Project Eligibility Criteria
Date of posting: 03/09/2024
Vision – Generating corporate philanthropy for nature restoration projects in England.
Projects for Nature is still in pilot phase. To support this pilot, we are currently seeking to bring forward 5 projects that meet one of two specific criteria to help address identified gaps. Please indicate which criteria your project meets before proceeding with an application. Please note that we cannot consider your project at this time if it does not meet one of the following criteria:
1. This project is situated within an urban context or with an urban focus
2. This project is focussed on marine, coastal or estuarine habitat restoration
If you meet either of these criteria, please continue with your application and follow the eligibility criteria listed below.
Project Selection Criteria
Note: these criteria have been established for the pilot phase and may be adapted for any future phases.
Projects must be led by one of the following types of organisation:
• Charitable incorporated organisation, registered with the Charity Commission
• Not-for-profit organisation
• Community interest company
• AONB or National Park authority
• Local authority
• University or research institution
The lead organisation’s principle aims or objectives should be concerned with the protection and/or improvement of the natural environment.
Project partnerships must be led by an organisation that meets the requirements above, but the partnership may also include:
• For-profit organisations whose involvement is for public benefit rather than private gain
• Executive or advisory non-departmental public bodies
These organisations cannot be the lead applicant.
Project Eligibility*
All projects should be contributing towards government ambitions for nature recovery, as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). They should therefore be aiming to deliver against one or more of the following core themes:
1. Nature conservation and restoration – habitats and ecosystem restoration and/or species recovery
2. Nature-based solutions for climate change – mitigation or adaptation/resilience
3. Connecting people with nature – including access, engagement, skills or employment
We will also consider projects that meet one of the themes above, plus:
4. Innovation – such as new approaches or technology to delivering nature recovery
As outlined, projects must also meet one of the following essential criteria:
• Projects within an urban context or with an urban focus
• Projects that focus on marine, coastal or estuarine habitat restoration
Projects involving land acquisition will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with emphasis on the measures in place to ensure the long-term use of the land in question.
*Further information on the criteria is outlined in Annex A below.
Pilot Eligibility
In selecting projects for the pilot phase, we have also applied the following criteria:
• Projects must be delivering in England only – as these are within the remit of the Environment Agency and Natural England
• Projects must be receiving, or have received, government funding to date, but must be seeking funding for deliverables not covered by the received grant: for example, extension or expansion of a funded project
• Projects must be planned and costed, such that it is clear what the funding sought will cover and what will be delivered as a result.
• Whilst the delivery of environmental outcomes is not expected to be achieved within the six-month pilot period, projects must agree to provide delivery indicators during the funding period and may be required to provide updates to relevant donors in future
• The funding sought should primarily be in the range of £50k–£1m, although exceptions will be considered. This range will enable us to test the scale of appetite for corporate donation and to enable different sizes of business to engage with the pilot
• Projects must be willing to report on delivery and contribute to an overall evaluation of the pilot phase
Final Selection
P4N have applied additional criteria to the final selection of projects for the pilot in order to meet the objectives of:
• Testing different parameters for the pilot
• Ensuring sufficient interest from businesses
For transparency, the following additional selection criteria have been considered during selection for the pilot:
1. The project contributes to identified EIP targets and/or aligns with local priorities for nature
2. The project is ready to deliver, e.g. has all necessary permits, licensing and land agreements in place
3. Deliverability and sustainability: e.g. the project has a track record of delivery, established governance arrangements and legacy planning
As we are piloting this initiative to test the market and appetite from corporates to donate to nature recovery projects, we want to ensure that we can gather as much learning as possible to inform the development of future initiatives. In determining the final selection for the pilot, we have therefore tried to ensure:
• A range of themes and topic areas - As outlined above, we are currently seeking projects that help address identified gaps around urban and marine, coastal or estuarine.
• A range of funding targets and activities - To help inform learning from the pilot.
• Geographical spread - in seeking to ensure a good range of projects for the platform, we may seek to address geographical gaps as part of our selection process.
• Suitability of projects for corporate philanthropy
• Alignment with initial feedback on interests gathered from market testing with businesses
The number of projects on the platform will be managed. For the pilot, around 20 projects will be selected and some projects that meet the criteria may not be selected.
