Funding to help Wiltshire farmers get 'investment ready'
It's been awarded to the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Almost £100,000 of funding has been secured by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to help farmers in the county become 'investment ready' for green finance.
The funding, which totals £99,081, is from Natural England's Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF), and means the charity, alongside Smart Land Management and Ecology will be able to help develop nature-based projects which can lead to private funding to deliver, such as Biodiversity Net Gain.
The initiative hopes to engage with more than 100 farmers supporting 15 to full project design and covering 100 hectares of land in becoming investment ready.
It's believed that £12.5 million in private investment could be unlocked for projects generating biodiversity net gain, carbon credits, and other ecosystem services.
A series of online and in-person events will inform and encourage famers to participate in environmental markets, fostering knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning, while also empowering farmers to make the most of emerging green economy opportunities.
A core emphasis of the project is to develop nature-based projects that will find 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 Wiltshire Wildlife Trust 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."