall take precedence.

Proposed timetable

11. The timetable below is subject to change by the Authority. You will be informed of any changes to the timetable through signing up to alerts on the UKFSS UK Seafood Fund: Infrastructure Scheme webpage.

Application stage	Date (and time where applicable)
Applicants can contact the Administrator if they have questions about the application process	Up to 29 November 2024 (or until all funds for the trial are allocated)
Deadline for submission of applications	12:00 GMT 13 December 2024 (or until all funds for the trial are allocated)
Due diligence and eligibility checks	Will commence from receipt of a completed application
Funding end date	All engines must have been fitted and funding claimed by 31 March 2025

Submission of applications

12. You must complete all parts of the application in the UKFSS portal in accordance with the instructions on the UKFSS, and within Section 2: Statement of Requirements below. Failure to provide the information, or supply documentation required in the application will mean the application is not complete and will not be assessed.

13. To submit your application, you must also read and agree to the declarations in the application form.

14. The application and any documents accompanying it must be in English and submitted in accordance with this guidance. Costs must be submitted in pound sterling (£), inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.

15. The applicant must be the owner of the vessel. If the vessel has shared ownership, then you are required to provide confirmation that all owners support the application.

16. If your vessel has 2 engines, you can apply for the replacement or modification of both in one application. The match funding rates will apply per engine.

Clarifications and further support sought by applicants

17. You are responsible for ensuring that you understand the requirements for this application process. If any information is unclear, you can raise a query via the Ask a Question function through the UK Fisheries Support System. The Authority will not respond to communications made by other means.

18. To do this you must create an account through the UKFSS.

19. Any questions must be submitted no later than the deadline for clarifications set out in the timetable. The Authority shall be under no obligation to respond to queries raised after the clarification deadline.

20. The Authority will respond to all clarifications through the UKFSS and as quickly as possible but cannot guarantee a minimum response time. Subject to paragraph 21, and if relevant to other applicants, the Authority will share all clarifications through email updates, as and when necessary.

21. If you believe that a request for clarification is commercially sensitive or that publishing it would be detrimental to you, you should clearly state this when submitting the clarification request. However, if the Authority considers that:

the clarification is not commercially sensitive or confidential
all applicants may benefit from its disclosure

the Authority will inform you via the UKFSS, and you will have an opportunity to withdraw the request for clarification. If the request for clarification is not withdrawn within 48 hours of the notification, the clarification request and Authority’s response will be published to all applicants.

22. The Authority may not respond to a request for clarification or publish such a request where the Authority considers that the response may prejudice the Authority’s commercial interests or be contrary to public interest. In such circumstances, the Authority will inform you of its view.

23. If you require further guidance, you should request this through the Ask a Question service of the UKFSS where you can raise a new question and ask for pre-submission support. A member of the Administrator’s grant team will contact you to arrange a one-to-one call.

24. This support will only be available between 17 July 2023 and 13 December 2024 (or until all funds for the trial have been allocated) as outlined in the timetable above and can only be provided to applicants who have not yet submitted their application.

Changes to or the withdrawal of applications

25. You cannot change the details or request an increased amount of grant funding agreed in your Grant Funding Agreement. If you wish to change any details of your project or require an increase in your grant funding, you will need to make a new application.

26. You may withdraw your application at any time by contacting the Administrator. Unless withdrawn, applications shall remain valid and open to acceptance by the Authority in principle for 90 days from the deadline for applications.

27. The Authority will not consider applications received after the deadline except in exceptional circumstances at the Authority’s discretion. The Authority may also, at its own discretion, change the deadline and in such circumstances, the Authority will notify all applicants of any change via email. You can also be notified of any updates to the guidance by signing up to alerts on the UK Seafood Fund webpage.

Acceptance of applications

28. By issuing this guidance, communicating with you, the Authority shall not be bound to accept any application or award any of the funding for which applications are invited. The Authority reserves the right to withdraw or terminate funding at any time.

Costs of application

29. You shall bear your own costs and expenses incurred in the preparation and submission of your application, including the cost to submit the relevant forms to Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for approval.

