BBRSDA PROJECTS & ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association’s (BBRSDA) mission is to maximize the value of the Bristol Bay fishery for the benefit of its members. This is largely accomplished by funding projects using monies from a 1% fleet-approved assessment on the value of salmon driftnet landings. BBRSDA was legislatively created for the following purposes, and proposed projects must fit into at least one of the items below:
(A) promotion of seafood and seafood byproducts that are harvested in the region and processed for sale;
(B) promotion of improvements to the commercial fishing industry and infrastructure in the seafood development region;
(C) establishment of education, research, advertising, or sales promotion programs for seafood products harvested in the region;
(D) preparation of market research and product development plans for the promotion of seafood and their by-products that are harvested in the region and processed for sale;
(E) cooperation with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and other public or private boards, organizations, or agencies engaged in work or activities similar to the work of the organization including entering into contracts for joint programs of consumer education, sales promotion, quality control, advertising, and research in the production, processing, or distribution of seafood harvested in the region;
(F) cooperation with commercial fishermen, fishermen's organizations, seafood processors, the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, the Fisheries Industrial Technology Center, state and federal agencies, and other relevant persons and entities to investigate market reception to new seafood product forms and to develop commodity standards and future markets for seafood products.
Accepted projects will be consistent with BBRSDA’s core purpose and strategic plan to improve quality and value, support research, conduct marketing and other fishery promotion efforts, maintain sustainability of the fishery, and strengthen the organization. Interested parties can view the BBRSDA Strategic Plan here: https://www.bbrsda.com/strategic-plan. Based on Internal Revenue Service 501(c))6) requirements, the organization must be primarily engaged in the improvement of a common business interest and not in the performance of “particular services” to individual persons (inurement). Further, the proposed project should aim to accrue project benefits proportionately amongst the range of participating fishing districts, gear types, permit classes, or member residency in conducting its business.
PROPOSAL EVALUATION & PROJECT EXECUTION PROCESS
Projects are evaluated and funded through an efficient and straightforward process:
1. Proposals are solicited by BBRSDA or may be submitted at any time by potential partners.
2. Staff reviews the proposal to ensure completeness and compliance with organizational goals and funding abilities.
3. A BBRSDA committee reviews and evaluates the proposal. The committee will either recommend funding for, reject, table, or request more information about the proposed project.
4. The BBRSDA Board of Directors considers the proposal and votes on whether to fund the project.
5. Staff creates a project agreement with those partners selected for funding, and the project is executed according to the project agreement.
BBRSDA will consider, but is not limited to, the following guidance in making its project selections.
1. The BBRSDA has a preference for cost sharing with others and for the potential project recipient to provide a significant source of funding.
2. The BBRSDA prefers not to own any physical assets, such as equipment or property.
3. Projects funded by the BBRSDA benefit all S03T permit holders, or the benefits will be widely dispersed among the fleet in relation to the amount of funding requested.
4. Single-year projects are preferred over multi-year projects.
5. All project awards will be implemented by a contract stating terms, conditions, and required deliverables.
In addition to proposals that conform to the statutory purposes of a regional seafood development association, the BBRSDA’s Articles of Incorporation, its Bylaws, and its Strategic Plan, preference may be given to projects and proposals that:
1. Provide defined benefits to a broad number of BBRSDA members;
2. Provide a return on investment; a benefit/cost analysis may be used to estimate impact(s) of a project and any metrics involving such aspects are very useful in proposals;
3. Are well researched, clearly written, and include a verifiable budget;
4. Are self-sustaining in the near future and will not require ongoing financial assistance;
5. Provide matching funds provided by the project recipient, i.e., higher rates of project support by the applicant are preferred;
6. Supply information useful by the BBRSDA in future projects; and/or
7. Provide solid means for evaluating project results after project conclusion.
8. The BBRSDA prefers to reimburse for verifiable projects costs or space out funding in based on project milestones or monthly invoices. The BBRSDA generally avoids providing grant funding where 100 percent of the funds are provided up front, but may approve such a project in certain situations.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & ELIGIBILITY
If you would like to propose a project for BBRSDA funding, we request that you use the “Project Proposal Template” provided below.
LINK: BBRSDA PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
Once your proposal has been submitted and accepted by BBRSDA staff, it will be put into a queue for evaluation by the appropriate committee. BBRSDA committees consist of three board members (and possibly other committee members) who perform a careful evaluation of each proposal, after which time they will decide to 1) recommend the project for funding, 2) reject the project, 3) table the project for later consideration, or 4) request more information before taking action. All projects which have been recommended for funding will go before the Board of Directors for a vote. If the Boards votes to fund a project, staff will follow up with a project agreement and the project will begin. In most cases, funding is spread out throughout the project and partners are required to submit a final, written project report which must be accepted by BBRSDA before a final installment is paid.
BBRSDA prefers to process proposals during the fall in coordination with its annual budgeting process. In general, it is most advantageous to have proposals submitted prior to October 1st at the latest for funding in the following calendar year. However, proposals are accepted at any time of the year and BBRSDA may choose to fund projects outside of its annual cycle if they are time-sensitive. Proposed projects submitted outside of the annual funding cycle are generally subjected to higher scrutiny as funding is typically more limited.
Project proposals are welcomed from permit-holders, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, private companies, research/academic institutions or state and local agencies that are in a position to carry out the project they are proposing. All information contained in a proposal will be treated as confidential.
Please reach out to BBRSDA staff if you have questions about anything related to project proposals.
