CEFAS21-90 Seafood Innovation Fund Call 3 Feasibility Study (Application 1)

The Seafood Innovation Fund is a UK Government programme. It is part of the Science and Innovation Pillar of the UK Seafood Fund and aims to support research and development (R&D) activities to secure the future of the seafood industries.

The Seafood Innovation Fund is open for feasibility study applications to Call 3. The closing date is Friday 7 January 2022 at 12:00 noon. The programme is accepting proposals for Phase 1 feasibility studies up to a maximum of £50,000 and 5 months duration. Applications and supporting documents can be submitted through the Bravo Technical Envelope.

If you are submitting more than one application, this must be done through separate Technical Envelopes. Multiple applications to one Technical Envelope WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please contact Procurement via the Message Centre for details.

Expressions of Interest (EOI) can be submitted through Bravo before the deadline of Friday 12 November 2021 at 12:00 noon. You are still eligible to submit a full application even if you do not submit an EOI. If you submit an EOI, this MUST be submitted via the Message Centre on Bravo and NOT through the Technical Envelope.

Online briefing events will be held on Tuesday 19 October and Thursday 4 November at 10:00. Please see the timetable in the Invitation to Tender document for links to Eventbrite where you will need to register if you would like to attend.

Other key dates for this competition can be found within the Invitation to Tender document. No applications can be accepted after the deadline.

Applicants successfully awarded Phase 1 feasibility study funding through this Call will be invited to a further competition for Phase 2 full R&D project funding. This is a highly competitive process and not all successful feasibility studies that complete their projects will be awarded Phase 2 funding.

If you would like the application documents in Welsh, please contact Procurement via the Message Centre as soon as possible.

Additional information: Bravo E-tendering Portal - managing procurement on behalf of Cefas https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk

Thank you for your interest in tendering for this requirement, You will need to access the documents through Bravo Solutions portal using the link provided.

If you are new to Bravo, you are required to register as a supplier:

1) Visit https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk and click the link to register - Accept the terms and conditions and click 'continue' - Enter your correct business and user details - Note the username you chose (usually your email address) and click 'Save' when complete - You will shortly receive an email (check spam filters if this does not arrive in a timely manner) with your unique password (please keep this secure). You can then log onto the system and change your password. Once these step are completed you can apply for any tender on Bravo using these details.

2) To read the full details or apply for a tender: - Login to the portal with the username/password - Click the 'PQQs / ITTs Open To All Suppliers' link. (These are opportunities open to any registered supplier) - Click on the relevant PQQ/ ITT to access the content - Click the 'Express Interest' button at the top of the page. (This will move the PQQ /ITT into your 'My PQQs/ My ITTs' page) within your Bravo account. - Access the tender information by clicking 'Buyer Attachments' in the 'PQQ/ ITT Details' box 3.

3) Responding to the tender: - Click 'My Response' under 'PQQ/ ITT Details', you can choose to 'Create Response' or to 'Decline to Respond' (please give a reason if declining) - You can now use the 'Messages' function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification - Note the deadline for completion, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the requirements to upload a successful Tender. There may be a mixture of online and offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available) - Once all information is complete, you can then submit your reply using the 'Submit Response' button at the top of the page. Please give yourself enough time to complete this before the deadline. If you require any further assistance please consult the online help, or contact the e-Tendering help desk.

Please direct all questions and queries to Cefas using the message function of the portal, including any clarification questions. This is to ensure no questions are missed and that all answers can be shared with all interested suppliers at the same time.