30. The Authority will not be responsible or liable for those costs regardless of the outcome in relation to individual applications, even if the Authority amends or terminates funding.

Clarifications sought by the Authority

31. The Authority reserves the right (but is not obliged) to seek clarification of any aspect of an application and/or provide additional information during the evaluation phase to carry out a fair assessment. Failure to respond in a timely manner and/or to provide an adequate response to such a request may result in rejection of the application.

32. The contents of this guidance and of any other documents or information published or provided by the Authority in respect of this funding are provided on condition that they remain the property of the Authority and are kept confidential (save in so far as they are already in the public domain). You shall take all necessary precautions to ensure that they remain confidential and not disclosed, save as described below.

33. You may disclose information relating to the grant application process to your advisers and sub-contractors in the following circumstances:

disclosure is for the purpose of enabling an application to be submitted and the recipient of the information undertakes in writing to keep it confidential on the same terms as you, the applicant
the Authority gives prior consent to the disclosure
the disclosure is made for the purpose of obtaining legal advice in relation to the competition
you are legally required to disclose the information

34. No applicant will undertake any publicity activities with any part of the media in relation to this guidance without the prior agreement of the Authority, including agreement on the format and content of any publicity. For example, no statements may be made to the media regarding the nature of any application, its contents or any proposals relating to it without the prior written consent of the Authority.

35. All central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies are subject to control and reporting within the UK government. They report to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury for all expenditure. We may also be required as part of our transparency obligations to publish details of any grants awarded to successful application on publicly available databases.

36. The Authority may disclose within UK government any of your documents and information (including any that you consider confidential and/or commercially sensitive) provided in your application and throughout the evaluation of the project. The information will not be disclosed outside UK government during the application process. You consent to this disclosure as part of the application process.

Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations

37. In accordance with the obligations and duties placed upon public authorities by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), which provide a public right of access to information held by public bodies, the Authority may disclose information you have submitted as part of your application.

38. If you consider any information which you supply to be commercially sensitive or of a confidential nature, you should:

clearly identify such information as commercially sensitive
explain the potential implications of disclosure of such information
provide an estimate of the period during which the applicant believes that such information will remain commercially sensitive

39. The Authority will endeavour to maintain confidentiality of information identified by an applicant as being confidential in nature and/or commercially sensitive. Pursuant to a request for this information under FOIA and/or EIR, the Authority where practicable, will consult you before disclosure.

40. However, even where you identify information as being confidential or commercially sensitive, you acknowledge that there may be circumstances in which the Authority may be required to disclose such information in accordance with the FOIA or the EIR (in addition to any other transparency obligations). In particular, the Authority is required to form an independent judgment concerning whether the information is exempt from disclosure under the FOIA or the EIR and whether the public interest favours disclosure or not. Accordingly, the Authority cannot guarantee that any information marked “confidential” or “commercially sensitive” will not be disclosed and accepts no liability for any loss or prejudice caused by the disclosure of information.

41. If you receive a request for information relating to this competition under the FOIA or the EIR during the competition, this should be passed immediately on to the Authority and you should not attempt to answer the request without first consulting the Authority.

Disclaimers

42. Whilst the information in this guidance and any supporting information referred to herein or provided to applicants by the Authority have been prepared in good faith, the Authority does not warrant (expressly or impliedly) or represent that this information is comprehensive reasonable nor accurate, or that it has been independently verified.

43. Neither the Authority, Administrator nor its respective advisors, directors, officers, members, partners, employees, other staff or agents:

makes any representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the accuracy, reasonableness, or completeness of the guidance or of any other written or oral communication transmitted (or otherwise made available) to any applicant
accepts any liability for the information contained in the guidance or any other written or oral communication (including any communications via the UK Fisheries Support System) transmitted (or otherwise made available) to any applicant, or for the fairness, accuracy, or completeness of that information
shall be liable for any loss or damage (other than in respect of fraudulent misrepresentation or any other liability which cannot lawfully be excluded) arising because of reliance on such information or any subsequent communication

Any party considering entering into an agreement with the Authority following receipt of the guidance should make its own investigations and independent assessment of the Authority and its requirements and should seek its own professional financial and legal advice.

