Mariculture Incentive Grant

Mariculture Incentive Grant is sponsored by State of Alaska. Supports the development of the mariculture industry in Alaska by providing grants to eligible businesses.

Match Funding from the Mariculture Incentive Grant Program (MIGP) - Alaska Mariculture Cluster Governance Coordination Outreach Alaska Center for Energy and Power Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Alaska Department of Fish & Game Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation Alaska Mariculture Alliance Alaska Oyster Cooperative Alaska Shellfish Growers Association Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Chugach Regional Resources Commission Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District Ketchikan Agricultural Producers Association Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute Kodiak Economic Development Corporation Mariculture Innovation Center Oceanid Climate & Carbon Solutions Organized Village of Kake Pacific Shellfish Institute Prince William Sound Economic Development District Prince William Sound Science Center Rising Tide Communications Tongass Federal Credit Union UAA Prince William Sound College University of Alaska Anchorage University of Alaska Fairbanks University of Alaska Southeast Match Funding from the Mariculture Incentive Grant Program (MIGP) Lead Entities: Alaska Mariculture Alliance Grant Component: Revolving Loan Fund The Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA) opened the second round of match funding for the Mariculture Incentive Grant Program (MIGP).

The purpose of the MIGP is to provide dollar for dollar matching grant funding to mariculture farmers, processors, nurseries, and hatchery operations who are engaged in developing or expanding mariculture in Alaska. The program is funded by the State of Alaska. MIGP applicants must have a permitted mariculture farm, hatchery, nursery, processing facility, or other mariculture-related business located in Alaska.

Nonprofits are not eligible to apply, except for nonprofit shellfish and/or aquatic plant hatcheries. Applicants will be required to meet a 1-to-1, dollar-for-dollar, match requirement that can be satisfied through cash or loans, including collateralized loans from the AMC’s Revolving Loan Fund (RLF), launching in Fall 2024.

Both programs – the RLF and MIGP – are designed to stimulate private sector investment and support growing mariculture businesses without competing with existing finance options. For more information about the Revolving Loan Fund, please email jamey@seconference. org or visit the RLF webpage .

For information about the MIGP timeline, eligibility, and match requirements, please visit AMA’s website . Fully completed applications, with all required accompanying documentation, must be submitted by December 15, 2024. Incomplete or untimely applications will not be considered.

In 2022, Governor Dunleavy worked with Alaska Legislature to secure $5 million for a new mariculture matching grant program to help develop the industry. The grant was made to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) for the Alaska Mariculture Alliance, which created the MIGP to administer and distribute funding to mariculture businesses throughout Alaska.

In October 2023, the AMA began the first round of MIGP funding, and grant awards were announced in January 2024. Southeast Conference (SEC) is the federally designated Economic Development District (EDD) for Southeast Alaska, as well as the state designated Alaska Regional Development Organization.

SEC’s mission is to undertake and support activities that promote strong economies, sustainable communities, and a healthy environment in Southeast Alaska.

In September 2022, Southeast Conference was awarded a $49 million U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) grant to catalyze a viable and sustainable mariculture industry in Alaska, supporting the production of shellfish and seaweed, for the long-term benefit of the state’s economy, environment, and communities.

SEC leads the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) grant coalition, which includes members of Alaska’s mariculture industry, tribal organizations, regulatory agencies, university system, regional EDDs, trade organizations, and others. A Governance Body, composed of AMC coalition leaders and Tribal executives from each of the project regions, guides the grant’s work and equity metrics.

The AMC has complementary grant components designed to break down barriers and develop Alaska’s mariculture industry. The Overarching Narrative explains how the grant components work together to grow the industry in an equitable and responsible manner. The full project period for the Alaska Mariculture Cluster is October 1, 2022 to September 38, 2026, though some projects may be extended up until May 28, 2027.

RFP Opportunities, Jobs, & Industry News A project of Southeast Conference