GovWire

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) uses any personal information collected about you when your sponsoring company claims for the government funded Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) on your behalf. The MCA will use your personal data as necessary to carry out their public task of administering claims for the government funded SMarT scheme.

Government funded Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) is administered on behalf of the MCA by the Administering Body (AB), currently MaTSU, an independent unit of Ricardo Energy & Environment. MaTSU is not a policy making body but has an executive role in ensuring that the scheme is operated effectively by providing the funding direct to Training Providers and conducts audits to ensure compliance. MaTSU approves the payment of public funding to approved Training Providers (Sponsoring Companies) to support the costs of Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) approved training.

To find out more about how the MCA look after personal data, your rights and how to contacts our data protection officer please go to the MCA personal information charter page. The SMarT Scheme has its own privacy policy which you can to refer to here SMarT privacy information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Background

The Governments Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme has been running since April 1998 and part funds courses approved by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) for the training of officers, officer cadets and ratings. The initiative was primarily introduced to stem the decline in UK seafaring, by aiming to boost the number of UK qualified Merchant Navy Officers by offering funding towards their training. This, in turn, would ensure the UK, a major maritime hub, could continue to provide its own labour supply of maritime experts to meet the nations economic and strategic requirements. Qualified officers not only provide support to the economy at sea by ensuring delivery of essential goods and commanding high wages, but also through transitioning to critical shore-based occupations such as ship brokers, superintendents, harbour masters, maritime consultants, legal consultants, maritime lawyers, ship managers and, of course, MCA surveyors.

There are currently 4 SMarT Categories (1,2,3 and 5). These fund training towards a first and second Certificate of Competency (CoC), watch rating training and also rating to officer conversions and conversions from STCW 78 to STCW 78, as amended (95). More information can be found in MGN 455 (M).

The SMarT funding budget is currently set at approximately 20 million per annum. The budget is held by the MCA and is reviewed internally on an annual basis and as well as by our colleagues at the Department for Transport (DfT). Currently, UK based Training Providers (TPs) manage cadets recruitment, seagoing service placements, and their training & education requirements to become an officer. Payments are made to TPs to support this cost. TPs log on to the SMarT portal to provide the information required to obtain funding payments for each of the cadets they manage.

Who can claim?

SMarT covers up to 50% of actual training costs and is paid to the Training Providers (shipping companies) who sponsor the trainees, not to individuals or colleges. SMarT funding is available for MNTB and MCA approved merchant training programmes and centres.

Eligible Shipping Companies must apply to become a Training Provider within SMarT before they are able to claim for eligible trainees.

Unemployed seafarers wishing to train as either a Rating or who is a Rating and wishes to become an Officer, may apply for funding through the Merchant Navy Training Provider. More details can be found in MGN 455 (M) section 14.

How to become a Training Provider

To be eligible for receipt of payment under SMarT a Shipping Company must:

1. be an organisation based in, or a body corporate incorporated in, the European Economic Area (EEA) or the British Islands (the UK, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands);

2. have entered into a written Training Providers Agreement with the MCA undertaking to provide training places for eligible trainees; and

3. be able to provide and monitor the training opportunities necessary for trainees to meet the requirements of the relevant approved training programmes leading to a first UK CoC or other qualification eligible under the scheme.

How to access the SMarT Service

For eligible Shipping Companies interested in becoming an MCA Approved Training Provider, please contact the Administering Body for information:

You can also contact SMarT at MCA: