The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre

Application for Funding

Project title here

Lead HEI

Lead company name

Other participants

Guidance for Applicants

Overview of SAIC

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) was established in 2014, at the University of Stirling, tasked with promoting and funding innovation. Our areas of interest include fish and shellfish health and welfare; feeding, quality and nutrition; breeding and stock improvement; and engineering. In all these areas, we bring together businesses and researchers, transforming their relationship and galvanising collaboration.

The aim of our work is commercial success and economic growth through knowledge exchange projects, solutions to aquaculture’s most pressing problems, skills development and job creation. We focus on the areas that the industry, its customers and its communities most care about.

To target our work most effectively, we have identified four Priority Innovation Actions (PIAs) for our first year of operations:

·  Improved sea lice control in Scottish aquaculture

·  Alternative sustainable feeds for finfish

·  Rapid detection methods for viral pathogens and diseases

·  Development of secure health-certified Scottish mollusc spat production systems.

Projects we fund are of a collaborative nature and must be led by an industry partner or partners willing to contribute resource to the project and include at least one academic partner.

Who can apply?

Any company active in the field of aquaculture in Scotland, or in a related industry, including those which are based overseas but have operations in Scotland, which believe that their project will offer some tangible economic benefit to Scotland, is eligible to apply for funding.

Academic partners must be employed within a Scottish research institution, and both academic and Industry partners must be SAIC consortium members.

SAIC funded projects are collaborative and must involve at least two partners per consortium; at least one industry partner and at least one academic partner. Consortiums must be industry led. Industry partners must be willing to contribute funding to the project and SAIC funding can only go to the academic partner(s).

The project idea must be innovative or lead to innovative solutions for Scottish aquaculture. We define innovation as something fresh that creates value. It could be a process, product, service or technology. Value can take different forms - financial, commercial, economic, social or public - but it must be measurable and it must benefit the industry and the Scottish economy.

All projects must address the specific requirements of SAIC and are expected to sit squarely within the four areas of strategic focus identified by SAIC, namely:

a.  Fish and shellfish health and welfare

b.  Breeding and stock improvement

c.  Feeding, quality and nutrition

d.  Engineering solution

The SAIC business plan also specifies four Priority Innovation Actions, which require urgent and sustained attention. It is expected that the first projects to be funded by SAIC are likely to fit within these. They are:

a.  Improved sea lice control in Scottish aquaculture

b.  Alternative sustainable feeds for finfish

c.  Rapid detection methods for viral pathogens and diseases

d.  Development of secure health-certified Scottish mollusc spat production systems

Project proposals should be instigated by the industry partner and be motivated by problems and opportunities faced by that business or company. The proposal should demonstrate clear technical challenges that cannot be met by currently available technology. Proposals should clearly indicate possibilities for commercialisation and route to exploitation/revenue.

How to apply?

Applications for SAIC funding can be submitted at any time.

The first stage of application is the submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI). This stage is open entry and any industry consortium member may apply. The EOI form can be found at http://scottishaquaculture.com. On submission of the EOI you will be assigned a project manager. Once the EoI has been assessed, the project manager will indicate whether or not you will be invited to proceed to the full application stage.

The full application stage is by invitation only following the outcome decision of the EOI.

All project applications and discussions will be treated as confidential. If applicants have concerns in this regard please contact SAIC directly.

Proposal assessment

Full stage proposals will be assessed as required by the Board as well as independent scientific experts.

Funding

SAIC funded projects must be of a collaborative nature where the idea or concept originates with the industry partner. The industry partner(s) must be willing to commit quantifiable resource to the project.

SAIC supports innovative and applied R&D. It is likely that the majority of projects we will fund will sit within TRL4 to TRL7 based on the Technology Readiness Levels set out below:

Note that SAIC complies with State Aid rules. Please see our website for further details.

Table 1: Technology Readiness Levels (European Commission definition)

TRL1 / Basic principles observed
TRL 2 / Technology concept formulated
TRL 3 / Experimental proof of concept
TRL 4 / Technology validated in laboratory
TRL 5 / Technology validated in relevant environment
TRL 6 / Technology demonstration in relevant environment
TRL 7 / System prototype demonstrated in operational environment
TRL 8 / System complete and qualified
TRL 9 / Actual system proven in operational environment

Calculating costs

Project proposals should include significant industry contributions whether in cash or in kind.

Costs should be calculated on a Full Economic Costing (FEC) basis. Funding to HEIs will be awarded at the rate of 80% FEC. The remaining 20% does not constitute a contribution to the project by the academic partner and is not payable by any other partner to the academic.

To be eligible costs must be incurred and paid between the start and end date of the project.

The lead academic will invoice the company and SAIC as per the agreed funding schedule included in the Grant Agreement document.

Eligible costs

Consumables

Travel and subsistence

Small items of equipment

Access to specialist facilities

Staff costs

Training where specific and necessary to the project

Licensing in new technologies

Patent filling costs

Software, but only where the software does not already exist within the consortium

Ineligible costs

Project audit, accounting or legal costs

Interest charges, advertising

Quality control/ assurance, distribution, supply chain or selling costs or activities

Entertainment or hospitality

Sick days, waiting time and non-productive time

Bonuses, awards, profit related pay, company car expenses and any discretionary benefits to staff

SAIC Application Form

Applicants

Lead commercial partner

Applicant
Organisation name
Organisation address
Email
Telephone/mobile

Lead academic partner (add as necessary)

Applicant
Email
Telephone/mobile
School/department
Research group

Other partners (add as necessary)

Organisation name
Address
Contact name
Email
Telephone/mobile
Nature of organisation
Main interests/activities

Project timescale

Proposed start date
Duration

SAIC use only

SAIC reference number
Approved start date
Contracted end date
Signature of completion
Date of completion

A. Project Summary/Overview

Which of the four priority innovation actions does your project address?

Improved sea lice control in Scottish aquaculture
Alternative sustainable feeds for finfish
Rapid detection methods for viral pathogens and diseases
Development of secure health-certified Scottish mollusc spat production

Please provide the following <300 words (commercial partner to indicate commercial value and business need being met; research partner to explain how they will address that need through the research proposed)

·  Overall vision and innovative nature of the project

·  Expected outcomes: IP development, new product etc.

·  Problem or question to be addressed and objectives.

·  How the objectives will be achieved

·  Relevance to SAIC programme

·  Evidence of industry or scientific demand?

·  Will there be a long-term collaborative legacy to this project?

·  What are the benefits to industry and academic partners?

Note: if the project is successful this summary will be made available to the public domain. This summary should not contain reference to any intellectual property. Applicants will be asked to confirm their consent.

B. Innovation and commercial need (commercial partner to complete)

·  What is innovative about this project technically and commercially? What new knowledge and experience will this work contribute?

·  What is the innovation potential of this project? What technology or services already exist? Other comparable technologies and alternative strategies should be included in this section and why your approach will be better.

·  Provide evidence of industry demand

·  What will this project create in terms of value to industry, scientists and wider stakeholders?

C. Project Details

1. Project description (academic partner to complete)

·  What are the main objectives of the project? They should be clear, measurable, realistic and achievable within the duration of the project.

·  What technical and methodological approach will be adopted to achieve the objectives?

·  Describe the positioning of the project. Where is it in on the spectrum of ‘idea to application’ or ‘laboratory to market’. Indicate technology readiness level where appropriate.

·  Has similar or related research been carried out already, or it is currently being conducted?

2. Implementation – work plan (commercial and academic partners to complete)

·  Provide timing of key milestones. List all significant events that will lead to the successful delivery of the project (achievement of the objectives).

·  If your project involves multiple workpackages there must be a detailed description of each including deliverables and milestones. You must provide a project timeline clearly indicating milestones/output.

·  What resources and management requirements are necessary to achieve the objectives?

D. Partnership

·  Role and contribution of each partner within the collaboration

·  Do the partners have the skills and experience to deliver?

How will the project be managed?

E. Knowledge exchange (commercial and academic partners to complete)

·  What opportunities for knowledge exchange exist within the life time of the project

·  How will the outcomes be shared

F. Ethics (academic partner to complete)

Outline any ethics issues. Participants may be asked to submit a self-assessment describing how they have met ethics requirements or how they intend to address any issues. Any documents required under national law including home office license should be documented here.

G. Risks (commercial partner to complete)

·  Provide a description of technical and commercial risks.

·  What are the risks to project success?

·  What is the project’s risk management strategy?

Description of risk / Low/medium/high / Mitigation measures

G. Project budget (all partners to complete)

Fill in the Excel spreadsheet sent with this application form.