A NEW £99,000 fund will help Wiltshire farmers get ‘investment ready’ for green finance.
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) has been awarded £99,081 from Natural England’s Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) to support farmers in the county.
The funding will enable WWT, in partnership with Smart Land Management and Ecology, to work with farmers to develop nature-based projects which could secure private funding to deliver, such as Biodiversity Net Gain.
The initiative aims to engage with more than 100 farmers, supporting 15 to full project design and covering 100 hectares of land in becoming investment ready.
This could potentially unlock £12.5 million in private investment for projects generating biodiversity net gain, carbon credits, and other ecosystem services.
A series of online and in-person events are planned, designed to inform and encourage participation in environmental markets.
By fostering this knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning, the project will empower farmers to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the green economy.
WWT is running a series of engagement events for farmers
A central focus of the project is the development of detailed nature-based project proposals and associated documentation which will identify opportunities to maximise environmental services, such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancement, and water quality improvement.
Through these efforts, the grant will support the development of a pipeline of projects to create a strong foundation for future investment in nature-based solutions across Wiltshire.
Chelsie Fuge, head of nature recovery for WWT, said: “We are thrilled to receive this significant funding from Natural England, which will allow us to accelerate our efforts to restore nature across Wiltshire.
“By working closely with farmers, we can unlock the potential of the land in Wiltshire to create vital ecosystem services, while also providing new income streams for the agricultural community, delivering benefits for both people and wildlife.”
Simon Smart, from Smart Land Management and Ecology, said: “Having worked with Wiltshire farmers for over 20 years, I’m thrilled to partner with the Getting Wiltshire Investment Ready initiative.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and farmers across the county to identify, develop, and secure profitable investments in environmental projects.
“Together, we can support Wiltshire’s farming businesses while enhancing our natural environment.”
Farmers interested in finding out more about the project and how they can get involved should visit www.wiltshirewildlife.org/farming.