Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries Scheme

This scheme is designed to be a ‘one stop shop’ for small scale coastal fishers, allowing both onshore and onboard investments by SSCF vessel owners:

• Selective fishing: Investment in equipment to Improve size or species selectivity of fishing gear to avoid and reduce unwanted catches in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 1380/2013.
• Energy efficiency: Investments in equipment aimed at reducing the emission of pollutants or greenhouse gases and increasing the energy efficiency of fishing vessels and onshore operations.
• Hygiene, Health, and Safety: Investments on board that improve hygiene, health, safety and working conditions provided and that exceed legislative requirements.
• Quality: Innovative investments that improve the quality of fishery products or add value to fishery products, by allowing fishermen to carry out the processing of these catches.
• Traceability: The costs of purchase and installation on board of the components, including computer hardware and software, which are necessary to ensure the traceability of fishery products.

Who is Eligible

Owners of SSCF fishing vessels*:

• which must be registered on the Irish Fleet Register at the time of grant application, and;
• who must have been actively fishing in the two calendar years preceding the year of submission of the application:
  • For vessels less than 10m length overall (LOA) this will be validated by ensuring sales notes to the value of at least €1,000 have been registered with the SFPA in each of the two preceding calendar years.
  • For vessels of 10m LOA or greater, this will be validated by ensuring log books registered with the SFPA show at least 60 days at sea across the two preceding calendar years.

Please note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the correct data is registered with the SFPA at the time of their application. If, on the first check, the SFPA data cannot confirm the required level of fishing activity, the application will be rejected.

*vessels <12.00m overall length (LOA) and which do not fish with towed gear.

Amounts Granted

The support rate under this scheme is 80%.

The grant aid cap per vessel under the current call is €30,000.

Only one application is allowed for each vessel under this call.

Changes to the scheme

1. Some applications will be subject to a physical site visit in advance of any offer being made. This visit will help BIM gather information about the proposed project and its impact for the applicant’s business. It will also help ensure funding is provided to the most impactful projects that meet scheme objectives and allow an accurate assessment of value for money.

This means that no expenditure can be incurred, nor can any work commence on the project, until you receive an email after this site visit.

Applicants are also strongly advised to wait for an offer of grant aid before starting work or incurring expenditure.

2. The grant aid cap per vessel under the current call is €30,000, and only one application is allowed for each vessel under this call.

With high demand in the last call, the cap will ensure that as many applications and vessels as possible can be funded.

Some 87% of grants awarded in the previous call were for €30,000 or less. This cap on the call, along with the overall cap over the lifetime of the fund, means most needs can be met.

Caps are also proposed on some individual items to help prevent oversubscription against a single item.

3. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the correct data is registered with the SFPA at the time of their application. If, on the first check, the SFPA data cannot confirm the required level of fishing activity, the application will be rejected and rechecks will not be accommodated.

Full details are available in the Guidelines for Applicants.

Information sessions for applicants and agents

Applicants and agents are invited to join drop-in sessions to learn more about the scheme and application process.

Applicant information session and demonstration

Time: 2.00-3.00pm

Dates:

• Thursday 20 November
• Thursday 27 November
• Thursday 04 December
• Thursday 11 December

Meeting ID: 377 183 100 417 5
Passcode: wL9Lz6yW

Applicants join via Microsoft Teams

Agent information session and demonstration

Time: 3.30-4.30pm

Dates:

• Thursday 20 November
• Thursday 27 November

Meeting ID: 379 194 874 706 6
Passcode: ds6MN7gm

Agents join via Microsoft Teams

SSCF Scheme Clarification Note

Installation and Fit Out Costs

These costs will not be capped as a percentage of the items being installed but will be reviewed against industry norms to ensure they provide value for money.

Installation costs for any eligible items must be separately specified on quotes and invoices provided. Eligible expenditure for installation costs may be capped at a reasonable percentage of the cost of the item(s) being installed.

Where applicable, shipyard costs are capped at €5,000 grant aid across the full application.

Permissions

Please note, some items within the SSCF scheme may require appropriate permissions, such as, but not limited to, sheds/bait/equipment stores.

For example, any shed or store with a footprint of over 25m², a height greater than 3m and is located at least 2m from any boundary will require planning permission.

BIM will require a copy of the planning permission to be uploaded along with your application to progress with your application.

In addition, if the item is to be placed on a site that is not in the applicant’s name, BIM will require evidence that the applicant has the appropriate permission to do so. Evidence, such as a copy of a long-term lease of at least five years duration, must be uploaded with your application.

Vessels Purchased from a Third Country

It is a condition of the Scheme that a vessel must be on the Irish Fleet Register in order to qualify for grant aid. Where vessels have recently been acquired from outside the EU – for example Scotland – expenditure will be eligible for grant aid on the condition that the vessel is on the Irish Fleet Register at the date of the submission of the claim.