Funding
A major new grant funding scheme for the ‘sustainable development of the Scottish fisheries industry’ under the European Fisheries Programme was announced in December 2008. A total of £78 million of EU and Scottish Government money has been made available under the scheme which runs until 2013. This includes a dedicated component for ‘aquaculture and seafood processing (so-called ‘Access 2’) worth 10.8 million Euros over the entire project cycle. It is anticipated that there will be 3-4 funding rounds per year and some 4.7 million of this total is scheduled for allocation in 2009.
For aquaculture grants can cover:
‘capital costs for the extension, equipment and modernization of new and existing aquaculture enterprises, particularly for innovation, diversification, and to improve welfare and environmental standards (aid cannot be granted for the purchase of broodstock and juveniles of the species to be farmed)’
See the following links for further details -
1. Full details of the EFF aquaculture component:
2. The application form for EFF aquaculture projects:
- Application form – pdf
3. Eligibility criteria are outlined under link 1 (above). This includes the grant rates that apply in different parts of Scotland. For a definition of EFF small and medium enterprise (SME):
4. More general information relating to the EFF is available at the following links:
- Scottish Government Info Page
- Information booklet – pdf
- EFF Questions and Answers
- EFF – Axis 2: Aquaculture, inland fishing, processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products
5. Details of other EU and domestic funding programmes and their complimentarity with the EFF:
