Youth Ocean Action Fund

Removing barriers for the next generation of ocean advocates. 

Individual Grant

The Individual Grant support young people with skills development, capacity building or training opportunities related to marine advocacy. This might include event ticket or transport costs, equipment or material costs (to support your advocacy), training courses or workshops, costs incurred as part of a volunteering opportunity, or other accessibility support.

If you are successful in your application, you will have three months to undertake the activity and spend the funds.

Applications will be open all year, with funding allocated in different seasonal rounds. The next deadline is 9AM 1st July for the Summer Round.

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£25 to £150 available!

Timeline & Deadlines

Applications are open year-round, with funding allocated four times per year. You may apply for up to two grants per year, though priority will be given to those who have not previously received funding from us. Please note that funds must be spent within three months of receiving the grant.

Next deadlines:

Spring round -  1st April 2026 (closed)

Summer round - closes 1st July 2026

Autumn round - closes 1st October 2026

Applications will be assessed within a week at the end of each round.

Previous Grantees

  • Louis, 23, Edinburgh

    “The YOAF helped me attend Coastal Futures Conference 2026 in London, where I had the opportunity to engage directly with policymakers, make connections within the sector, and increase my understanding of marine and coastal issues and what I can do to make a difference. I believe going to these events are so important for personal development, helping build confidence and feeling part of something bigger. Thank you to YSCS for making this possible.”

  • Tabby, 17, Isle of Jura

    “As someone living in a remote area, the Youth Ocean Action Fund allowed me to travel and attend the One Wave Ocean Summit in Glasgow. I found this experience so interesting and inspiring, and I’m so grateful to have been able to have attended in person, which may not have been possible without the additional funds. I learned a huge amount and loved listening to so many different speakers.”

  • Lorna, 24, Argyll & Bute

    "The Youth Ocean Action Fund enabled me to attend the Coastal Futures Conference 2026 in London, an eye-opening opportunity to connect with people across NGOs, industry, politics and research. As a young professional advocating for stronger youth and coastal community representation in marine decision-making, having my voice heard in that space was invaluable for both my early career and personal development."

  • Megan, 24, Isle of Arran

    “The Youth Ocean Action Fund allowed me to travel and attend two events, the Scottish Environment LINK Congress and the Project One Wave Summit. At both events I learned about current marine issues and was able to network and connect with professionals working in the conservation sector. Coming from an island community means that often I am unable to attend these events in central Scotland, but the YOAF fund made it possible for me to participate.”

  • Xiangru, 23, Edinburgh

    “I used the money to attend the Ocean Advocate Summit in Bristol on the 21st of February. It was a great opportunity to engage with passionate ocean advocates in a new community down in England! I talked to people of all backgrounds with a common goal of protecting the marine environment, and listened to stories of how they used their unique skills to do so. This was very inspiring and has motivated me to find my own ocean identity and pursue meaningful action.”

  • Cat, 22, Glasgow

    “The youth ocean action fund allowed me to attend the European Cetacean Conference 2026 in Dundee. It was an amazing opportunity to see the work across Scotland, the UK and Europe to protect whales and dolphins. The grant enabled me to attend the full five days of the conference, where these workshops were held. Opportunities like these are so important for professional development, networking and just staying passionate! I hope many others get the benefit of the grant, thank you YSCS.”

Other ideas and inspo

  • Example: Seasearch training course

    This one-day course develops your skills in marine species identification and teaches you how to record your observations and contribute to a nationwide citizen-science project. The techniques learnt can be used for shore surveys, snorkel surveys or dive surveys and the course includes a handy field guide to help with species ID.  See details here.

    Costs: Course fee £80-85  

  • Example: Outreach Materials

    Funding could support the creation or purchase of reusable outreach materials to help you engage others in marine advocacy. This might include items such as banners, display boards, educational resources, or other materials that can be used multiple times at events, workshops, or community activities to raise awareness of marine and coastal issues in Scotland.

    Costs: Printing a reusable banner

    Total: £40–£80

  • Example: Travel to Conference

    Funding could support costs associated with attending a marine-related conference in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK, like Sea Scotland or Coastal Futures.

    Costs: Ticket, travel to/from venue, accommodation

    Total: Variable

  • Example: Mini Artists' Residency

    Residencies are (usually) short periods of time where artists can develop their creative practice or work on specific projects in a dedicated and inspirational space. You could use the fund to organise a self-directed residency to work on your ocean artwork - whatever that means to you!

    Costs: Accommodation, travel, materials

    Total: Variable

How to apply

All applications should be submitted via an online form, which will ask for details about what you’re applying to spend money on. You don’t need any previous funding or application experience to apply. We offer different ways to apply — including audio, video or visual formats — so you can choose what works best for you. If you have any questions regarding the application process, want to talk through an idea, or need support with access needs, email us at contact@youthforseas.org.

Apply now

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • If you have questions or want to talk through your idea more, please attend one of our online Q&A sessions or get in touch at contact@youthforseas.org. 

  • Each application will be reviewed by at least two members of the YSCS team to ensure a fair and balanced decision-making process.

    We will use the following criteria: 

    • Is the request relevant to our funding priorities? (e.g. marine advocacy or accessing a marine action-related opportunity)

    • Is the request realistic for the level of funding available?

    • What is the potential personal or wider impact of this opportunity? (e.g. in terms of skills or capacity to engage with future ocean action)

  • If your application isn’t successful, you’re welcome to reapply in the next application round.

  • You will have three months from the date you receive the funds to spend them. The exact deadline will be outlined in your grant agreement.

  • We collect equal opportunities information (i.e. questions on race, class, gender, disability etc) for everything we do, so we can understand how accessible, inclusive and diverse our activities are, and make sure we’re engaging with young people from all backgrounds.  

    For the Ocean Action Fund, we will collect this data in your application form, however it will be separated from your application for review. We will follow our data Privacy Policy and all information will be kept confidential. 

  • All applications will be assessed on merit and alignment with the criteria above. If two applications have the same number of points, we may award an additional point to applicants from underrepresented backgrounds / identities (see above).  This is called ‘positive action’. 

    This is because these groups are currently underrepresented in the marine sector and YSCS in general, and we want to address these inequalities as best we can.  

  • You’ll need to provide evidence of all your expenses, equal to the sum of money you applied for/received. This will be set out in our Grant Agreement but will most likely be receipts and invoices – so remember to keep all your documents! 

  • We would love to hear how you used the money and what impact it had on you, your community or the ocean. We will invite all recipients to contribute a blog or social media post, presentation or something else to share their experience and help promote the fund for next year.