BMT, a leading maritime design and technical consulting services organisation rooted in over four decades of industry expertise, has partnered with UK marine conservation charity Sea-Changers to launch the BMT Next Wave Fund, a new grant programme dedicated to giving children and young adults (aged 5-18) the chance to connect with the ocean through conservation-led experiences. The initiative follows BMT’s 40th year of operation in the UK, marking a new chapter in its longstanding commitment to the maritime sector and to supporting the communities and environments that sit at the heart of its work.

With an initial £20,000 donation from BMT, the BMT Next Wave Fund will support grassroots conservation and education projects across the UK, prioritising communities and schools with limited access to the coast. The fund aims to break down barriers to marine engagement, inspire the next generation of ocean stewards, and nurture the skills and values needed for future maritime leaders, while advancing BMT’s strategic ambition to reach a broader range of communities, including those that are harder to access.

Access to the coast is linked with improved wellbeing and drives greater environmental awareness. However, 11% of children under 14 in England have never visited a British beach. What’s more, demand for marine-focused youth initiatives already exceeds available funding, with Sea-Changers recently supporting more than 30 youth and school-focused projects in a single year. By creating a dedicated fund focused on children and young people, BMT and Sea-Changers are helping to meet this demand and ensure that more young people can experience the sea as a place of opportunity, not just a distant horizon.

Laura Blake, Head of Sustainability at BMT, said:

“The ocean is central to our industry and our future. As an organisation with deep maritime heritage, we recognise the sea as both an enabler of industry and a fragile ecosystem in need of protection. By partnering with Sea-Changers, we’re helping young people experience the marine environment first-hand, sparking curiosity and building STEM skills that will shape tomorrow’s innovators and protectors of our seas.

In October, I spent a day at the coast with a local primary school in Hythe with BMT volunteers and community partners. On a beautiful autumn afternoon, while helping students explore the foreshore, I met a young girl who was 10 years old and despite living near the sea, rarely had the chance to visit it. As she sifted through the sand and was looking at intertidal biodiversity under a magnifying glass, she looked up and said, “One day I want to be a scientist.” That moment captures everything this fund is about, how a small investment can open new worlds, spark curiosity, and inspire the next generation of ocean stewards.”

Rachel Lopata MBE, Co-Founder of Sea-Changers, added:

“We know that early experiences with the ocean can inspire lifelong care for our marine environment. The BMT Next Wave Fund enables us to reach communities who might otherwise miss out, delivering projects that combine education, conservation and inclusion.

BMT’s support as a founding partner is transformational – it allows us to scale our impact and reach the young people who need these opportunities most.”

The BMT Next Wave Fund will sit as a sub-fund within Sea-Changers’ established Main and Small Grants Programmes, drawing on a trusted framework that already supports UK-wide marine conservation. The initial £20,000 donation is expected to support around a dozen conservation and education initiatives delivered by organisations such as schools, youth groups, charities, NGOs and social enterprises, with 85% of the funding distributed directly to projects and the remaining 15% supporting effective programme management. Funding will help remove practical barriers to participation by covering needs such as transport, equipment, inclusive educational materials and specialist educators, enabling young people to experience and care for the marine environment while delivering measurable conservation outcomes.

Previous Sea-Changers projects – ranging from island beach-cleans, floating classrooms to youth shark academies, and mentoring schemes into marine careers – illustrate the kind of hands-on, local initiatives the BMT Next Wave Fund is designed to unlock. Sea-Changers will manage project selection, due diligence, monitoring and evaluation through its existing governance structures, ensuring that funded projects meet clear operational, financial and ethical criteria. This professional, third-party management model allows BMT to channel support efficiently to grassroots organisations that might otherwise be beyond its direct reach, while maintaining transparency, streamlined administrative process and robust oversight.

As the principal founder of the BMT Next Wave Fund, BMT will work closely with Sea-Changers to champion the fund and share its impact, while Sea-Changers remains the primary point of contact for applicants and communities. This collaborative approach means local groups engage with a familiar and trusted marine conservation charity, while also seeing the role BMT plays in making the fund possible and in backing projects that protect the marine environment and open up opportunities for young people. The partnership builds on BMT’s wider programme of charitable giving, education partnerships and employee engagement, reinforcing its commitment to use its maritime expertise, resources and heritage to benefit both customers and communities.

This collaborative approach means community groups engage with a familiar and trusted marine conservation charity, ensuring that support is channelled directly to those who need it most. This model frees up administrative resources for BMT, allowing for greater impact through charitable giving donations and paves the way for future employee volunteering, offering colleagues the opportunity to use their dedicated volunteering days to support marine projects first-hand. As BMT seeks increasingly innovative ways to deliver social value, this partnership reinforces BMT’s commitment to use its maritime expertise, resources and heritage to benefit both customers and communities.

Applications are now open for schools, youth groups and community organisations, with the next deadline on 31 March 2026.
Source: BMT