44. Neither the issue of the guidance nor any of the information presented in it should be regarded as a commitment or representation on the part of the Authority to enter into a grant funding agreement. Nothing in the guidance or in any other communication made between the Authority and any other party, should be interpreted as constituting an agreement or representation between the Authority and any other party (save for a formal award of grant funding) or as constituting an agreement or representation that grant funding shall be offered.

Applicant responsibilities

45. All installation and/or modification work undertaken by the applicant must meet MCA safety and stability requirements. Responsibility for any work undertaken which renders a vessel unstable or unsafe remains entirely with the owner of the vessel.

46. The project and any activities funded by this project must be in accordance with the United Kingdom fisheries legislation, including legislation retained in accordance with the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which require the landing of all catches as provided for in Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; provide for a catch certificate scheme in Chapter III of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008; and traceability requirements, including labelling systems to ensure reliable information for consumers, as provided for by Article 58 of the Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 and Article 67(6) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011.

Canvassing

47. Any applicant which directly or indirectly canvasses any officer, member, employee, or agent of the Authority or its members or any other relevant body or any of its officers or members concerning the agreement or this application process or who directly or indirectly obtains or attempts to obtain information from any such officer, member, employee, or agent concerning any other applicant, application or proposed application will be excluded from this competition and its application rejected.

48. You shall not contact any other employee, agent or consultant of the Authority who is in any way connected with the Project during this application process, unless instructed otherwise by the Authority.

Conflicts of interest

49. The concept of a conflict of interest includes any situation where relevant staff members of the Authority, involved in this grant application process have, directly or indirectly, a financial, economic, or other personal interest which might be perceived to compromise their impartiality and independence in the context of the grant application process and/or affect the integrity of the Grant Agreement.

50. Where you are aware of any circumstances giving rise to a conflict of interest or if you have any indication that a conflict of interest exists or may arise you should inform the Administrator of this as soon as possible (whether before or after submission of an application). You should remain alert to the possibility of conflicts of interest arising at all stages of the grant application process and you should update the Administrator if any new circumstances or information arises, or there are any changes to information already provided to the Administrator. Failure to do so, and/or to manage properly any conflicts of interest may result in rejection of an application.

Changes to an applicant’s circumstances

51. The Authority may:

reject an application where there is a change of identity, control, financial standing, or other factor which may affect the Authority’s evaluation of the application
revisit information contained in an application at any time to take account of subsequent changes to an applicant’s circumstances
at any point during the application process, require you to certify there has been no material change to information submitted in its application and in the absence of such certificate, reject the application

Question 2

Section 2: Statement of requirements

Accepted Answer

Background

52. This section outlines the Project Requirements for funding under this Grant: “Modernising the fleet through exploring replacement and modified engines in commercial fishing vessels”.

53. This round will trial replacement engines and the modification of engines to support the modernisation of the fleet. The fleet that are in balance (not targeting stocks that are at risk of being harvested unsustainably) with the fishing opportunities available to that segment, as determined by the Administrator’s Fleet capacity report, are eligible for this trial.

54. This funding round will be administered by the Marine Management Organisation (the Administrator), who will assess applications against the eligibility requirements. Final decisions about funding will be made by Defra.

55. The completion date for all funded projects is 31 March 2025. This means that projects must be complete, and all monies must be claimed by this date.

