The Sea Pact Grant 2024 is here to support innovative projects that protect and preserve our oceans, from promoting sustainable fisheries and marine conservation to combating plastic pollution and climate change.
This grant, supported by a group of like-minded seafood companies, is investing in the future of our oceans, recognizing that a healthy marine ecosystem is vital for both human well-being and the survival of countless marine species.
So, if you’re passionate about protecting the planet’s blue heart, the Sea Pact Grant could be your opportunity to dive into the world of ocean conservation and make a real impact.
Overview of the Organization, Sea Pact Grant 2024
In 2013, six seafood distributors from the United States and Canada met to discuss the exciting new commitments, policies, and initiatives that their customers were implementing in the areas of responsible seafood sourcing and sustainability.
To best support and amplify this success, as well as to contribute to sector innovation, these distributors decided to collaborate and invest in sustainability projects before the competition began. To do this, they collaborated closely with two NGOs, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and FishWise, to form Sea Pact.
While Sea Pact’s early years were primarily focused on project funding, as the group matured and grew, industry members sought to increase their collective effect through an issue-based approach to transformative change. They determined and adopted three strategic priorities:
- Sector-based Sustainability Improvements: Addressing a sustainability issue within a specific seafood sector.
- Responsible Aquaculture: Supporting technologies that contribute to responsible aquaculture production, with an emphasis on North America.
- Social Responsibility: Assisting Sea Pact members with their social responsibility efforts, as well as engaging seafood supply chains in addressing social responsibility.
The Sea Pact now has 11 members in the United States and Canada and is backed by three NGO advisors: FishWise, Ocean Outcomes, and SFP, as well as our funding sponsor, Multiplier.
Regarding the Sea Pact Grant 2024
We are now taking Letters of Interest (LOIs) for grants due in June 2024.
Sea Pact is interested in sponsoring projects that are relevant to the North American seafood supply chain and correspond with our three strategic goal areas:
- Environmental sustainability in key seafood sectors entails addressing common challenges that impede broad sustainability within a specific seafood industry, hence improving supply certainty.
- Addressing social responsibility in seafood supply chains: Supporting innovative projects or programs that go beyond social audits and risk assessments to help North American mid-supply chain seafood enterprises with their human rights due diligence activities at the vessel and processing levels.
- Innovations in responsible aquaculture: Demonstrating proof of concept or research and development of innovations that would result in greater production of responsible aquaculture for the North American market.
Within Sea Pact’s emphasis areas, projects should align with one or more of the project categories listed below:
- Fishery Enhancement Projects
- Aquaculture Improvement Projects
- Fish Management
- Regional Aquaculture Management
- Social Responsibility
- The gear or Farm Updates
- Fishing Conservation
- Species Research and Collecting Data.
- Research to Improve Fishing and Farming Practices
- Technological innovation
- Educational Affairs
- Fishery Habitat and Wild Stock Enhancement Restoration
Sea Pact Grant 2024 High-Level Assessment Criteria
- Mid-Supply Chain Relevant: Sea Pact members’ supply chain skills and networks can provide value to the project.
- Sector Priority: Sea Pact members prioritize the seafood sector/commodity, which includes fresh/frozen tuna, snapper/grouper, squid, mahi, and responsible aquaculture.
- Innovation and Transformation: Novel techniques to address a pressing issue in which change may be scaled and sustained.
- Broader Industry Alignment: There is potential for alignment and adoption by additional seafood industry and sustainability stakeholders.
- Project Strengths: Solid concept, plan, and management.
- Relevance to North American market: The product or species should be directly relevant to the North American seafood market.
The Granular Consideration Criteria
- Efforts can be directed at several or single species.
- Increased economic value is connected with sustainability improvement.
- Significant sustainability concerns are neither addressed nor acknowledged by the project.
- Innovative ways that build on prior work and insights learnt, as well as reproducibility and scalability.
- Long-term implementation approach.
- The requested amount is $USD. 7% of the total amount proposed.
How to Apply for the Sea Pact Grant 2024
The LOI should be 1-2 pages long, on organizational letterhead, and should include a brief but detailed description of the need or problem you have discovered, the suggested solution, and your organization’s qualifications to implement that solution. The LOI should also outline how the project fits into one or more of Sea Pact’s focus areas. If a full proposal is required, applicants will be able to offer additional project specifics.
Before submitting a comprehensive project proposal funding application, you can use the LOI to briefly outline your project idea and requirements. A letter of interest (LOI) should contain:
- A summary of the project’s predicted benefits and who will get them
- Project title and description
- The ability of your organization to manage and evaluate the project.
- Project aims, schedule, methodology, location, and species involved
- The amount asked in USD, and a summary of additional financial sources approached or acquired. 6. Describe your organization and provide full contact information for the project leader.
- State the alignment area of your project, mentioning the applicable project categories.
- Note where you learned about the Sea Pact Project Grant Funding.
Do not include any attachments. They may be submitted if a full proposal is requested. Projects that do not adhere to LOI guidelines will not be considered.
You can submit letters of interest to Sam Grimley [email protected] Executive Director
The second LOI submission window is March 1 – August 15. For more information please click here.
