ProSea Marine Education

What ProSea Marine Education does

ProSea Marine Education is an independent non-profit foundation (Stichting ProSea) founded in 1999 and headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, registered as an ANBI public benefit organization with the Dutch Tax Authorities. The organization develops and delivers marine environmental awareness and sustainable fisheries training to maritime professionals — including seafarers, fishermen, shipping crew, and students at maritime academies — across more than 20 countries. ProSea originated the IMO Model Course Marine Environmental Awareness (MC 1.38), which has been mandatory in maritime academies worldwide since January 2017, and has trained over 8,500 marine professionals since 2001.

ProSea's core product portfolio includes the IMO MC 1.38 course, the four-day "Fishing with a Future" course for fishing schools and companies (delivered since 2004), tailor-made courses for shipping and maritime service providers, a Train-the-Trainer program, and specialized courses such as "Cooperation in a Sustainable Fish Supply Chain" and "Future Leaders' Course." Delivery methods include on-site training at client locations or at ProSea's Utrecht facilities, blended e-learning modules, and toolbox meetings for corporate clients. The underlying technology is a human-delivered educational methodology built on four stated principles: challenge without accusing, develop personal responsibility, treat conservation and economic viability as complementary, and use the latest insights.

The business model is professional-services and grant-funded. ProSea generates revenue from paid training courses delivered to maritime academies, shipping companies (Royal Boskalis, Heerema, Saipem, Port of Rotterdam), fishing companies, and maritime service providers, alongside project-based consulting income from EU-funded programs (Catching the Potential, STARFISH, Turning Blue, IFFS Ghana), Dutch government commissions (e.g., the former Ministry of Economic Affairs' "Vist ik het maar" knowledge platform), and European Commission baseline studies. The organization operates with a stable team of approximately eight staff plus one US-based freelance senior project manager, distributed across course leadership, project management, and finance functions.

Name

ProSea Marine Education

Legal name

Stichting ProSea

Website

https://prosea.info

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ProSea Marine Education is a Dutch non-profit foundation that develops and delivers marine environmental awareness and sustainable fisheries training to maritime professionals, shipping companies, and maritime academies worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Environmental Education and Training

NAICS

Fishing (1141), Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime Safety, Security & Compliance (STCW/ISM/ISPS) (EDAOANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maritime Safety Management Systems & Training (ISM/ISO 45001, Drills, Competency) (TLAHANAF), Seafood & Aquaculture Certification Services (MSC/ASC/BAP) (AFALAMAL), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Maritime environmental training
• Sustainable fishing education
• Marine awareness courses
• IMO model course training
• Shipping sustainability training

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Courses: ProSea generates revenue through providing marine environmental awareness and sustainable fishing courses to maritime professionals, shipping companies, fishing companies, and maritime service providers. Course types include standard IMO model courses, tailor-made courses, and Train-the-Trainer programs.
2. Project-based Consulting: Revenue generated through EU projects, baseline studies for governments, and knowledge platform management for the Dutch fishing industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ProSea Marine Education develops and delivers marine environmental awareness and sustainability training for maritime professionals worldwide. The organization created the IMO Model Course MC 1.38 on Marine Environmental Awareness, which became mandatory in maritime academies globally in 2017, and offers tailor-made courses, sustainable fishing training, and Train-the-Trainer programs across shipping, fishing, and maritime service sectors.

Product overview

ProSea Marine Education offers a portfolio of marine environmental awareness and sustainable fisheries training courses to maritime professionals globally. The core offerings include the IMO Model Course Marine Environmental Awareness (MC 1.38), which is mandatory for maritime academies worldwide since 2017, and the Fishing with a Future course for the Dutch fishing industry since 2004. The company provides tailor-made courses developed for specific client needs and a Train the Trainer program. Training spans three main sectors: shipping (maritime academies and shipping companies), fishing (fishing schools, companies, and combined groups), and maritime services. ProSea operates as an independent, non-profit organization and has trained over 8500 marine professionals in more than 20 countries since 2001.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vist ik het maar: Knowledge platform for Dutch fishing industry developed by ProSea, commissioned by Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. Now owned by Dutch fishing industry with ProSea managing daily operations.

