SAIC Funding Boost

Funding to support collaborative academic/industry projects that address innovation challenges within the aquaculture and fisheries industry in Scotland, with a focus on enabling existing research to extend its potential or supporting shorter-term projects that are not typically within scope of the SAIC timed funding calls.

The Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) is one of eight innovation centres funded by the Scottish Government though Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Funding Council.

The innovation centres each focus on driving growth in a sector of key economic and social importance in Scotland and aim to encourage collaboration between industry and academia – sharing insights and knowledge and attracting additional UK and EU funding.

SAIC has launched a new funding initiative – the R&D Funding Boost – to support innovation projects that address challenges relevant to the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Scotland, with a focus on enabling existing research to achieve its full impact, or supporting new projects that are lower in cost, and smaller in scale, than projects that are typically eligible for the SAIC Timed Funding Calls.

Funding is available for projects with a funding request of no more than £50,000 that will be completed within nine months (no later than September 2024).

Projects must demonstrate an industry need, involve at least one Scottish HEI and one industry partner and contribute to one or more of the SAIC priority innovation actions (PIAs), which include:

• PIA 1 Addressing environmental and health challenges, particularly sea lice and gill disease, and developing feeds that optimise fish health and nutrition
• PIA 2 Unlocking additional capacity in Scottish aquaculture
• PIA 3 Shellfish and other non-finfish species

Projects will typically be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-7 and should be innovative in their approach or lead to innovative solutions (ie something novel that creates measurable commercial, economic, social or public value) that will help support the Scottish aquaculture sector and associated supply chain.