Shipping shellfish seed, oftentimes across state or national jurisdictions, is a cornerstone of today’s shellfish aquaculture industries. All jurisdictions maintain regulations to eliminate, reduce, or mitigate biosecurity risks associated with moving aquatic animals, however regulatory compliance and enforcement remain major obstacles for industry and resource managers. The Regional Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Program (RSSBP) was created to collaboratively establish biosecurity standards and hatchery best management practices to assist all parties involved with permitting shellfish seed transfers. With support from the NOAA Sea Grant Aquaculture Workforce Technologies and Education Travel Grant Program, the RSSBP is hosting workshops and a focus group with participation from federal agencies (NOAA and USDA), state Sea Grant aquaculture extension specialists, RSSBP hatchery auditors, industry representatives, and members of the RSSBP project team. The goal is to expand the existing hatchery auditing framework to broaden program participation across diverse hatchery models, notably smaller local to regional facilities that at times can represent the bulk of seed availability for many shellfish farms. This presentation will discuss outcomes from this focus group and chart a path forward for broad participation in the RSSBP.