Maritime and Fisheries Fund (MFF)
THIS GUIDANCE NOTE SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH SUPPORT FOR FISHING VESSEL ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS AND MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE - ENGINE REPLACEMENT APPLICATIONS	
SUMMARY	
Grant aid is available under the Maritime and Fisheries Fund (MFF) programme. 

The legal basis for the scheme is: The Grants for Fishing and Aquaculture Industries Regulations 2015 no. 1711

This Guidance Note is subject to change at any time during the scheme. The date of the latest revision is shown in the footer of this document.

The pursuit of those objectives shall not result in an increase in fishing capacity.

	
The Support for Fishing Vessel Energy Improvements guidance is for projects taking place in England. You may want to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) Form to see if you are eligible for funding before you complete the application form, but you do not have to.
You must also read the General Guidance as this contains information for all MFF applications.
We want to give your project the best possible chance at succeeding and have produced a range of resources and guidance which you might find useful. Where to go for further information has been included throughout this guidance.	

Marine Management Organisation (MMO) administers the MFF scheme on behalf of England. It is essential that the scheme delivers value for money and that applicants are open and honest when making applications under the scheme.

It is a criminal offence to supply information in the application knowing it to be false or not believing it to be true, and you may be liable for a fine or imprisonment if you do so.

MMO will scrutinise your application and may from time to time conduct random checks upon your application and the supporting documents, including contacting proposed suppliers and in the event of irregularities may in its absolute discretion refuse applications.

In the event that false or inaccurate information is discovered, MMO will give consideration to investigating the matter further and may take such enforcement action, including criminal prosecution for example under the Fraud Act 2006 as it considers appropriate. In such circumstances MMO may also seek to recover any grant paid.

You are reminded that if your project is approved and grant offered, specific conditions will apply which will be set out in the Offer Letter.

Any breach of these conditions may lead to recovery of any grant paid, and if necessary MMO may seek recovery through appropriate criminal or civil action.

If the grant is not used for the purpose for which it was granted MMO may seek recovery of any grant paid through appropriate criminal or civil action.

Projects that have been physically completed or fully implemented prior to receiving a written acknowledgement from MMO, even though they may meet the scheme objectives and priorities, cannot be funded.

In exceptional circumstances, costs incurred prior to submission of your application to MMO and up to a value of 10% of the total eligible project costs can be considered eligible for reimbursement at the funding rate applied providing they are directly related to the project you are applying for and essential to bringing the application to submission stage. The eligibility of these costs are at MMO discretion and are not guaranteed and are subject to the approval of the full project and are undertaken entirely at the applicant’s own risk. Contact MMO for more details.

Projects can commence after receiving a written acknowledgement from MMO. Any costs incurred between receiving a written acknowledgement from MMO and receiving your written decision could result in your costs being made ineligible if your project is not approved and therefore these costs are incurred at your own risk.

All installation and/or modification work undertaken by the owner/skipper of the vessel must meet MCA safety/stability requirements, whether funded by the MFF scheme or otherwise. Responsibility for any work undertaken which renders a vessel unstable or unsafe remains entirely with the owner/skipper of the vessel.	
INFORMATION REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR FUNDING	
Before you proceed with creating an application you may wish to have the following items at hand or be aware that they will be necessary to accompany your application when it is submitted;

•	A business case –You must only provide a business case if your total project cost is £25,000 or more. Use the Business Case Template document available on the MMO website. If your total project cost is less than £24,999.99 or less you do not have to submit a Business Case
•	Financial information - 3 years of either audited or unaudited accounts. See General Guidance for more detail
•	Quotes for costs to be incurred – advice is provided in this guidance and the General Guidance on what you need to supply
•	Company and Value Added Tax (VAT) Registration numbers if applicable to your circumstances
•	Organisation headcount numbers if applicable to your circumstances	
DEFINITIONS	
     
In these notes:

•	You means the applicant. You can employ an agent or consultant to help you complete your application form but you must sign the form. You will be responsible for ensuring that all of the terms and conditions for grant are fulfilled. Responsibility for the content of the application and any supporting information and documentation rests with you and cannot be transferred to your agent or consultants. In particular, this means that you will be expected to retain ownership of the work which is being funded.

