Applications Invited for Sea Pact Grant

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About the Organization

Back in 2013, six U.S. and Canadian seafood distributors came together to discuss the exciting new commitments, policies, and initiatives being adopted by their customer base around responsible seafood sourcing and sustainability.

To best support and amplify this progress, as well as further contribute to innovation in the sector, these distributors decided to collaborate and pre-competitively invest in sustainability projects. To accomplish this, they worked closely with two NGOs—Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and FishWise—to establish Sea Pact.

While the early years of Sea Pact focused primarily on project funding, as the organization evolved and grew, industry members sought to grow their collective impact through an issue-based focus for transformational change. They identified and adopted three strategic priorities:

• Sector-based Sustainability Improvements: Addressing a sustainability challenge found across a specific seafood sector.
• Responsible Aquaculture: Supporting innovations contributing to responsible aquaculture production with a focus on North America.
• Social Responsibility: Supporting Sea Pact members’ own social responsibility efforts as well as engaging seafood supply chains in addressing social responsibility. 

Today, Sea Pact has 11 members across the U.S. and Canada and is supported by three NGO advisors: FishWise, Ocean Outcomes, and SFP, as well as our fiscal sponsor, Multiplier.

About the Grant  

We’re now accepting Letters of Interest (LOIs) for awards granted in June of 2024.

Sea Pact is interested in supporting projects relevant to the North American seafood supply chain, and in alignment with our three strategic priority areas:

• Environmental sustainability in priority seafood sectors: Addressing common challenge(s) that hinder widespread sustainability within a specific seafood sector, further supporting supply assurance.
• Innovations in responsible aquaculture: Demonstrating proof of concept or research and development of innovations that would result in increased production of responsible aquaculture relevant to the North American market.
• Addressing social responsibility in seafood supply chains: Supporting innovative projects or initiatives, beyond social audits and risk assessments, that contribute to North American mid-supply chain seafood companies’ human rights due diligence efforts focused on the vessel and processing levels.

Within Sea Pact’s focus areas, projects should align with one or more of the following project categories:

• Fishery Improvement Projects
• Aquaculture Improvement Projects
• Fisheries Management
• Regional Aquaculture Management
• Social Responsibility
• Gear or Farm Improvements
• Fishery Habitat and Wild Stock Enhancement Restoration
• Fisheries Conservation
• Species Research and Data Collection
• Research to Improve Fishing/ Farming Practices
• Technology
• Education

Sea Pact Funding Selection Criteria:

High Level Consideration Criteria:

• Mid-Supply Chain Relevant: Sea Pact members supply chain expertise/networks can provide value to the project.
• Sector Priority: Seafood sector/commodity is prioritized by Sea Pact members, including fresh/frozen tuna, snapper/grouper, squid, mahi and responsible aquaculture (multiple species).
• Innovation and Transformation: Innovative approaches that address an urgent issue area where change could be scalable and durable.
• Broader Industry Alignment: Potential opportunity for alignment and adoption by other seafood industry and sustainability stakeholders.
• Project Strength: Solid concept, plan, and management.
• Relevance to North American market: Product/species should have direct relevance to the North American seafood market.

Granular Consideration Criteria:

• Effort can be applied to multiple or single species.
• Increased economic value associated with sustainability improvement.
• Significant sustainability concerns not addressed or acknowledged by the project.
• Innovative approaches that build off previous efforts and lessons learned, as well as Replicability and scalability.
• Long-term implementation strategy.
• Amount requested - $USD. 7. % of total budget requested.

How to Apply

The LOI should be 1-2 pages in length, on organizational letterhead, and should include a succinct but thorough description of the need or problem you have identified, the proposed solution, and your organization’s qualifications for implementing that solution. The LOI should also describe how the project relates to one or more of Sea Pact’s focus areas. Applicants will have the opportunity to share more details about the project if a full proposal is requested.

The LOI allows you to briefly state your project idea and need before putting in the work of completing a full project proposal grant application. A Letter of Interest (LOI) should include:

• Project title, project description
• Project objectives and timeline, project methodology, project location, species involved
• Brief description of the expected benefits of the project and to whom
• The capacity of your organization to manage and evaluate the project
• Amount requested in USD, and a brief discussion of other funding sources approached or secured 6. Description of your organization and full contact details for project lead
• State the alignment area of your project referencing the relevant project categories
• Note where you heard about 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.

Submit Letters of Interest to: Sam Grimley sam@seapact.org Executive Director

Second LOI submission window March 1 - August 15.

For more information Please check the Link

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Tags Environment and Sustainability Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Research Others