Modernising the fleet: objectives

56. The objectives of this round of funding are to:

provide the opportunity for new engine technologies to be tested by commercial fishing vessels
gain a better understanding of what blockers are preventing upgrading to more efficient and reliable engines
contribute to levelling-up to support and develop coastal communities
contribute to the government’s targets on Net Zero by investing in projects that aim to reduce fuel use and carbon emissions over time
gather data and evidence to inform how UK commercial vessels can become more sustainable and efficient, safer and more reliable, whilst using less fuel and emitting fewer greenhouse gas emissions

Who can apply

57. You can apply for funding for a new engine or the modification of an engine if you have a commercial fishing vessel which:

is registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and whose entry in the register specifies a port in the United Kingdom as the port to which the boat is to be treated as belonging
has a valid commercial fishing licence and is engaged in commercial fishing (you sell your catch)
belongs to a fleet segment which is in balance (not targeting stocks that are at risk of being harvested unsustainably) with the fishing opportunities available to that segment, as determined by the Administrator’s fleet capacity report

58. You must secure match funding to be eligible to receive a grant under this round, as set out in paragraphs 85-90.

59. The Administrator will check this as part of the eligibility assessment. Any application not adhering to the requirements above may be declined funded.

60. The following applicants will not be eligible to for funding through this scheme:

Applicants involved in recreational fishing (meaning not commercial fishing, as defined above)
Applicants who have been convicted of fraud under any fisheries scheme
Applicants who have been convicted of an offence that the MMO considers to be a ‘serious infringement or fraud’, in the 12 months before applying
Applicants who have committed a serious violation of conservation or management measures within the preceding 12 months
Applicants who are listed by the flag state, the subsidising party, the food and agricultural organisation (FAO) or a relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, or Arrangement for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in accordance with the rules and procedures of that state, party, organisation, or arrangement and in conformity with international law

Projects that can be funded

61. Until funding for the trial is exhausted, Defra expect to fund the replacement, modification and fitting costs of:

electric and hybrid engines for qualifying vessels, to replace petrol and diesel engines of any age
new petrol and diesel engines for qualifying vessels, to replace existing petrol and diesel engines manufactured before January 2016
modifications to a vessel that are required to install a new engine
engine modifications that reduce fuel use or emissions

62. Where eligible, the replacement or modified engine must have the same or less power than the existing one. Where engine restrictions have been placed on a licence, the same rules will apply to the new or modified engine. We will not fund new engines or any modifications that result in more power or that increase effort.

Projects that will not be funded

63. You cannot get funding for:

anything that negatively affect fish stocks that are in an overfished condition
activities that would negatively affect the exploitation of fish stocks
operations that increase the fishing capacity of a fishing vessel, or for equipment that increases the ability of a fishing vessel to find fish, except where they meet legitimate public policy goals, such as improved safety or sustainability
fishing for fish stocks managed by a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation or Arrangement to which the UK is not a member or cooperating non-member of the Organisation or Arrangement
fishing or fishing-related activities conducted without the permission of the flag state where required and, if operating in another state’s waters, without permission of that state
increasing the capacity of fish holds
carrying out exploratory fishing
pulse trawling
the same type of equipment for the same vessel if you have already received support through a publicly funded grant scheme

64. You should also be aware that if you are awarded a grant, there are some special conditions on the payment of and recoverability of grant funding as follows:

If you are an owner of a fishing vessel, or supporting one through your project, that vessel shall not be transferred outside the United Kingdom during at least the 5 years following the date of actual payment of that funding to you. If a vessel is transferred within that timeframe, sums unduly paid in respect of the project shall be recovered by the Authority, in an amount proportionate to the period during which the condition set out in the first sentence of this paragraph has not been fulfilled.
If you are an owner of a fishing vessel, or supporting one through your project, and the vessel is repurposed, sold or transferred within the United Kingdom during at least the 5 years following the date of actual payment of that funding to you, you must make the Administrator aware. If there is a new owner of the vessel, they must accept the terms and conditions of this offer of funding. If the new owner does not accept the terms and conditions of this offer of funding, then you as the applicant may be required to re-pay all or some of the funding paid to you.
All installation and/or modification work undertaken by the lead applicant must meet MCA safety and stability requirements, whether funded by the UKSF or otherwise. Responsibility for any work undertaken which renders a vessel unstable or unsafe remains entirely with the applicant.

