GovWire

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has reopened the scheme for a limited amount of funding.

New applications for projects with a value of 50,000 or over are invited in the following selected areas:

• Article 69 Processing of fishery and aquaculture products

• Article 48 Productive investments in aquaculture

• Article 43.1 Fishing ports, landing sites, auction halls and shelters.

The scheme has a strict final end date of 31 December 2023.

The MMO will hold a panel to consider applications for projects costing 100,000 and over. Details of this will be published in due course.

If you have a project idea that can complete within the required timeframe, but is in an area not listed above, or is less than 50,000 in value please contact the MMO Grants Team for more information.

All payments must be made by 31 December 2023. Any projects that cannot complete by this date will not be eligible for funding in this scheme.

EMFF assessment panel for applications over 100,000

100,000The MMO will be holding panels to consider EMFF applications for projects costing 100,000 and over. The panels will meet on the following dates. Any project applications costing 100,000 and over received after the dates shown below will not be considered at that panel. Applications of less than 100,000 will continue to be assessed on a regular basis and are not affected by these deadlines.

The 2018 panel dates are as follows:

The first panel will be held on 21 March 2018. Applicants are asked to ensure their applications reach the MMO by 19 January 2018.

A second panel will take place on 13 June 2018 with a deadline for applications of 13 April 2018.

A third panel will convene on 5 September 2018 with an application deadline of 30 June 2018.

A final panel will take place on 21 November 2018 with an application deadline of 14 September 2018.

Eligibility

There are different eligibility requirements depending on who you are and what project you are applying for. In general, to qualify for EMFF funds your project needs to support the overall aims of the EMFF which are to:

• make the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more sustainable
• conservation of the marine environment
• support growth and jobs in coastal communities

Projects that dont support the aims wont be eligible for support. These themes are broad so if you are unsure contact the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for details. For more details about eligibility, see the guidance notes for the application type that is relevant to your project.

If your project has already been supported with funds from another source (such as another public body), you may not be eligible for full EMFF funding support.

You cannot start your project before you receive confirmation that we have received your application. You can start your project after you receive this confirmation, but this is at your own risk. If your application is not approved, any costs you pay will not be eligible to be claimed.

Certain applicants are not eligible to apply for funding under the EMFF scheme.

If you have committed and been convicted of a serious infringement in the 12 months before you apply, you wont be eligible for EMFF funds. A serious infringement of rules includes things like:

• you dont hold a valid licence
• you havent used compliant fishing gear
• you have broken conservation rules
• you have obstructed an inspection or observation

If you have committed and been convicted of Fraud in the context of the EFF or EMFF schemes you will not be eligible for EMFF funding support. Fraud includes things that have enabled you to wrongfully receive funds from the EFF or EMFF schemes, examples of this are:

• you have used or presented false, incorrect or incomplete statements or documents
• you have not disclosed information where you are in breach of a specific obligation
• you have used EFF/EMFF funds for purposes other than those for which they were originally granted
• you have misused the benefits of your project

If you have committed and been convicted of either fraud or a serious infringement please read the Guidance on serious infringements and fraud (PDF, 269 KB, 14 pages) guide.

Expression of interest

You can complete an Expression of Interest form (MS Word Document, 141 KB) with help from the Expression of Interest form guidance note (PDF, 129 KB, 9 pages) and send it to the MMO if you want us to check if your initial project idea is feasible.

The MMO will then assess your project and tell you if you can apply and how you should do so. If the MMO invites you to complete a full application, this doesnt guarantee that youll get a grant.

You dont have to do this, if you prefer you can make a full application for funding without initial advice.

How to apply