•	We means MMO.

•	Fisheries area means an area with a sea, river or lake shore, including ponds or a river basin, with a significant level of employment in fisheries that is functionally Coherent in geographical, economic and social terms and is designated as such by the UK.

•	Fisherman means any person engaging in commercial fishing activities, as recognised by the UK.

•	•	Inland fishing means fishing activities carried out for commercial purposes in inland waters by vessels or other devices.

	

•	Small–scale coastal fishing means fishing carried out by fishing vessels of an overall length of 11.99 metres or less and not using towed fishing gear as per The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

•	Vessels operating exclusively in inland waters means vessels engaged in commercial fishing in inland waters and not included in the English fishing fleet register.

The information provided in this Guidance Note must only be taken as a guide to the grants which are available. The legal basis for the grants is The Grants for Fishing and Aquaculture Industries Regulations 2015 no. 1711

Part 1 ELIGIBILITY

TYPES OF PROJECTS YOU CAN APPLY FOR

Energy efficiency and mitigation of climate change

Projects can include

•	Investments in equipment or on board aimed at reducing the emission of pollutants or greenhouses gases and increasing the energy efficiency of fishing vessels.
•	Investment in new fishing gear that contributes to energy efficiency, as long as it does not undermine the size or species selectivity of that fishing gear.

(For applications for fishing gear contributing to reduction of discards there is a different application type. You should read the Support for Investments on board fishing vessels guidance note 2)

•	Energy efficiency audits and schemes

•	Studies to assess the contribution of alternative propulsion systems and hull designs to the energy efficiency of fishing vessels.

Replacement or Modernisation of Main or Ancillary Engines

•	Replacing or modernising main or auxiliary engines on fishing vessels up to 24m in overall length.
•	If you are replacing or modernising an engine then your new or modernised engine must be a specific size in relation to your old engine. Table A below shows how much power your new or modernised engine can have, depending on the length of your vessel.
•	The reduction of engine power referred to in Table A below for vessels 12-18m and 18-24m, may be achieved by a group of vessels for each category of vessel. If you intend to meet these requirements with a group of vessels then contact Marine Management Organisation for advice on how to complete the Support for Fishing Vessel Energy Improvements Application.
•	We will fund the replacement of two engines where the vessel operates two main propulsion engines, e.g. a catamaran, and both are being replaced at the same

time. If an application is received where only one engine is being replaced, a second application to the MFF scheme at a later date, for the second engine will not be able to be considered. Engine replacement includes outboards where the outboard is the main propulsion engine of the vessel.

 	Table A: Engine Power per Length of Vessel

Length of Vessel		New or Modernised Engine			
					
Up to 12m		No more power in kilowatts than current engine			

12-18m		At least 20% less power in kilowatts than current engine			

18-24m		At least 30% less power in kilowatts than current engine			

Support will only be granted to owners of fishing vessels.

Support will only be granted once for the same type of investment on the same vessel during the MFF programming period. The same type of investment may mean, for example, the same or similar item doing the same job or catching the same species using the same method.

We will not fund gear that is shown to be equally or less selective than the gear already being used.

If the vessel is proposing to switch to a different fishery, we need to be satisfied that this would not be to the detriment of the new stock(s) and ecosystem.

We will only fund gear that is highly selective in that fishery. Gear needs to minimise the negative impact of fishing on the ecosystem (including cetacean and seabird by-catch and seabed integrity).

Applicants must comply with all relevant legal requirements of their projects.

It is the responsibility of you as the applicant not the responsibility of the MMO to ensure that the project which is the subject of this application is technically viable, complies with all relevant health and safety legislation and any other project specific safety requirements.

Table of Eligible Costs

Please note this table is for guidance only and is not exhaustive or binding. If you are unsure whether an item is eligible please check the General Guidance and if you are still unsure contact MMO.

