2007, over £2.5 million has been invested in 47 projects which have funded research and development partnership projects, grant assistance for innovative ideas and bursaries for students. Seafood Information Network (SIN) Seafish has created SIN, an information portal for the global seafood industry. SIN is an internet-based data source for business, researchers and service providers. http://sin.seafish.org Competitions The National Fish & Chip Awards The National Fish& Chip Awards recognise shops for producing the best fish and chips in the UK. The competition is split into regional finals and is awarded in late January. It was first awarded in 1988. Seafish Friers Quality Award An approved inspector checks the fish restaurant for its image, selection of food raw materials, hygiene and cleaning, handling and temperature control, packaging, management systems, and the training schemes provided. If of a high enough calibre, this award is given, which lasts for one year, giving a reasonable indication of inherent quality. The Seafish website allows you to find recognised fish restaurants in local counties and by speciality fish being served. Retailer of the Year Each year a main supermarket chain is given this award. Waitrose won it in 2009. UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year The UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year competition is open to all full-time and college based modern apprentice chefs. Highly regarded across the seafood industry for the valuable experience it gives to contestants, the competition provides young chefs with a platform to demonstrate their flair, understanding, skill and ability using seafood from sustainable sources. Launched in November 2017, teams of two are tasked with creating a three-course menu using specially selected seafood species. Regional heats take place across the UK, where the young chefs cook their menu with the three highest scoring teams from each heat going on to compete at the Grand Final. The prize for the winning team includes £500 for each team member, a Robot Coupe food processor and a £1,000 voucher for their college to spend on Russums catering equipment. In partnership with the Grimsby Institute. Seafood Restaurant of the Year Launched in 2015, the competition was created to find restaurants demonstrating both excellent examples of the cooking and serving of fish and shellfish, as well as evidence of fish and shellfish knowledge among their staff both front and back of house. In partnership with The Caterer. Previous winners include: The Salt Room, Brighton (2017)