Schmidt Marine Technology Partners (Schmidt Family Foundation)

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Enriched International · Found: 2026-03-10 22:15

Supports development and scaling of novel ocean technologies: pollution detection, sustainable aquaculture, ocean monitoring, climate change mitigation. Bridges gap between scientific discovery and practical application in marine conservation.

Source: https://schmidtfamilyfoundation.org/program/schmidt-marine/

Funding Details

Funder: Schmidt Marine Technology Partners (a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation)
Funding Goal: Support the development of innovative marine technologies that restore and protect the health of oceans, covering sustainable fisheries, ocean observing/monitoring, habitat health, and network support for the marine tech community.
Funding Amount: Over $42 million granted to 85+ projects since 2015; individual grants vary (seed funding to larger multi-year grants). $3 million announced in grants in 2022.
Deadline: Rolling basis (Rolling)
How to Apply: Submit proposals via the online portal at https://schmidtmarine.secure-platform.com/a/. Schmidt Marine evaluates proposals across the technology readiness level (TRL) spectrum from concept through scaling.
Target Region: Global (with focus on ocean conservation challenges globally; 15+ countries represented among grantees)
Contact: Contact via https://schmidtmarine.org/contact-us/
Official Page: https://schmidtmarine.org
Last Checked: 2026-03-15 12:41

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include NGOs, universities, and companies/startups
Must demonstrate innovation potential; TRL 2 and above are considered
Global reach — no geographic restrictions on applicant location

Project Scope

Proposal must focus on a marine technology innovation (not solely a conservation policy or advocacy project)
Technology should have potential to solve ocean conservation challenges at scale

Required Documents

Must submit via the online proposals portal at schmidtmarine.secure-platform.com/a/

Constraints

Applications accepted on a rolling basis — no fixed deadline

Summary

Schmidt Marine Technology Partners (SMTP) is a grantmaking programme of the Schmidt Family Foundation that funds the development of innovative marine technologies for ocean conservation. Since 2015, it has awarded over $42 million to more than 85 projects in 15+ countries. The programme's thematic scope covers four focus areas: (1) Sustainable Fisheries — reducing by-catch, preventing illegal fishing, bringing transparency to seafood supply chains; (2) Ocean Observing — developing low-cost sensors, new power sources, corrosion and biofouling prevention; (3) Habitat Health — preventing coastal pollution, restoring critical habitats such as coral reefs and seagrass beds; (4) Network Support — building services and tools for the marine tech community's operational backbone. Eligible activities span the full technology readiness level (TRL) spectrum, from TRL 2 (basic concept) through proof of concept, validation, piloting, and scaling. Schmidt Marine provides both financial grants and non-financial support including business model development, IP planning, data infrastructure, and community networking events. Geographically, the programme is global with grantees in 15+ countries. There is no geographic restriction; proposals from any country are considered based on ocean conservation impact. Eligible applicants include NGOs, universities, research institutions, and startups (including for-profit spinouts commercialising conservation technologies). The programme explicitly supports grantees from concept stage through to commercial scale-out. Target beneficiaries are ocean ecosystems, fishers, and coastal communities globally. Grant amounts vary; the programme has awarded individual grants from seed funding up to multi-year support. In 2022, $3 million in grants was announced. Applications are submitted through an online proposals portal on a rolling basis.

Historical Context

Founded in 2015. Over $42 million in grants to 85+ projects since inception. 2022: $3 million in grants announced. Recent initiatives include Sustainable Fisheries Initiative (2023) supporting 10 organisations with new fisheries tools. Part of the Schmidt Family Foundation (tsffoundation.org).

Why it was added

R13-RF1: Marine technology funding for ocean conservation innovation

Sources

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