ITF Seafarers' Trust
UK-registered charity founded in 1981 that makes grants and runs programmes to advance the welfare of seafarers worldwide, funded by its own capital and the ITF Welfare Fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ITF Seafarers' Trust does
ITF Seafarers' Trust is a UK-registered charity (No. 281936), founded in 1981 and headquartered at ITF House, 49-60 Borough Road, London, that operates as a dedicated grant-making foundation for the welfare of seafarers and their families worldwide. It is funded by its own capital funds and the investment income of the Welfare Fund at the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), which represents nearly 20 million transport workers across 147 countries. The Trust disburses grants to frontline welfare organisations and runs a portfolio of programmes spanning emergency relief, port-based welfare, occupational safety training (OSHports), maritime medical research (TMAS collaborative reports), scholarship programmes with World Maritime University and the International Maritime Law Institute, and the annual 'Life at Sea' photography project and archive.
ITF Seafarers' Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ITF Seafarers' Trust
- Legal name
- ITF Seafarers' Trust
- Website
- https://seafarerstrust.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- UK-registered charity founded in 1981 that makes grants and runs programmes to advance the welfare of seafarers worldwide, funded by its own capital and the ITF Welfare Fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ITF Seafarers' Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Seafarer Welfare Grants
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (488390)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Medical Assistance & Ship-to-Shore Healthcare Coordination (TLAHAJAG)
Keywords
Where ITF Seafarers' Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ITF Seafarers' Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Trust Capital Funds: The Trust is funded by its own capital funds and by the investment income of the Welfare Fund at the International Transport Workers' Federation.
- Project Grants: Grants to organizations for specific projects including emergency relief, welfare services, research, scholarships, and capacity building programs for seafarer welfare.
- ILO Project Funding: EUR 500,000 donation to the International Labour Organisation to support institutional capacity building to enhance protection of seafarers' rights in the Arab World.
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
ITF Seafarers' Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ITF Seafarers' Trust is a UK-registered charity that makes grants and runs programmes to advance the wellbeing of seafarers and maritime workers worldwide. Its core activity is funding frontline welfare organizations through project grants, emergency relief, scholarships, port-based welfare support, occupational safety training, and research initiatives. The Trust is funded by its own capital funds and the investment income of the ITF Welfare Fund.
Product overview
ITF Seafarers' Trust operates primarily as a grant-making organization that funds programs advancing the wellbeing of maritime workers and seafarers. Its portfolio includes the Shore Leave 3.0 mobile app for seafarer welfare centres, the Life at Sea photography project and archive, TMAS collaborative research reports on maritime medical assistance, and the OSHports occupational safety training program. The organization also manages scholarship programs with World Maritime University and International Maritime Law Institute, emergency relief funding for disaster response, and grants for port-based welfare services including seafarers' centres and transport. The MLC Academy open courses support implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Life at Sea: Photography archive project and annual competition showcasing seafarers' experiences
- OSHports
- Shore Leave 3.0
- TMAS Collaborative Reports
Products and services
- Port-Based Welfare Grants Funding provided to organizations delivering port-based services for seafarers, including seafarers' centres, vehicles for transport, shore leave facilitation, and recreation services. For welfare organizations operating in port communities.
- Emergency Relief Funding Emergency funding to support seafarers and their families in crisis situations including natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies. For seafarer welfare organizations responding to acute events.
- Maritime Education Scholarships Scholarship programmes with the World Maritime University and the International Maritime Law Institute providing educational support to seafarers and maritime professionals. Alumni join the ITF Seafarers' Trust Alumni Network.
- OSHports Training Programme Three-stage occupational safety and health education programme for port workers, initially rolled out across 31 ports in 12 countries in the ITF Arab World region.
- Shore Leave 3.0 Mobile App Mobile application providing information on the location of Seafarers' Centres around the world and the services they offer to seafarers, with optional QR code raffle participation. Available on Google Play and Apple App Store.
- Life at Sea Photography Project Annual photography competition and archive project showcasing seafarers' experiences at sea, with more than 13,000 images submitted since 2020. Photographs are exhibited at museums and maritime institutions globally.
