SEATTLE, WASHINGTON—The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) is seeking innovative proposals for its next round of Partnership Program funding in North American and Europe. All proposals are due to GAPP by July 20th and will then be reviewed by the appropriate GAPP Committee and the Board of Directors. Final funding announcements will be made no later than early September.
“Our Board continues to see incredible value in these partnerships and bringing so many new Wild Alaska Pollock products—now more than 3 dozen—to market with our previous partners,” said Craig Morris, GAPP Chief Executive Officer. “This year, we want to think even bigger, bringing new partners into the program and working to identify new opportunities for more unique products, including those made with Wild Alaska Pollock surimi and roe.”
GAPP is currently seeking applications for partnerships in both North America and Europe. For either partnership, GAPP welcomes proposals from any organization, in any country, with a desire to build awareness and demand for Wild Alaska Pollock in those specific marketplaces. The goal is to communicate the species’ storied attributes, with a particular focus on bringing this fish into new channels, new formats, or associating it with new influencers and/or recipes. All product inputs will be considered—fillets, surimi, roe, fishmeal, or oil.
GAPP has updated both the application and requirements for the partnerships and encourages all interested applicants to visit the GAPP website to review all necessary program requirements including a proposal template. GAPP will also host an informational webinar to answer questions from applicants prior to proposal submissions. This webinar will be scheduled soon and interested parties will be able to register for it on the GAPP website.
Last year, the GAPP Board of Directors approved over $2 million in funding for Partnerships in North America and Europe. This substantial investment funded dozens of unique projects where each partner submitted proposals bringing equal or greater funds to the table. To date in the program, GAPP has committed over $5 million to projects aimed at placing Wild Alaska Pollock into new forms, channels, or associated with influencers over the last two years.
“Our previous partners have created everything from Wild Alaska Pollock jerky to meal kits to trendy menu items at some of our favorite restaurants and convenience stores worldwide,” said Morris. “GAPP is here to help companies of all shapes and sizes with a vision and a dream for our fish. This is an opportunity to seize on the incredible potential to build awareness and demand for Wild Alaska Pollock, together.”
Application forms and additional information about the Partnership Program can be found here.