Item/Area	Eligible Costs	Ineligible Costs	

Energy efficiency	

energy efficiency audits and schemes	engine replacements including auxiliary engines, engine refits, overhauls and substantial renovations	

Projects that are aimed at improving the hydrodynamics of the hulls of vessels	investments on stability mechanisms such as bilge keels and bulbous bows that contribute	

costs relating to basic hull maintenance	
	costs related to the use of non-toxic antifouling such as copper coating in order to reduce friction		
	tank testing in order to provide a basis for improving hydrodynamics		
	energy efficient propellers including drive shafts		
Projects that are aimed at improving the propulsion system of the vessel, costs related to the purchase and, if necessary, the installation of the following items:	catalysers	
investments that increase a vessels capacity to catch fish	
	energy efficient generators such as those using hydrogen, or natural gas		
	renewable energy propulsion elements such as sails, kites, windmills, turbines, or solar panels		
	bow thrusters		
	Conversion of engines to run on biofuels	
the replacement of engines to run on bio- fuels	
	econometers, fuel management systems and monitoring systems		
	investments in nozzles that improve the propulsion system		
Investments in fishing gear and fishing equipment change from towed gear to alternative gear:	changes from towed gear to alternative gear	

investments that increase a vessels capacity to find fish	
	towed gear modifications		
	Investments in towed gear monitoring equipment		
	investments to improve the refrigeration, freezing, or insulation systems for vessels under 18 metres		

Investments that are aimed at the reduction of electricity or thermal energy consumption:	

investments to encourage the re-cycling of heat within the vessel involving the heat being recovered and re-used for other auxiliary purposes within the vessel	

investments that increase the holding capacity of a vessel	

Support for the replacement or modernisation of main or ancillary engines:		For vessels up to 12 metres in overall			
		length, provided that the new or modernised			More than 1 grant for an		
		engine does not have more power in kW			engine replacement or		
		than the current engine;			modernisation on the same	
			vessel during the MFF		
		For vessels between 12 and 18 metres in overall length, provided that the power in kW					
					funding period.		
					
		of the new or modernised engine is at least			
		20% lower than that of the current engine;			

		For vessels between 18 and 24 metres in			
		overall length, provided that the power in kW			
		of the new or modernised engine is at least			
		30% lower than that of the current engine.			Engines to be replaced		
			cannot be less than 5 years	
		Where a vessel has more than 1 engine E.g.				
					old.		
		catamaran both engines can be replaced, in					
					
		this case the engines must be replaced at the		
		same time on the same application.			
			
		Outboard engines are eligible for funding from	De-rated engines of any type are not eligible for funding from MFF	
		The MFF.			
		If a vessel is equipped with 2 outboard engines			
		and both used for propulsion then			
		replacement of both engines is eligible.			

Engines being replaced should be disposed of responsibly and without detriment to the		
environment. The new engine must be installed before funding can be claimed and paid.	
The replaced engine must not be sold for profit, if it is known that this has occurred your		
claim may be reduced by the amount obtained or recovery proceedings instigated. The		
engine being replaced must be over 5 years old.		

You should be aware that you will need to submit a new Certificate of Registry after completion of your project if your project relates to engine improvements or engine replacements. This should reflect the power of your new engine if this is applicable. Without a new Certificate of Registry indicating the new vessel power in in line with Table A we would be unable to proceed with your claim for payment.

Fishing vessels not subject to a certification of engine power shall only be granted for the replacement or modernisation of main or ancillary engines in respect of which the consistency of engine power has been verified and which have been physically inspected to ensure that the engine power does not exceed the engine power established in the fishing licenses.

Item/Area	Eligible Costs	Ineligible Costs	
All		preventative or scheduled maintenance costs	
All	costs necessary for and directly related to the installation of items approved		
All	the purchase or leasing of vehicles is only eligible if the vehicle in question has a direct contribution to the project and is not used for any other purpose		
All		maintenance costs and mandatory costs associated with the vehicle like insurance, road tax and MOT of any vehicles are not eligible for funding	
All		statutory or mandatory requirements of
law and byelaws	

The MFF is designed to assist those who cannot afford to fund projects without support. If it is considered that you can afford your project without support your project will not be approved.

Part 2 Your Project Finance

You will need to provide details of your project including the costs of the items you would like to apply for. You will need to provide quotes for these items. Below is a table of the numbers of quotes we require. See General Guidance Note for specific quotation guidance.

