The ITF Seafarers' Trust Grant Application Form Guidelines

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Please read these guidelines before completing the application form.

Any group, organisation, church, independent mission or trade union interested in welfare work for seafarers in any part of the world may apply
It is not normal policy to make grants to individual seafarers or their dependants although the Trust has awarded humanitarian aid under exceptional circumstances

Your organisation must:
Have a proven record of dealing with seafarers welfare
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the facilities already in the port which can be accessed by seafarers
Have a constitution or a set of rules defining the aims and operational procedures of your organisation
Have a bank account in the name of the organisation
Be able to demonstrate that your project is sustainable
Be able to demonstrate that the project will benefit seafarers moral, physical and spiritual welfare irrespective of nationality, creed, race, language, sex or rank

We will check that the objectives and daily operation of your organisation are in compliance with the Trust Deed
We may ask for a copy of your constitution or set of rules describing the objectives of your organisation and how it is managed
We will actively scrutinise your welfare work in order to ensure that you do not have a primarily commercial or profitable approach in your activities

Typically, grants are available for:

Applications for the following are not likely to be supported:

Specific requirements apply to the following types of application:

If applying for a seafarers’ centre, at least 50% of the anticipated visitors should be seafarers
You must consider whether the seafarers needs could be better dealt with by provision of a port chaplain or welfare worker rather than a building
If you already have a seafarers’ club, this is not in itself evidence of a continuing need for one
If the property ceases to be a seafarer centre within 15 years (or other period agreed with the Trust) then the Grant must be repaid to the Trust pro rata
If the centre is on leasehold land you must provide a guarantee from the landlord that the centre will be used as a seafarers’ centre for at least 15 years

You must provide evidence that vehicles will be well used, properly maintained and insured
The Trust will not pay to replace lost, damaged or stolen vehicles
If applying for a replacement vehicle, the old vehicle must be at least 5 years old or have done at least 200,000km, (120,000 miles)
Applicants must give due consideration to alternative transport options eg. a smaller van or larger bus may be more efficient in some circumstances than a fleet of minivans

Funds can be provided to get a good project off the ground. These need to meet the following criteria:

Trust funding lasts for a limited period – typically 2 to 3 years
The project must be financially self-sustaining after the Trust funding period finishes
The project must be unique (pioneer project) or the project brings experience and benefit to other maritime welfare agencies

You can apply for any amount from £500 upwards. The average size of grant is around £40,000. However the amount applied for must be realistic considering the size of your organisation and volume of the operation.
The Trust will take into account your financial position when assessing the extent to which it can contribute to capital costs and/or cover ongoing running costs.
We will assess your ability to manage the funds requested. To do this we may request further information from your head office, endorsing trade union or other appropriate third party.
The greater the amount applied for, the more supporting documentation and checks are required.
The Trust will normally only provide one grant towards the capital costs of a project. Applicants should ensure that the full costs are established before making an application
Grants are made for specific items. There should be no unauthorised changes made to the allocation of funds

Applications up to £75,000 require a minimum of two months but may take up to 6 months
Applications over £75,000 require a minimum of 3 months but may take up to 12 months.

First complete this application form as carefully and completely as you can
Be careful to ensure that we can clearly read your writing
Answer all the questions – if you cannot then please explain why.
Ensure that you send the form to your head office and obtain their support
Discuss the application with your ITF affiliate and obtain their endorsement
Consult with your port welfare committee or similar
If you do not have the administrative ability to process a full application, contact the Trust itself for help

A representative of the ITF affiliated Union may contact you to arrange a visit or discuss your application
The Trust will contact you as soon as possible to inform you of the decision on your application
If successful, we will send you a letter explaining the terms and conditions of the Grant and what you need to do next
Your Head Office will be asked to sign the terms and conditions and return them to us with written acceptance of the offer and bank payment details
If the grant is for more than £75,000 it may be paid in instalments, if so, you will then need to draw up a payment plan

Although the views of the ITF affiliate and other third parties may be taken into consideration, only the Trustees can make decisions on grants

The Trust actively encourages the formation of port welfare committees or other demonstration of coordination between port users
The Trust aims to benefit the maximum number of seafarers when assessing projects
The Trust supports ship visiting as the primary method of promoting services to seafarers
Current surveys on seafarers needs demonstrate that their priorities are communication and transport
Further information on the Trust is available from ITF Seafarers’ Trust, 49-60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DR; tel + 44 207 403 2733; e-mail trust@itf.org.uk, and on our website at www.itfglobal.org/trust

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