Marine Fund Scotland 2024-2025: general guidance notes

Fair Work First

Fair Work First is the Scottish Government's flagship policy (Fair Work First guidance) for driving high quality and fair work, and workforce diversity across the labour market in Scotland by applying fair work criteria to grants, other funding and public contracts being awarded by and across the public sector, where it is relevant to do so.

In carrying out their project, all Marine Fund Scotland grant recipients will be expected to give due regard to the Fair Work Framework. There are two mandatory Fair Work First conditions:

• All grant recipients awarded a Marine Fund Scotland grant will be required to pay at least the real Living Wage and provide effective workers' voice as a minimum standard. The conditionality to pay at least the real Living Wage applies to all UK-based staff aged 16 and over, including apprentices, who are directly employed by the grant recipient, and any UK-based workers who are not directly employed but are directly engaged in delivering the grant-funded activity, whether they be sub-contractors or agency staff.
• The grant recipient shall demonstrate that all workers employed within their organisation have access to effective workers’ voice channel(s), including agency workers.

Further information on both the real Living Wage and effective workers' voice conditionality can be found in the Scottish Government's Fair Work first guidance.

As well as demonstrating that they will meet the above two mandatory criteria, all applicants to the Marine Fund Scotland 2024-25 are also asked to commit to the following Fair Work First principals in a way that is relevant and proportionate for their organisation:

• investment in workforce development.
• no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts.
• action to tackle the gender pay gap and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
• offer flexible and family friendly working practices for all workers from day one of their employment.
• oppose the use of fire and rehire practice.

As part of the application process for grant funding, applicants are asked to provide a statement verifying their Fair Work First commitment and confirming it has been developed in agreement with the workforce. This would not apply where the jobs relate to workers who are a 'share fisherman' who are classed as self-employed by HMRC. In this case, a statement would not be required.

The Grantee shall provide any and all information reasonably required by the Scottish Ministers to satisfy themselves that the Fair Work First obligations herein, namely to pay at least the real Living Wage and providing access to effective workers’ voice channels, are being complied with.