Minimum Number of Quotes Required

Individual Items with a Value (excluding VAT) of:	Number of Quotes or Tenders	
over £0 and up to £1,500	Single written quote	

£1,500.01 and up to £5,000	At least two quotes must be provided. If at least two quotes have not been provided, then an explanation must be provided	

£5,000.01 and up to £60,000	At least three quotes must be provided. If at least three quotes have not been provided, then an explanation must be provided	

equal to or over £60,000.01	3 quotes or evidence of tender including evidence of the evaluation system used, details of the chosen tender and scoring

See General Guidance Note for more advice on procurement rules	

You will need to tell us what sort of applicant you are based on your business type. You can find out if you are a public applicant or a private applicant in the General Guidance.
Labour costs of a contractor/supplier for fitting can constitute a separate item.

You should obtain at least the minimum number of quotes for any individual item, as shown in the table and include all original quotes, signed and dated by the supplier with your application form.
In exceptional circumstances we may consider accepting fewer quotes than the minimum numbers. For example it may not be possible to obtain three quotes for specialist equipment. If you are unable to provide the minimum number of quotes or tenders required, you should speak to MMO for advice and your application should explain why this has not been possible.

See the General Guidance for information on how to deal with any quotes you may have in Euros or other currencies.

How Will Your Project Be Funded?

We need to know how your project will be funded and where this money will come from. This includes funds you are intending to seek as well as those already obtained. Part of your project funding will come from grant funding and the remainder from yourself or another public source. This can include private savings, money from your organisation, a loan or another grant and is referred to as your match funding. Your match funding should be in place before you apply to the MFF. If your match funding is not in place an Offer in Principle may be issued until your match funding is obtained and can be proved. Contact MMO for advice if you think this will affect you.
The table below is an example of how a project could be funded;

(1)
Sector	(2)
Source	(3)
% of Eligible Costs	(4)
£	

Public Sector	
MFF Grant	
40	
440	
	National Grant	10	110	
	Organisation Name (state the source)
E.g. Environment Agency, Natural England, Seafish			
Private Sector	(state the source)
E.g. loans	50	550	
Other	(state the source)			
Total		100	£1,100	

Grant Rates

The tables in the following pages explain how much funding you might be able to apply for. Funding is dependent on a number of factors so before you look at the tables you will need to know;

•	What business or organisation type you are, this might be a private business or a public organisation
•	Which article of the regulation you are applying under, the eligibility tables earlier this document will tell you this based on what you plan to do
•	If applicable to your circumstances you need to know if you are a small scale coastal fisher based on the definition from The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

Collective/Non collective type of projects
To determine the amount of funding a project can attract it is necessary to determine if the project is of Collective benefit or Non-Collective benefit as set out in National law.
In simple terms;
If a project has no direct financial benefit to either the applicant delivering the scheme or the beneficiary of the project and has both collective interest and collective beneficiaries (those benefitting from the project) then it can be considered Collective.
If a project has a direct financial benefit to either the applicant delivering the scheme or the beneficiary of the project then it is considered Non -Collective.
In addition, to be eligible for the higher public funding rate the project must have innovative features. These can be activities that are innovative to the sector or industry but can also be innovative to a business but must be present and if the project is being delivered at a local level the innovative features must be present at that local level.
Examples of types of projects are below;

Example 1	Status	Reason for status	
A collection service for discarded catches in an infrastructure-remote region owned and operated by a private processor who processes the discards themselves for onward sale as bait	Non-Collective	The processor is providing a service to the fishermen free of charge however the processor is expected to make a financial gain from the onward sale of that bait	
However if the end result changes…	
A collection service for discarded catches in an infrastructure-remote region owned and operated by a private processor who processes the discards reselling them to the fishermen at cost price	Collective	The processor is not making a profit on the discards and the fishermen are getting a necessary service at a cost price	

Example 2	Status	Reason for status	
A charity providing training to fishermen on business development, the training is free of charge to the attendees and the charity is using its own funds and staff	Non-Collective	The charity is not gaining from delivering the training but the attendees on the course are expected to learn skills to develop their business and improve profitability	
However if the focus of the training changes…	
A charity providing training to fishermen on non- mandatory safety at sea, the training is free of charge to the attendees and the charity is using its own funds and staff	Collective	The training in this example is designed to save lives at sea and there is no financial benefit to either the applicant delivering the training or the trainee	