- TMAS Collaborative Reports Annual collaborative reports presenting telemedical medical assistance data from European TMAS services (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, UK) to improve seafarer healthcare.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 13,000 photographs in Life at Sea archive, exhibited internationally at IMO, ILO, National Maritime Museum Greenwich, and L.A. Maritime Museum.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ITF Seafarers' Trust
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ITF Seafarers' Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
ITF Seafarers' Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- European TMAS ServicescoreCollaboration among European Telemedical Maritime Assistance Services including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, and UK. The TMAS group promotes cooperation and exchange of best practices to enhance quality of care for seafarers. Published third collaborative report in 2025.
- Danish National Maritime Museum (M/S Museet for Søfart)flagshipLife at Sea exhibition showcasing 46 photographs from ITF Seafarers' Trust archive running from March 2026 to March 2027 at the museum's new 'Deck' exhibition platform.
- International Labour Organisation (ILO)coreThe ITF Seafarers' Trust announced EUR 500,000 funding to the ILO on the 20-year anniversary of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. The donation supports institutional capacity building to enhance protection of seafarers' rights in the Arab World. The Trust also funds a 3-year project with ILO and ITC-ILO to improve MLC implementation and enforcement across regional Memoranda of Understanding.
- International Seafarers' Welfare Assistance Network (ISWAN)corePartnership at ITF Milaap 2026 Expo to raise awareness about recruitment fraud affecting Indian seafarers. Joint efforts with MACN, IHRB, and DG Shipping to protect seafarers from exploitation.
- Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN)coreCollaboration at ITF Milaap 2026 to address recruitment fraud through education and enforcement. MACN provided expert presentation on corruption in maritime recruitment.
- Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB)corePartnership at ITF Milaap 2026 to address seafarer recruitment fraud. IHRB works on shipping industry human rights responsibilities through its Shipping Programme.
- Tas Bull Seafarers Foundation (TBSF)coreFunding provided to TBSF for Seafarer Connect program expanding free WiFi connectivity to seafarers in Queensland ports. Grant supports 50 WiFi devices across Australian ports, with over 300 daily users.
- National Maritime Museum GreenwichflagshipPartnership to document life at sea during COVID-19 pandemic through oral histories and photography. The Trust supports the National Maritime Museum in recording seafarer experiences for the permanent collection. Includes participation in Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing.
- Mission to SeafarerscoreCollaboration with the Trust and National Maritime Museum to record oral histories of seafarers stranded at sea during COVID-19 pandemic. Chaplains associated with Mission to Seafarers trained to record stories from seafarers globally.
- Neptune Declaration SignatoriesflagshipThe Trust joined over 300 organizations in signing the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change, defining four main actions to support crew changes: recognizing seafarers as key workers, establishing health protocols, increasing collaboration, and ensuring air connectivity.
- World Maritime University (WMU)coreThe Trust funded research by WMU titled 'A Culture of Adjustment' on systemic failures in implementation of regulatory regime for seafarers' hours of work and rest. The partnership supports independent research to drive policy improvements in maritime safety and seafarer welfare.
- International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA)corePartnership for ICMA Ship Visitor App managed by Sailors' Society to support ship visiting in ports globally. Trust provided 2-year funding for app development including vehicle tracking feature.
- Sailors' SocietycoreSailors' Society manages the ICMA Ship Visitor App on behalf of the Trust. Contact: Paul Langham for app implementation support.
- International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI)coreScholarship partnership providing funding for students to attend IMLI. Part of Trust's educational support programs building capacity in maritime law expertise globally.
- World Maritime University (WMU)coreScholarship partnership providing funding for students to attend WMU. Alumni invited to join ITF Seafarers' Trust Alumni Network for ongoing engagement and professional development.
- Seafarers' Rights International (SRI)coreOperational support provided by the Trust to SRI as part of the organization's funding of maritime welfare organizations.
- International Seafarers Welfare Assistance Network (ISWAN)coreOperational support provided to ISWAN as part of the Trust's funding of organizations delivering frontline seafarer welfare services.
