Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA): Nature Recovery Challenge Fund

Overview

DAERA administers the Environment Fund (EF) to work with not-for-profit voluntary sector and district council partners to deliver key environmental outcomes including: the protection, improvement and monitoring of priority habitats and species and fresh and coastal waters; the promotion of understanding, appreciation and action for the environment; and enhanced access to the natural environment with their associated benefits to health and wellbeing. 

These will be projects which will help effectively deliver key environmental outcomes in Northern Ireland, particularly those where DAERA has National and International commitments and identified in the legislative and policy framework for which DAERA has responsibility. 

The focus for this Fund is the following Environmental Impact Priorities: 

1. Nature and Climate Recovery: Building Ecological and Climate Resilience, Landscape, water, habitats, species and earth science condition and extent maintained and improved 
2. Connecting People with the Environment: Connecting with the natural environment, understanding it and taking action to have a positive effect on it

Project Outcomes

Key areas that this Environment Fund may consider within the Strategic Environmental Outcomes in the Strategy include: 

• Outcome 1: Excellent Air, Land and Neighbourhood Quality 
  • Water Resources: Quality & Quantity 
  • Marine and Coastal Water Resources: Quality & Quantity 
  • Neighbourhood Environment Quality 
• Outcome 2: Healthy & Accessible Environment & landscapes Everyone Can Connect with and Enjoy 
  • Connecting People to the Environment: Landscapes, Seascapes & Natural Beauty 
  • Connecting People to the Environment: Outdoor Recreation & Natural Space Provision
  • The Next Generation 
• Outcome 3: Thriving Resilient & Connected Nature & Wildlife 
  • Protecting Nature on Land 
  • Protecting Nature at Sea
  • Natural Capital

Environment Fund Strands

There are 3 Strands to the Environment Fund which are further described below: 

1.  Multi-year Strategic Environment Fund 
2. Strand 2 Strategic Strand including: 
   1. Land purchase; and 
   2. New projects leveraging significant match funding. 
3. Environmental Challenge Competitions

Multi-year Strategic Strand 

This is funding to support the delivery of strategic environmental projects. 

The Overarching Eligibility Criteria for this Strategic Strand is: 

Grant applications may be submitted by not-for-profit organisations or councils which will deliver measurable key environmental outcomes. Projects should deliver outcomes at a Northern Ireland wide scale, sub-regional scale, water catchment scale, be related to a designated site or on DAERA owned/managed natural environment sites. 

• It is expected that the Strategic Strand of the Environment Fund will run for up to five years from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028. 
• Eligible organisations seeking funding to deliver outcomes between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2028, must submit a completed 
• Application by the closing date.
•  It is not expected that this Strand will open again during this 5-year period. 
• Prior to application you should discuss your proposal with relevant NIEA and EMFG staff to maximise the opportunities for your project to partner with DAERA to meet its environmental priorities. They will advise you whether there are other organisations who are undertaking similar projects with whom you should be working in partnership and will help determine whether the project may be a priority for funding.

This discussion will focus on how your organisation and the proposed activities could meet the: 

• Overarching Eligibility Criteria including the Overarching Factors.
• Environmental Impact Priorities

Strand 2 

Additional funding applications may be considered for high priority strategic projects which could not foreseeably have applied to the Strategic Strand in 2022. 

Applications for these grants can be submitted at any time if invited after advice is sought from the EF Grant Administration Team. 

No budget is set aside for Strand 2 so DAERA will have to submit bids for funding. 

The key areas where this funding may be considered include: 

• Land purchase Grants for land purchase under the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (NI) Order may be considered for projects that will deliver significant conservation or access benefits. The applicant must show that: 
  • The resource or feature cannot be effectively protected, enhanced or created by other more cost-effective means.
  • Their constitution enables them to buy and manage land and provide public access where applicable and the proposal is within the applicant organisation’s strategic land policy priorities for land purchase and management.
  • They have the ability (resources and experience) to manage the site long term for conservation or access purposes.
  • A habitat survey report must be provided with an application for land purchase.
  • A Valuation Report must be provided by the Land and Property Services District Valuer to verify the land value. EF will not provide funding at a level above the District Valuer’s valuation. 
• Projects which would lever significant match funding Projects which meet the priorities which require a small element of match funding to lever funds from other bodies such as National Lottery Heritage Fund.

If you propose applying for a Strand 2 grant you MUST contact the EF Grant Administration Team to discuss any possible application. If it is agreed that an application for Strand 2 funding might be appropriate, the Application Form and Guidance Notes will be emailed to you for completion.

Environmental Challenge Competitions 

When sufficient budget may be available, and the Department identifies emerging priority areas of work, focused Environmental Challenge Competitions may be run to deliver the emerging priorities.

Funding Levels

• The minimum overall Challenge Fund grant is £50,000. 
• The maximum amount of DAERA funding available under the competition will be 80% of eligible project costs except in exceptional or compelling circumstances. 
• There is no maximum total cost of a project, although they expect competition for funding to be strong and will be considering Value for Money in their assessment of applications. 
• You can apply for support towards all of the elements of your project that will deliver the proposed environmental priorities based on the principle of full cost recovery. 
  • Full cost recovery means securing funding for all the costs involved in running a project. This means that you can request funding for direct project costs and for a proportionate share of your organisation's overheads. 
• Grant for salaries is capped at the maximum of the equivalent NICS grade pay scale in place at the date of the Letter of Offer, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Department. 
• Capital - Only items that are of a value of £5,000 or more can be classed as Capital, otherwise they will be classed as Programme costs. 
• Programme – Project costs for non-Capital items such as salaries, training/Conference costs, Promotional costs, overheads including office running costs and travel & Subsistence.

You are expected to secure match funding for your project. We will not normally support projects at above 80%** of the project costs. Your match funding may be secured from a variety of sources such as other grants, membership fees, donations or volunteer support. 

The following are indications of their normal maximum funding levels: 

• Up to 80% of biodiversity project costs 
• Up to 50% for Council access projects