Marine Fund Scotland 2022-23: general guidance notes

What documentation will I need to complete my application?

This section sets out what documentation you will need to complete and/or provide to submit your application to the Marine Fund Scotland 2022-23 on the MFF e-system. We may ask you for additional information or documentation that is not listed here, if this is necessary for assessing your application. This may vary depending on your/your organisation's status, the type of project/work for which you are applying for funding, and the size of grant you are applying for.

Completed business case

You must complete and submit a business case as part of your application for funding through the MFF e-system. A "business case" is where you set out your project's aims, costs, plan, outcomes, etc. and provide evidence to support this. We have developed a template document that you can use to write your business case. Please use this template to write your business case as it will guide you through a series of questions to help ensure you include the information that we need to understand and assess your project. The template will also help you to identify what additional documentation you may need to include in your application. This may vary depending on your/your organisation's status, the type of project/work for which you are applying for funding, and the size of grant you are applying for.

If your application does not include a business case, or the business case is incomplete, your application will be placed on hold, as set out in the 'What types of projects can apply to the Marine Fund Scotland 2022-23?' and 'How do I apply to the Marine Fund Scotland 2022-23?' sections of these Guidance notes. Those sections also explain what further steps are needed before your application can be released from hold.

You should aim to include supporting evidence in your business case – from a published source where available – for any proposed benefits that your project will deliver. For example, relevant evidence supporting any proposed contributions to climate change mitigation or adaptation.

Financial documentation

We need to carry out a series of checks on all grant applicants to confirm they are suitable to receive a grant award. This is called due diligence. To enable these checks to be completed, certain documents and/or information must be included in the application, either within or in addition to the business case. As well as the information in these General Guidance notes, the questions in the business case template will help you to identify documents you may need to include in your application.

The following documents must be submitted as part of each application (where applicable):

• last two years of signed (and preferably audited) financial statements, including:
  • profit and loss account
  • balance sheet
  • Directors' report
• details of:
  • internal/external audit function
  • policies on fraud, bribery and corruption
  • cash flow forecast

Depending on your/your organisation's status and the type of project/work for which you are applying for funding, you may also need to provide:

• confirmation you have contacted the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) regarding changes to your vessel, such as engine replacements, structural modifications or additions (vessels only). Responsibility for any work undertaken which renders a vessel unstable or unsafe remains entirely with the owner/skipper of the vessel. See further details in the 'Additional rules and obligations' section of these General Guidance notes.
• MCA Fishing Vessel Safety Certificate (vessels and young fishers).
• valid form of identification (ID) such as a current driver's licence or passport (we accept scanned copies). This is a requirement for sole traders and each partner in a partnership. Unincorporated associations or community groups must provide ID to verify the nominated person submitting the application on behalf of the group or association.
• evidence of engagement with impacted or affected persons, bodies or organisations, including those who may be negatively impacted.
• letter(s) of support from relevant bodies, individuals, or organisations supporting your application and the benefits you say it will deliver. For young fishers, a letter of support may include an employment reference supporting the applicant in their required level of experience to apply for funding.
• quotes for costs to be incurred:
  • for public law bodies, applicants must follow the relevant procurement rules that apply to them and the value of the work for which they are applying for funding.
  • for private applicants:
    • if the eligible quote is up to £1,500 (inclusive) – at least one quote must be provided.
    • if the eligible quote is from £1,500.01 up to £5,000 (inclusive) – at least two quotes must be provided or a comment must be entered into the e-system application explaining why at least two quotes have not been provided.
    • if the eligible quote is from £5,000.01 up to £50,000 – at least three quotes must be provided or a comment must be entered explaining why at least three quotes have not been provided.
    • if the eligible quote is equal to or over £50,000.01 – three quotes or evidence of tender including evidence of the evaluation system used, details of the chosen tender and scoring, is required.
• company/charity and Value Added Tax (VAT) registration numbers.
• organisation headcount and details of anonymised equality diversity monitoring information, including relating to the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010.