- International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)flagshipThe Trust is funded by investment income of the ITF Welfare Fund. ITF is a global federation of transport workers' unions representing nearly 20 million members across 147 countries.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ITF Seafarers' Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Seafarers UK: Seafarers UK is a UK-based charity that funds welfare services for seafarers and their families. It shares the same grant-making model, beneficiary base, and maritime welfare mission as the ITF Seafarers' Trust.
- Seafarers' Rights International (SRI): SRI is a registered charity that receives operational support from the ITF Seafarers' Trust. It focuses on the legal rights and protection of seafarers, making it a directly comparable mission-aligned peer.
- Mission to Seafarers: Mission to Seafarers is a global port-based welfare charity that collaborated with the Trust and the National Maritime Museum on the COVID-19 oral histories project. They share overlapping seafarer welfare missions and a global port network.
- International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA): ICMA is a fellowship of Christian maritime welfare organizations that partners with the Trust on the Ship Visitor App. Both serve seafarers through faith-based and welfare networks across global ports.
- TK Foundation: TK Foundation is a maritime-focused philanthropic foundation that co-funded the Trust's COVID-19 Welfare Fund. It is a directly comparable grant-making foundation serving the maritime sector.
- Apostleship of the Sea (Stella Maris): Stella Maris is a Catholic maritime charity providing practical and pastoral support to seafarers in ports worldwide. It operates in the same port-based welfare space as the Trust's port welfare grant program.
- International Seafarers' Welfare Assistance Network (ISWAN): ISWAN is a global charity network that coordinates and supports port-based welfare services for seafarers. The ITF Seafarers' Trust directly funds ISWAN as a frontline welfare provider, making them a closely-aligned peer in mission and beneficiary base.
- Sailors' Society: Sailors' Society is a maritime welfare charity that runs the ICMA Ship Visitor App on behalf of the Trust. It provides direct services to seafarers and shares the same target beneficiaries and grant-funding ecosystem.
Others
- International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF): ITF is the parent organization providing funding through its Welfare Fund and the source of the Trust's network. It is included as an ecosystem/parent stakeholder rather than a comparable peer, since it operates as a global union federation rather than a welfare grant-maker.
Broad incumbents
- International Maritime Organization (IMO): IMO is the UN specialized agency with regulatory authority over international shipping. The Trust partners with and exhibits at IMO, and aligns its MLC-related projects with IMO frameworks, making it a broad institutional stakeholder rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ITF Seafarers' Trust social profiles
Digital presenceITF Seafarers' Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ITF Seafarers' Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
ITF Seafarers' Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ITF Seafarers' Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ITF Seafarers' Trust
What does ITF Seafarers' Trust do?
ITF Seafarers' Trust is a UK-registered charity that makes grants and runs programmes to advance the wellbeing of seafarers and maritime workers worldwide. Its core activity is funding frontline welfare organizations through project grants, emergency relief, scholarships, port-based welfare support, occupational safety training, and research initiatives. The Trust is funded by its own capital funds and the investment income of the ITF Welfare Fund.
Is ITF Seafarers' Trust a public or private company?
ITF Seafarers' Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ITF Seafarers' Trust founded?
ITF Seafarers' Trust was founded in 1981. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ITF Seafarers' Trust based?
ITF Seafarers' Trust is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ITF Seafarers' Trust make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Trust Capital Funds are the primary driver. The others are project Grants and ILO Project Funding.
Who are ITF Seafarers' Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Seafarers UK, Seafarers' Rights International (SRI), Mission to Seafarers, International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA), TK Foundation, Apostleship of the Sea (Stella Maris), International Seafarers' Welfare Assistance Network (ISWAN) and Sailors' Society. International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is listed as an others. International Maritime Organization (IMO) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ITF Seafarers' Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for ITF Seafarers' Trust.
What industry is ITF Seafarers' Trust in?
ITF Seafarers' Trust's product category is Seafarer Welfare Grants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHAJAG, Medical Assistance & Ship-to-Shore Healthcare Coordination. Its NAICS code is 4883 and its SIC code is 4400.