Example 3	Status	Reason for status	
A local authority providing health and safety improvements to a port to allow fishermen and the public to access a quay safety	Collective	The local authority is undertaking the work to ensure there are fewer or no accidents on the quay; there are no monetary benefits to either the local authority or the quay users and visitors	

Example 4	Status	Reason for status	
A scientific organisation doing research into a fishery to fill a gap in stock information, the results of which will be disseminated free of charge to everyone including the fishermen that fish the region	Collective	There is no financial gain to the research organisation doing the research and the primary benefits from the research will be better stock management in the region	

Example 5	Status	Reason for status	
A gear manufacturer trialling new gear that is expected to reduce the physical and biological impacts of fishing on the sea bed	Collective	The main benefit of this project is to find gear that allows fishers to fish while reducing the biological impacts of their activity on the sea bed	

Public/Private Organisations

To determine if you are eligible for MFF and if so how much public funding you are eligible to apply for we need to understand the type of applicant you are. 

Public applicants are not eligible to apply for MFF. 

Public funding is the National government (MMO) element of the funding that could be offered to you. The type of applicant you are is either public, private or a private company providing a public service. These types are described below along with questions to help you identify what type of applicant you are.
How to determine whether you are a public or private applicant

•	Are you a public organisation? A public organisation is one which is part of a government department or an organisation whose work is part of the process of government, but is not a government department and gets its funding from a public source such as the government. If yes you are applicant type A.

•	Are you a private organisation providing Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI)? SGEI are economic activities that public authorities identify as being of particular importance to citizens and that would not be supplied (or would be supplied under different conditions) if there were no public intervention. Examples are transport networks, postal services or social services. The SGEI must be central to the project being applied for. If yes you are applicant type B.

•	Are you a private organisation not delivering SGEI? – see above for an SGEI definition. If yes you are applicant type C.

Funding Available

•	If you are applicant type A (Public) you are not eligible to apply for MFF. 

•	If you are applicant type B then you are eligible to apply for 100% public funding for your project.

•	If you are applicant type C you are eligible to apply for at least 50% funding. You can apply for more than 50% if you are any of the following types of applicant;

Are you a SSCF or is the project related to the small scale coastal fisheries fleet? If yes you can get 80% public funding see below for an example;

Total Project cost	Public MFF	National Contribution	Private Contribution	
£10,000	£6,000	60%	£2,000	20%	£2,000	20%	
£10,000	£5,625.00	56.25%	£1,875.00	18.75%	£2,500	25%	

Are you a Fishermen’s Association? If yes you can get 60% public funding, see below for an example;

Total Project cost	Public MFF	National Contribution	Private Contribution	
£10,000	£4,500.00	45%	£1,500.00	15%	£4,000.00	40%	

Grant Rates Key;

SSCF	Small scale coastal Fishing – vessels 11.99m or less not using towed gear	
PO	Producer Organisation	
SME	Micro, small and medium enterprises – see General Guidance note for further advice	

The grant rate tables include Notes which apply to some projects and can allow them to apply for a higher rate of funding. An explanation of the notes is below. If you think these apply to your project and you are eligible for the higher rate of funding please contact the MMO for further advice.

Note 1	An applicant may be able to secure funding from another public source to match the MFF funding; if not, the applicant will need to provide their own (private) match funding	
Note 2	The MMO may decide to provide the public match funding if no other source of public funding is available and the project is judged to make a strong contribution to a priority policy objective	
Note 3	These projects can receive up to 100% of the total eligible expenditure from grant funding	

Energy efficiency and mitigation of climate
change - Energy efficiency, audits & schemes and studies

•	Investments in equipment or on board aimed at reducing the emission of pollutants or greenhouses gases and increasing the energy efficiency of fishing vessels.

•	Energy efficiency audits and schemes.

•	Studies to assess the contribution of alternative propulsion systems and hull designs to the energy efficiency of fishing vessels.