Reporting and Evaluation
Donors will expect projects they are supporting to report on the impact of their donation, so projects must be prepared to report on this. We will therefore require projects to collect qualitative and quantitative information to evidence their proposed outputs.
We will also expect projects to engage in a wider evaluation of the pilot. For example, we will be seeking to gather feedback on pilot participant experiences and impacts achieved.
Annex A: Further guidance on core themes
We encourage project developers to consider and set out how their project can contribute to one or more of the below core themes when registering their interest for potential future rounds of P4N. Where a project has already received funding from other sources to achieve the proposed activities, please specify how the funding you would like to seek through this initiative will build on that to enhance, extend or expand your project for greater impact.
Projects within an urban context or with an urban focus
Examples include:
- Green or blue spaces/infrastructure projects* to increase climate resilience in urban areas, contribute to nature recovery and/or provide multiple benefits for people (such as health and wellbeing)
- Urban nature-based water quality or water management initiatives that would benefit areas of high population densities, such as Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SUDs)
- Urban nature-based initiatives to tackle air pollution and enhance climate change resilience, such as street trees or hedge planting around public spaces
- Engaging communities in increasing or enhancing access with green or blue spaces to address health inequalities
- Creation or expansion of nature-rich active travel routes to connect urban centre with urban fringes
*For green infrastructure projects, we refer applicants to the Natural England Green Infrastructure Framework for best practice: Green Infrastructure Home (naturalengland.org.uk)
Projects that focus on coastal, estuarine or marine habitat creation or restoration
Examples include:
- Creation or restoration of priority habitats that demonstrate multiple benefits to marine species, birdlife and plantlife
- Creation or restoration of habitats that deliver multiple benefits for nature, climate and people, such as nature-based solutions or ecosystem services
- Maximising job, training and skills development opportunities through habitat creation and restoration
- Communications that create awareness of the natural and socio-economic benefits of your project
- Innovative approaches to baselining and/or ongoing monitoring within this environment
Nature Conservation and Restoration
Projects which aim to contribute to Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan goals and/or its Environmental Improvement Plan targets for thriving plants and wildlife.
In particular, projects contribute to the development of the Nature Recovery Network ambition and can demonstrate application of the Lawton Principles of:
• Bigger (e.g. expansion of existing sites)
• Better (e.g. improved condition of a site or SSSI)
• More (e.g. new sites or increased species and biodiversity)
• More joined up (e.g. creation of wildlife corridors or stepping stones connecting sites)
Examples include:
• Creation or restoration of priority habitats (as defined under Section 41 of the NERC Act)
• Improving the condition of SSSIs or other protected sites
• Creation or restoration of green and/or blue spaces
• Expanding existing sites through buffer zones or connecting sites through corridors and stepping stones
• Recovering nature at a landscape scale
• Recovering nature within a protected landscape
• Recovery of threatened native species or reintroduction of species where this aligns with the Environmental Improvement Plan
• Increasing the diversity and populations of native species such as insect pollinators
Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Change
Projects which aim to contribute to Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan goals and/or its Environmental Improvement Plan targets for climate change, particularly nature-based solutions for adaptation or mitigation.
Examples include:
• Tree planting, woodland restoration and management
• Creation, restoration or management of peatland
• Creation or restoration of permanent, wildlife-rich grassland
• Creation or restoration of wetlands
• Natural flood management
• River restoration, waterways bank protection and improvements
• Blue carbon habitat restoration projects
• Natural regeneration, land/soil stabilisation (e.g. hedgerow planting), wildfire prevention
• Urban green spaces for heat and flood management
Connecting People with Nature
Where suitable, projects should aim to contribute to Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan and/or its Environmental Improvement Plan targets for enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment.
This theme enables projects to outline the social benefits that could be achieved from their project, for example from increased access for health and wellbeing, learning new skills and creating employment opportunities.
Examples include:
• Creating or enhancing green spaces or improving access to nature for deprived communities or under-represented groups
• Developing opportunities to bolster physical and mental health and wellbeing
• Creating or improving nature-rich, active travel trails, boardwalks, signage, interpretation, accessible pathways and facilities etc.
• Increasing volunteering or employment of project officers, wardens, rangers, educators etc.
• Engaging communities through events, activities and education e.g. forest schools, research, citizen science for environmental conservation and improvement