We are now closed to receiving Expressions of Interest.
SMEEF is delighted to have secured a donation from Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution Limited (SSEN Distribution) for more than £2m for seagrass planting within the SSEN licence area – effectively all of Scottish coastal waters north of the Tay and the Clyde, including the north shore of the Tay, Arran and Kintyre but excluding areas south from there (a full map is available here). The fund is focused on achieving the planting of 14ha of seagrass between now and 31st March 2028. This is believed to be the largest-ever single donation to marine enhancement in Scotland and is a great example of business and the public sector joining forces to tackle the nature and climate emergencies.
Whatever stage of development your project is at we now invite you to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) form telling us as much as possible about you, your organisation, what you aim to achieve, where, when and why. You do not need to have a fully costed proposal or to have licences or consents in place to submit an EOI. Once we have reviewed the submissions, we will invite a selection of projects at a range of scales and locations to submit full applications.
Eligible activities for this fund include:
- seagrass planting,
- other crucial work which supports your planting programme such as engagement with communities and baseline surveys.
Anyone can apply to the fund, priority will be given to coastal communities closely connected to the planting areas.
SMEEF does not fund campaigning work and cannot fund purely speculative research from this fund. Other SMEEF funding streams open regularly, please sign up for our mailing list, by emailing info@smeef.scot, to be kept informed of new opportunities.
Download an Expression of Interest Form here:
SMEEF – Seabed Enhancement – Seagrass Fund – Expression of Interest Form
To submit your Expression of Interest Form please email it to grants@smeef.scot, in this naming format:
‘Organisation name_SMEEF _Seagrass Fund_ Expression of Interest’
If you are unsure whether your activity could be funded under this grant round, please do not hesitate to reach out and discuss your project with the SMEEF team, by emailing grants@smeef.scot.
The deadline to submit an EoI form is the 12th of August 2024, at 12:00pm.
This initiative would not be possible without SSEN Distribution, and we thank them for their generous donation.