Energy efficiency and mitigation of climate change – Energy efficiency, audits & schemes and studies	

Type of Applicant	Grant Rates as Percentages of Eligible Costs	Limits of Grant Available	
	Total public money %	MFF %	National IB %	National other %*	Private
%	Minimum Grant £	Maximum Grant £	
Private	50	37.5	12.5	0	50	500	65,000	
Private (SSCF) + 30%	80	60	20	0	20	500	65,000	
Private (organisations of fishermen/collective)
+10%	
60	
45	
15	0	
40	
500	
65,000	
Private (POs) +25%	75	56.25	18.75	0	25	500	65,000	
If any of the types of applicant above has a project in the category below, the grant rates above will be superseded by the rates below; See Note 3;	
Projects which meet all the following three criteria – see General Guidance for details;

1.	Project has collective interests

2.	Project has collective beneficiaries

3.	Project has innovative features (if applicable)	

50 - 100	

0- 50	

0-50		

0-50	

500	

65,000	

Energy efficiency and mitigation of climate
change - Fishing gear and equipment on board

•	Investment in new fishing gear that contributes to energy efficiency, as long as it does not undermine the size or species selectivity of that fishing gear.

Energy efficiency and mitigation of climate change – Fishing gear and equipment on board	

Type of Applicant	
Grant Rates as Percentages of Eligible Costs	Limits of Grant Available	
	Total public money
%	
MFF %	
National IB %	
National other %*	
Private
%	
Minimum Grant £	
Maximum Grant £	
Private	50	37.5	12.5	0	50	1,000	65,000	
Private (SSCF) + 30%	80	60	20	0	20	1,000	65,000	
Private (organisations of fishermen/collective) +10%	60	45	15	0	40	1,000	65,000	
Private (POs) +25%	75	56.25	18.75	0	25	1,000	65,000	
If any of the types of applicant above has a project in the category below, the grant rates above will be superseded by the rates below; See Note 3	
Projects which meet all the following three criteria – see General Guidance for details;

1.	Project has collective interests

2.	Project has collective beneficiaries

3.	Project has innovative features (if applicable)	

50 - 100	

0- 50	

0-50		

0-50	

1,000	

65,000	

Support for the replacement or modernisation of main or ancillary engines

•	Support for the replacement or modernisation of main or ancillary engines.

Support for the replacement or modernisation of main or ancillary engines	
Type of Applicant 	Grant Rates as Percentages of Eligible Costs	Limits of
Grant Available	
	Total Public Money	MFF %	National IB %	National Other %	Private %	Minimum Grant £	Maximum Grant £	
Private	30	22.5	7.5	0	70	1000	100,000	
Private (SSCF)	30	22.5	7.5	0	70	1000	100,000	
Private organisations of fishermen/collective)	30	22.5	7.5	0	70	1000	100,000	
Private (POs)	30	22.5	7.5	0	70	1000	100,000	
If any of the types of applicant above has a project in the category below, the grant rates above will be superseded by the rates below; See Note 3	
Projects which meet all the
following three criteria –
see General Guidance for details;

1. Project has collective
Interests

2. Project has collective
beneficiaries

3. Project has innovative features (if applicable)

50-100	

0-50	

0-50	

	

0-50	

1,000	

65,000	

Part 4 What Will Your Project Achieve?

What Are the Targets and Benefits of Your Project?

Targets 	

Targets tell us what your project will achieve and how it will contribute to the development of your business. We use them to assess the progress and achievements of your project.
Targets are set by yourself based on your knowledge of your business and project. We may work with you to develop these targets further.
We will use these targets to measure the progress and success of your project. These targets and any benefits you have outlined will be included in your Offer Letter.  Good targets must be specific to your business and project, be able to be easily measured, must be directly achievable by your project, be realistic and have timescales to make them easy to assess.
There are explanations and examples in the table below;

Example target	What makes it a good target?

My new fishing gear will directly reduce the amount of fuel used by 20% each time I use it	
The new fishing gear is specific to your business and the main purpose for your project. The amount of fuel is achievable and it has a timescale that is easy to measure
Making a target achievable is important as we don’t want you to tell us something you will struggle to meet. Make sure your target is something you can control to have the best chance of meeting it. We want your project to be a success

	

