FHF Wild Capture Fisheries R&D Program
Supports Applied innovation development grants for Norway's wild capture fisheries fishing vessel technology, bycatch reduction, gear innovation, and species specific processing.
FHF's Wild Capture Fisheries R&D Program sits inside the same seafood research funder and covers Norway's capture-side fisheries work rather than aquaculture. Its themes include fishing operations, shellfish, fresh and frozen whitefish, conventional industry, pelagic industry, and the framework conditions that shape the sector. The programme uses recurring calls, with PIB as a common label for hands-on innovation and business-development projects in gear and vessel technology. Applications go through the FHF portal with ID-porten login, project durations are usually one to three years, observed call sizes are about 3 to 10 MNOK, and the project database shows more than a thousand villfisk projects funded since 2000. Successful teams usually bring a practical operational problem, a clear link to fishing practice, and a project that can be tested in real vessels, gear, or processing settings. The programme is most relevant to Norwegian seafood firms, research organisations, and consortia that can deliver applied results with direct value for the capture industry.
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.
Supports white-fish trawl innovation in Norway by creating gentler harvest systems that reduce fish damage and preserve quality.
Supports wild-capture fisheries in reducing mackerel bycatch through practical decision-support systems co-developed with commercial fleets.
Supports development and onboard implementation of robotic fish handling systems to improve vessel operations in commercial fisheries.