Duplicate funding

65. Applicants will be required to declare if they have received, been awarded, or applied for funding from other sources including government and non-government financial support schemes for any part of their proposed project.

66. Defra will ask Devolved Administrations and the Administrator to verify that proposals are not already funded through other publicly funded grant schemes. Applications will be rejected if a proposal duplicates funding already in place via another source.

What you need to do before you apply to UKSF

67. Before you apply for the UKSF, you must contact a Marine Office, preferably your local office, to get advice about your project and possible implications for the safety and stability for your vessel and so you are aware of the forms you will need to submit to the MCA.

68. You must submit the relevant forms to MCA for approval, which may include a cost. You cannot claim this money back as part of your UKSF application.

69. You are required to upload a copy of email confirmation that you have engaged with MCA as part of the online application process.

What to include in your application

Part One – Registration on UKFSS

70. You must register and start an application on the UKFSS. All online fields and pages must be completed, and the documents requested below must be uploaded before you submit your Application. Please read the information on the UK Seafood Fund: Infrastructure Scheme webpage before applying.

Part Two – Application form

71. You must complete the application form and upload it and any supporting evidence to your application at page 10 in your UKFSS account. You must confirm that you:

are engaged in commercial fishing, by uploading a copy of a valid licence and confirmation that you sell your catch
comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 by providing a modern slavery statement (if you have an annual turnover of £36 million or more) and, if available, a Modern Slavery policy
have, or can commit to obtain, prior to the commencement of the approved project, the levels of insurance cover required by the country you are based in and operating within to deliver your proposed project by law
have a Health and Safety Policy that complies with current legislative requirements and that the staff understand and adhere to
Have engaged with the MCA by providing email confirmation and that you agree to submit all the relevant forms required by the MCA for your project

Costs

73. While the overall total cost of your project may be significantly higher than our caps in paragraphs 88-89, please be aware that the most we will fund towards any electric or hybrid engine is £160,000 and the most we will fund towards any petrol or diesel engine is £80,000.

74. Requests for funding outside of these thresholds will not be considered.

75. The round will not fund activities already carried out or items already purchased. Only work taking place or items purchased after the grant agreement is issued and in effect (the commencement date) are eligible to be funded through this grant.

‘Funded by UK Government’ branding

76. If your application is successful, and if applicable in making any published reference to this scheme, you will be required to follow the ‘Funded by the UK Government’ branding manual at all times during and following the end of the Funding Period.

Quotes

77. To support your application you must provide quotes for all goods and services that are part of your project to verify the costs and to demonstrate value for money.

78. Individual items with a value (excluding VAT) of:

up to and including £1,500 one quote is required
over £1,500 and up to and including £5,000, two quotes required
over £5,000 and up to and including £60,000, three quotes required
over £60,000, at least three quotes or evidence of tender including:
- a detailed specification of the works to be undertaken
- evidence of the scoring used to select the company
- a suitable rationale for the decision to select the chosen company
- the full winning tender submission

If you are unable to provide the minimum number of quotes or tenders, your application should explain why, and you should speak to the MMO for advice. You can contact the MMO by calling 03300 416 579.

79. Quotes supplied must include:

a detailed and itemised breakdown of costs
the supplier’s address, phone number and a contact name
the supplier’s VAT number, if they are VAT registered and they have included VAT on the quote
the supplier’s company registration number, if they are a limited company
date of quote

80. Quotes should be provided in one of the following formats:

email quotes that show the email trail (where applicable) from supplier to applicant
a scanned copy of the original signed quote
electronic copies/scanned images of publicly accessible catalogues or websites which contain the specification of the item

81. The quotes and tenders you submit must:

come from suppliers that trade independently of each other and do not share any ownership
come from companies that are independent of yourself, and not from suppliers that you are related to or that your business is linked to
be from the last 3 months and be valid
be comparable in terms of the quality, size, quantity and type of product if you are using multiple quotes to show you will get value for money when buying a product

82. You must make sure that the companies who quote for items or services for your project know that it is being submitted as part of an application for funding under the scheme. They must consent to their information being shared as part of your application.

