We can help you find funding for your innovative project
If you would like support with drawing down third-party funding, please contact us to find out how we can help: projects@sustainableaquaculture.com
To view some of the projects we have supported to help reduce the environmental footprint and increase the economic impact of aquaculture, see our projects pages.
Closing date: visit the Shell-volution website for details.
The Shell-volution Challenge Fund supports innovative ideas that address real-world challenges in Scotland’s mussel farming industry. Projects are delivered through tenders advertised on Public Contracts Scotland.
Shell-volution expects to run one or two funding rounds each year, and details of any active or upcoming opportunities will be posted on the Shell-volution website.
For more information, visit UHI's Shell-volution Challenge Fund page.
A grant offering organisations based in the Highlands and Islands region funding to support digital transformation ambitions
Closing date: this programme is anticipated to run until March 2029. If funds are committed earlier, the programme will close.
Introducing digital technology into your business has many advantages, including cutting costs, speeding up processes, improving customer insights, creating the ability to make faster business decisions, reduce carbon emissions and increase revenue.
HIE recommend that organisations applying for this fund should have a digital action plan or feasibility study in place before making an enquiry. If you require support with this, please see our Digital Specialist Advice Programme Fund, which may help cover the costs of 1-2-1 consultancy on digital technologies.
Digital technologies that may be supported with a capital grant include:
Robotics |sensor technologies | Internet of Things | data innovation |
cyber security | software development | AI | AR/VR | 3D visualisations |
additive manufacturing and laser machining |
Projects that have an element of ‘deep tech’ will also be considered, for example, blockchain, photonics, aerospace and space technologies, electronics, cyber threat intelligence and quantum computing.
Find out more and apply: HIE Digital and Technology Adoption Capital Grant
A grant offering organisations based in the Highlands and Islands area up to £5k towards the costs of obtaining digital specialist advice
Closing date: not stated on website. Please contact HIE for details.
Introducing digital technology into your business has many advantages, including cutting costs, speeding up processes, improving customer insights, creating the ability to make faster business decisions and increase revenue.
This funding is available to cover the costs of 1-2-1 consultancy on digital technologies leading to an action plan or a feasibility study for your business.
Digital technologies may include:
Robotics |sensor technologies | Internet of Things | data innovation |
cyber security | software development | AI | AR/VR | 3D visualisations |
additive manufacturing and laser machining |
Projects with elements of ‘deep tech’ will also be considered, e.g., blockchain, photonics, aerospace and space technologies, electronics, cyber threat intelligence, fusion power and quantum computing.
A Proof of Concept co-financing instrument
Closing date: 30 November 2025
EIT Food seeks to to de-risk start-up corporate collaborations. In this context, EIT Food is targetting Proof of Concepts and small-scale pilot projects between start-ups and prospective corporate clients with <€100k in project costs.
Proposed projects must exhibit a clear pathway towards commercial success and must be strictly related to deliver on the PoC or pilot project proposed together with the corporate client. Examples include, but are not limited to: sample creation, field trials, functionality and property tests, and efficiency assessments.
The UK Government, through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), offers several funding routes to support innovative solutions that can benefit national defence, security, and broader UK prosperity. While primarily defence-focused, many of the mechanisms may be relevant to cross-sector innovation, including aquaculture technologies.
Open Call for Innovation
Current cycle closes 16 December 2025.
The Open Call for Innovation allows innovative ideas to be proposed to Defence and Security stakeholders, even where a specific requirement has not been stipulated. It is a broad mechanism which allows innovators to present disruptive ideas which may otherwise be overlooked.
Themed Competitions
Innovation in Support of Operations (cycle 6 closes 14 October 2025)
Novel Technology for Intervening in Non-Compressible Haemorrhage (closes 4 November 2025)
Themed Competitions exist to offer suppliers the opportunity to submit proposals around specific government areas of interest.
Defence Innovation Loans
Current cycle closes 28 October 2025.
Innovation Loans are an opportunity for UK-registered single small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with solutions to defence themed problems to apply for a Defence Innovation Loan to help develop and convert their mature innovation into a viable business proposition.
Visit the official funding page for full details and application links.
A $20m global fund investing at pre-seed to seed stage
Closing date: not stated on website. Please contact Hatch Blue.
Hatch Blue is a global innovation and investment firm specialising in early-stage technology companies along the whole value chain of sustainable aquaculture and ocean conservation to generate high returns, lower carbon emissions and regenerate biodiversity of oceans.
Investment focus includes supply chain, nutrition, genetics, technology, health, alternative seafood, marine biotech and blue carbon.
Contact Hatch Blue for further information and begin your application
A thematic portfolio call for fisheries and the blue economy
Closing date: 30 October 2025
The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership is a European Partnership under the European Commission’s Research & Innovation Framework Programme Horizon Europe. This call aims to connect ongoing projects to create and boost networking activities for a two-year period, from early 2026 to early 2028.
Two active networking portfolios will be established: one on sustainable small-scale fisheries, and one on marine algae and the circular blue bioeconomy.
The call is open to ongoing projects funded through national, regional or EU programmes, as long as they cover at least one European sea basin. Selected projects will collaborate from early 2026 to early 2028, benefiting from greater visibility, stronger networks, and closer links to EU-level dialogue.
More information and criteria available at the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership’s Thematic Portfolio Call
A Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) grant offering up to £950k per project
Closing date: 21 January 2026
Apply for funding to pursue an ambitious, high risk and high reward curiosity-driven project in environmental research. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding and be in a role that meets the individual eligibility requirements.
NERC welcomes multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and projects delivered in partnership with other research funders and users. There is no defined project duration, but awards are usually between three and four years.