Products and services

• IMO Model Course Marine Environmental Awareness (MC 1.38) International Maritime Organization model course on marine environmental awareness developed by ProSea, mandatory in maritime academies worldwide since January 2017. Focuses on the human element in marine environmental protection.
• Tailor-made Marine Environmental Awareness Course

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8,500 marine professionals trained since 2001
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProSea collaborated with NAMEPA to develop a guide outlining the importance of compliance with MARPOL regulations, serving as an educational resource for maritime professionals.
• DeloittemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProSea partnered with Deloitte and Wageningen University & Research to conduct a baseline study on training and certification requirements for fishers in EU Member States for the European Commission.
• Wageningen University & ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProSea collaborates with Wageningen University & Research on EU-funded studies and projects including the baseline study for the European Commission and supervising student case studies on marine topics.
• Catching the Potential ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProSea leads a consortium of 10 partners in the Catching the Potential project, which aims to develop a European/international standard for sustainable fisheries training.
• STARFISH (Strategic Trainer Alliance for Responsible FISHing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTARFISH is an Erasmus+ initiative dedicated to modernising basic training for the European fishing sector, with ProSea as a core consortium partner.
• Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food QualitycoreOthersFormerly Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, commissioned ProSea to develop the 'Vist ik het maar' knowledge platform for the Dutch fishing industry.
• International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProSea pilots safety and sustainability training for small-scale fishers in Ghana under the IFFS, bringing international best practices to developing fishing communities.
• FEMENA (Foundation for Environment Education in the Mediterranean and North Africa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProSea collaborated with FEMENA on the 'Marine SafeNet Ghana' project focusing on fishing safety and sustainability training.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA): NAMEPA is a maritime industry nonprofit dedicated to preserving the marine environment through education and outreach, directly comparable to ProSea's marine environmental awareness mission. ProSea has a documented collaboration with NAMEPA on MARPOL compliance education, confirming operational overlap in scope and target audience.
• Lloyd's Maritime Academy: Lloyd's Maritime Academy delivers professional development courses and vocational training to maritime professionals across compliance, safety, and sustainability topics. Its portfolio and target audience overlap directly with ProSea's course offerings for shipping companies and maritime academies.
• Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz: Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz is a Dutch maritime education provider that both purchases ProSea MEAC e-learning materials and delivers maritime training independently. It represents the same niche of vocational maritime education with overlap in environmental curriculum.

Broad incumbents

• Maersk Training: Maersk Training is a global maritime and offshore training provider serving shipping companies, offshore energy, and wind sectors. It competes with ProSea in the broader maritime training market, especially for enterprise shipping customers needing environmental and sustainability modules.
• STC Group: STC Group is a Dutch shipping and transport college that delivers MEAC training to students using ProSea curriculum. It is both a customer and a potential competitor, as it integrates maritime sustainability modules into its own program offerings at Rotterdam, Zwolle, and Katwijk.
• Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy: Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy is a global maritime training provider offering courses across engine room operations, environmental compliance, and seafarer certification. It overlaps with ProSea in maritime environmental and safety training for shipping professionals.
• Marlins (V.Group): Marlins provides e-learning, testing, and crew training solutions for the maritime sector under V.Group, including environmental and sustainability modules. It is a credible adjacent competitor offering digital delivery at scale to ProSea's same shipping-company customer base.
• Ocean Technologies Group (Seagull Maritime): Ocean Technologies Group, including the Seagull Maritime brand, is a major provider of maritime e-learning, crew competence management, and onboard training solutions. It serves shipping companies and academies globally and competes for the same blended-learning budgets as ProSea.
• KVH Industries: KVH provides maritime connectivity, training content, and crew welfare solutions, including regulatory compliance and environmental modules delivered via its VSAT-enabled platform. It is an adjacent incumbent that can bundle training with shipboard connectivity services.

Others

• Wageningen University & Research: Wageningen University & Research is a leading Dutch research and education institution collaborating with ProSea on EU-funded fisheries studies and student supervision. While not a direct competitor, it is a strategic partner shaping marine sustainability curriculum and research that ProSea operationalizes into training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ProSea Marine Education