83. Any financial data provided must be submitted in pound sterling (£), inclusive of irrecoverable VAT. Where official documents include financial data in a foreign currency, a sterling equivalent must be provided, calculated at the exchange rate at the time you submit the application.

84. The total project cost template sets out the minimum cost information required for the Application. The Administrator will provide this after an application has been processed.

Match funding

85. You must secure match funding to be eligible to receive a grant under this round.

86. Evidence of this match funding commitment is required as part of the online application. This is expected to be in the form of a letter from the contributor confirming their intent to provide the stated amount, signed by persons authorised to do so.

87. Match funding must be in the form of a fiscal contribution. In-kind contributions, such as staff time, assets, or the use of existing equipment, is not considered to be match funding. You may wish to seek independent financial advice before committing any private resources.

88. The level of match funding provided by you will depend on the engine being fitted. You can apply for a maximum of 90% of the costs, up to a maximum of £160,000, for:

an electric or hybrid engine
modifications to allow hydrotreated vegetable oil to be used as a fuel source

Note: A reduction of at least 30% emissions is required for those engines being modified to use hydrotreated vegetable oil, to align with the reduction in emissions expected from hybrid engines. You will need to provide evidence of this.

89. For a diesel or petrol engine, you can apply for a maximum of 50% of the costs, up to a maximum of £80,000.

90. If your vessel is a catamaran and has two engines, you can apply for both under the same application and the maximum rates set out above will apply per engine.

91. If you want to apply for more than one project in round 3, contact MMO before applying.

Subsidies

92. Payments under this scheme are subject to relevant subsidy control principles where applicable including the Subsidy Control Act, the World Trade Organization Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and Article 10(2) of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

93. For further information about subsidies please visit the following links:

Guidance on the UK’s international subsidy control commitments
Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
Decision of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee on agricultural subsidies

94. All awards given under this scheme will comply with the Subsidy Control Act, as demonstrated by the assessment done against the scheme.

95. Any awards will be uploaded to the Subsidy Control Database within 3 months of the grant being given. The name of the recipient, a unique identification number (charity number, VAT number or company registration number) the size of the business and the region that the recipient is based will be uploaded, alongside the policy rationale and purpose of the subsidy. Recipients will need to agree for this information to be made public for transparency purposes.

96. Subsidies will not be granted under this scheme:

for fishing that negatively affect fish stocks that are in an overfished condition
for the transfer of fishing vessels from England to other states, including through the creation of joint enterprises
for operations that increase the fishing capacity of a fishing vessel, or for equipment that increases the ability of a fishing vessel to find fish, except where they meet legitimate public policy goals such as improved safety or sustainability
for fishing for fish stocks managed by a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation or Arrangement to which the UK is not a member or cooperating non-member of the Organisation or Arrangement
for fishing or fishing-related activities conducted without the permission of the flag state where required and, if operating in another state’s waters, without permission of that State
to any fishing vessel or operator while listed by the flag state, the subsidising party, the FAO or a relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, or Arrangement for IUU fishing in accordance with the rules and procedures of that state, party, organisation, or arrangement and in conformity with international law; or to any vessel or operator that has been found to have committed a serious violation of conservation or management measures within the preceding 12 months

97. The scheme will be overseen by Defra’s Marine and Fisheries Funding Governance structure.

Question 3

Section 3: Assessment of applications

Accepted Answer

Assessment

98. Once you have submitted your application via the UK Fisheries Support System and uploaded all required documents, your application will be assessed on a first come first served basis.

99. The application will only be considered complete and placed in line for assessment, when all the necessary elements have been received by the Administrator. Any missing information identified must be provided within the specific time frame set out by the Administrator when requested.

