Proposals

SIL has come to the end of our first cycle of government funding. 

The seafood industry is in the process of approaching the government for a further round of funding support to enable future projects to be supported.  It is extremely important that we hear from industry members who have ideas for R&D projects that require support.  Understanding what R&D projects the industry is keen to progress is a very important part of backing up the industry’s request to government for further funding support for scientific research and development projects to advance our industry.

SIL staff are available as a resource to help industry members with planning of such projects, even if they are projects which may be undertaken with internal funding or with other potential forms of government support.

We will keep the industry up to date with progress on the application for a second cycle of funding from government – check our website for the latest information.

Until such time as the funding situation is clarified, Seafood Innovations is unable to accept any new project proposals for consideration for funding. 

However, we are still very interested in hearing from you if you have a potential R&D project.  It is helpful for us to understand what R&D the industry is keen to undertake.  This will be strategically important for SIL in pressing any case for future additional government funding.  

Staff are always available to provide general advice on research projects to industry participants.

To this end, we have provided a short template that you may wish to use to provide a basic outline of your proposed R&D project, as a basis for discussion.

The information below provides guidance as to the type of work SIL supports.  Seafood Innovations Ltd (SIL) was set up to assist seafood industry stakeholders to undertake exciting new research and development projects that will add value to your business and to the industry as a whole.

SIL aims to underpin growth of the New Zealand seafood export industry by helping companies to optimise returns on the current seafood harvest through developing innovative, value-added seafood and marine products that utilise, and extract optimum value from, every part of the fish.

In line with SIL’s business mission, assistance is aimed at:

• increasing the value of existing harvests; or
• reducing harvesting and processing costs; or
• enhancing consumer-driven product attributes.

We expect to see a significant element of novelty and technical/scientific risk in the research – with outcomes that provide the potential for a significant step forward for the industry. We do not fund “business as usual” projects or compliance issues such as resource consents or management plans.  We usually expect to see a partnership between a research provider and one or more industry stakeholder companies.

In order to pitch your project at the right level, we suggest project budgets in the range $50,000 to $500,000 per annum – although projects outside this range may also be considered.

All research projects must have one or more project sponsors who contribute a minimum of 45% of the total project budget (excluding administration fee – refer below). SIL and it shareholders will contribute up to 55% of the actual project budget.  Of the funding provided by the project sponsor(s), at least half must come from seafood industry stakeholders (defined as SeaFIC Levy Payers or Commercial Stakeholder Organisations, but may also include individuals or organisations deemed by the SIL Board to be an industry participant). IP ownership amongst the parties is determined according to this funding split. 

In addition to this, project sponsors must pay an administration fee to SIL equal to 5% of the total project budget (this fee does not contribute to IP ownership).  It should be noted that, as part of the SIL agreement with the Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST), sponsor contributions to the project costs must be as cash input.  In-kind contributions are not eligible for matching funding.