Open to applicants from a variety of sectors, the 2023 Saltonstall-Kennedy grant competition offers $10 million to projects that aim to increase opportunities for U.S. fisheries.
The Saltonstall-Kennedy Program administers a yearly grant competition which annually funds approximately 40 projects for $10 million that lead to the promotion, development and marketing of U.S. fisheries.
For the 2022 Saltonstall-Kennedy Competitive Grants Program, the National Marine Fisheries Service recommended more than $11.8 million for 44 projects. Now NMFS has announced that the 2023 Saltonstall-Kennedy grant competition is open.
This year's solicitation consists of two separate submission processes. All interested applicants must submit a two-page pre-proposal to the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applicants interested in submitting a full application after the pre-proposal review process must submit the full application through Grants.gov.
To those interested in participating, NMFS mentions that under this one Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO, there are two competition links under the "Package" tab. Submit your pre-proposals to the “PRE PROPOSALS FY23 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link and your full proposals to the “FULL PROPOSALS FY23 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link prior to the date specified in this NOFO. Be sure to read the NOFO and follow the directions closely.
The goal of the program is to fund projects that address the needs of fishing communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable. The FY23 solicitation seeks applications that fall into one of two priorities:
- Promotion, development, and marketing
- Science or technology that promotes sustainable U.S. seafood production and harvesting
NMFS seeks applications that demonstrate direct benefits to the U.S. fishing and marine aquaculture industries and applications which involve:
- Fishing or aquaculture community participation aimed at helping seafood communities to resolve issues that affect their ability to fish or farm
- Making full use of those species that are currently under federal or state fishery management plans
- Addressing the socioeconomic impacts of overfishing and overcapacity
According to the agency, U.S. fisheries include any commercial fishery, recreational fishery, or marine aquaculture operation that is, or may be, engaged in by citizens or nationals of the United States or other eligible applicants. The competition is open to applicants from a variety of sectors, including individuals, industry, academia, and state and local governments.
NMFS will host an informational webinar on the Notice of Funding Opportunity on Wednesday, June 15, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Eastern time. Follow the link to register for the webinar.
