The Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature (OCEAN) Grants Programme is a competitive grants scheme to support projects that aim to deliver lasting change to the marine environment and coastal communities. The programme is funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) as part of the UK’s £500 million Blue Planet Fund.

OCEAN Expert Committee

To ensure a range of views have been considered when making funding decisions, a committee of marine and development experts will be appointed to provide high quality, specialist advice on which applications should receive funding based on set criteria.

Applications are currently open to join the OCEAN Expert Committee and help support the programme in its first year.

We are looking for individuals who, as leaders in their field, can contribute at the highest levels and work effectively as part of the Committee.

Members will be expected to:

  • assess and score applications against the published criteria, to agreed timelines and standards, to enable Defra to award funding to high-quality projects,
  • provide strategic advice
  • champion the OCEAN grants programme

We would like to encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and global contexts, including the private sector, academia and professional institutions, non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders. Applicants can be based anywhere, but applications from those in low- and middle-income ODA-eligible countries are particularly encouraged.

How to apply

To find out more and to apply to join the OCEAN Expert Committee, please read our OCEAN Expert Committee recruitment pack.

The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon on Friday 1 December 2023.