100. The application form can be accessed through the UK Seafood Fund webpage. We will assess your applications to make sure:

required sections of the application have been completed and that the correct information has been provided
application passes the general eligibility checks, financial checks, and the questions in the application form, which operate on a pass/fail basis

101. If you and/or your applications fail any of the questions or if information requested is not provided, your application will be deemed ineligible. You must answer all the following questions in the application form:

Applicant information
Current vessel information
MCA requirements
New or modified engine information
Reporting requirements
Grounds for exclusion
Economic and financial standing
Conflict of interest
Compliance requirements
Other related grants and grant funding applications
Terms of Agreement
Declaration
Privacy Notice
Additional notes

102. We will check all applications for fraudulent information as part of our standard due diligence responsibilities. Defra, the MMO and MCA will work together to ensure the relevant checks, advice and paperwork has been completed.

103. You must declare what, if any, government funding you have received in connection with the proposed project.

Notification of award

104. The Authority will notify successful and unsuccessful applicants via the UKFSS of the outcome of their application.

If successful

105. You will receive a Grant Funding Agreement to enter into and will agree the commencement and claim date with the Administrator in accordance with the timeframes set out in your Application.

If unsuccessful

106. If your application is unsuccessful, you will be notified by email. You can make a complaint if you believe an administrative or factual error was made in the way your application was handled. Please provide any evidence you have of the error. Any complaints should be submitted via the Ask a Question page on the UKFSS.

107. An unsuccessful application does not prevent you, as a vessel owner, applying to the scheme again in this round (or in another round if offered).

Claiming for your funding

108. All funding will need to be claimed in arrears and prior to 31 March 2025. Claims can only be made once costs have been incurred and the related works completed. To support a claim the applicant will need to submit:

original dated invoices showing the amount of money paid for each product or service (email invoices can be accepted but they must show the email trail from the supplier to you)
proof of payment (this should be a bank statement clearly showing the transaction between your bank account and the supplier - any unrelated transactions can be redacted) - payment for items made from a bank account not connected to you will not be acceptable
a letter or email of acceptance from MCA (if required) to demonstrate that you can install a new engine on your vessel or make the modifications to an existing engine

109. A site visit may be arranged prior or post the claim process. These will be randomly selected.

110. We may decline to pay all or part of the funding if the information on the invoices is believed to be inaccurate, or if the products or services in the claim do not match what was approved in your grant award.

111. No grant funding will be paid out for work or activities purchased before the funding start date which will be taken as the commencement date of the grant agreement.

Question 4

Section 4: Applicant monitoring and evaluation of projects

Accepted Answer

Evaluation

112. The grant recipient will be required to engage in monitoring and evaluation of the project.

113. While you are waiting for your modifications to be made or new engine to be fitted, you agree to record the following each month:

your fuel consumption in litres used and cost per month
distance covered in your vessel each month (and where possible IVMS data)
landings data
turnover

114. Once the modifications have been made, or new engine is fitted, you agree to record the following each month for a minimum of 12 months:

your fuel consumption in litres used and cost per month
distance covered in your vessel each month (and where possible IVMS data)
landings data
turnover

115. You will be asked to fill in online surveys and we will ask you to undertake a minimum of 2 interviews to talk about your experience of the scheme. Failure to supply the information requested within a reasonable time period, as agreed between you and the Authority, could lead to cancellation or reduction of the funding awarded, or a requirement to repay funds already paid.

116. You must retain all original project-related documents for 5 years from the date of the final payment. At any time up to that date auditors may wish to inspect any or all original documentation, including, amongst other things, order forms and delivery notes for equipment; estimates and quotations; statements and invoices; relevant books of account; drawings, plans and technical specifications. You are required, if requested, to permit access to the vessel during this time.

117. By applying to the scheme, you agree that the information you provide in your application may be used by the Authority or its contractors to evaluate the scheme and anonymised, non-personal data and information about your project shared with other government departments to further policy development to modernise the fleet and to support decarbonisation.

118. For further information on how your application information will be used please see the scheme Privacy Notice.

Further assistance

119. For any further assistance consult the user guide video or ‘Ask a Question’ service on the UKFSS. For any technical issues you can contact the Administrator’s grants team by calling 03300 416 579.

Question 5

Section 5: Application Documents

Accepted Answer

Application form

Terms and conditions template

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