Using my old fishing gear I used 100 litres of fuel per month; my new fishing gear will mean I use 75 litres of fuel per month reducing my annual fuel usage by 300 litres for the first 3 years	
This target is directly attributable to your new fishing gear. It has achievable amounts fuel figures that can be measured and it has a timescale that can be assessed easily
Measurements can be almost anything depending on your project including but not limited to fuel usage, increases in sale prices/value or profits made	
My new gear will reduce my net maintenance costs by 95% in the first year and by 90% in the following 4 years	This target is clearly linked to your new gear, has measurable cost saving as you will know what you have been spending on maintenance and what you expect to spend in future years.
You must make sure that your targets are specific to your project. You must be able to control the activity that relates to your target to have the best chance of meeting them	
My improved fuel converter will reduce my fuel costs by 10% per year	This target is important to the profitability of your business. It is realistic to assume that the new fuel converter will help you Save reduce fuel usage and therefore save you money

	Targets should be able to be met by you without too much difficulty. If you make them unrealistic and overestimate your achievements and you don’t reach them you may put your funding at risk	
New fishing gear will directly reduce the amount of fuel used by 20% in the first year for then at least 15% in years two, three and four	This target has a clear timescale on it that can be measured and is achievable directly from the new fishing gear.  You can also measure the fuel usage easily as you will know how much you used to use and how much you now use
Putting timescales on your project helps you to keep an eye on progress. The length of time depends on the project but in most cases we would expect to see a minimum of 3 years. Timescale will also help you report on your progress	

Benefits 	

You will need to describe the expected benefits of your project on yourself, your organisation and the wider fisheries sector. For example, you could describe how installing new and more efficient refrigeration equipment will enable you to get better quality fish back to shore without increasing your catch.

Financial benefits	When writing about the benefits of your project, you should include any financial benefits. For example an increase in profitability, turnover or job creation.
Explain how you will determine your project has been a success and has been value for money
Confirmation whether your project will result in safeguarding jobs including those which are under threat (jobs can be safeguarded by a project only if the completion of your project will directly contribute to the prevention of staff being made redundant)	
Environmental benefits	For example relieving pressure from pressurised fishing stocks or discards. You should set out any benefits on the environment associated with your project. These may include improvements to air quality, water quality, wildlife habitats, biodiversity and the use of primary materials	
Other benefits	Such as social benefits. You should set out any expected social benefits associated with your project. This might include improvements to your company’s reputation which is very real but harder to prove	
Monitoring	Outline how you will measure these benefits during your project and after its completion. Make sure they are relatively easy for you to monitor, you do not have make things difficult for yourself	

If you do not meet the targets and benefits originally agreed and set out in the offer letter issued to you by MMO then the level of achievement of the targets and benefits will be considered. MMO will take a proportionate approach to this consideration and where possible work with you to address the issues. MMO must protect the public funding elements of the MFF scheme and any match funding wherever possible so recovery of funding already paid to you or the withholding of funding outstanding may occur if it is considered necessary.

Part 5 What To Do Now

If you are ready to apply for funding you should make sure you have addressed the following;

a)	Certified	Copy	of	your	Identification	documents	(Passport/Driving Licence/Utility Bill(s)) (If Applicable)

b)	Letter To Show Proof Of Authority For (Joint) Partnerships (If Applicable)

c)	A Business Case (If Applicable)

d)	Your Organisation‘s Finances including 3 years accounts

e)	The correct number of quotes

f)	All projects, where there is a workforce of one or more persons, whether permanent or temporary, must comply with any sanitary rules appropriate to England

g)	You must confirm that you have read the associated General Guidance and this Investments on Board Fishing Vessels Guidance Note

h) Where applying for an Engine replacement a Certificate of Registry must be submitted with your application

Please note that we will not be able to return the copies of any documents to you.

Part 6 Ready to Apply?

The E-system can be accessed on the MMO website. The E-system is simple to use and you will be able to log-in and see the status of your application and upload documents such as quotes.

Contact Details

Write to

Grants Team
Marine Management Organisation Lancaster House
Newcastle Business Park Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 7YH

Telephone

020802 65539

Email

MFF.queries@marinemanagement.org.uk

You will receive an acknowledgement of your application within 5 working days of submission the MMO. We will inform you in writing within 8 weeks if your application has been successful or not, provided you have supplied all the necessary information and documentation. If it has been successful then you will be sent an Offer Letter which will contain further instructions.

If you are unsuccessful then see the MMO website for more information on re- applying, appealing and MMO’s complaint procedure.