Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) initiative to bring on next generation of skilled mariners
Posted on: 7 April 2026
A further year of financial backing for seafarer training in the UK has been unlocked through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
The Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) has been secured for a further 12-month period and funding will be available until 31 March 2027.
SMarT has deployed a multi-million-pound budget, provided by the Department for Transport, to support cadets, junior officers and ratings gain the skills for safe and successful careers.
Sponsoring companies can apply to SMarT to claim up to half of the total training costs for eligible trainees.
The latest extension to the successful scheme follows a previous 12-month continuation agreed for the same period last year.
Ajit Jacob, MCA Chief Examiner and Head of Seafarer Technical Delivery, said: “Training is vital to sustaining our skilled, safe and professional workforce as the foundation of the UK’s successful maritime industry.
“This funding reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting high quality training, ensuring cadets and junior officers have every opportunity to develop and progress.
“I’m delighted SMarT will continue to unlock training opportunities for men and women who might not have considered it otherwise. We hope their careers flourish wherever their new skills take them.”
SMarT funds provide financial support to those who want to progress in the maritime industry by, for example, supporting self-funded UK junior officers to complete a Management Level Certificate of Competency.
The aim is to increase UK seafarers, drive recruitment by encouraging men and women to consider a career in maritime, and to create opportunities for new companies to access the scheme.
Funding was formally extended through Marine Information Note (MIN) 678 Amendment 3, see here.
