Natural England

Natural England, established in 2006 under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act, serves as the UK government's statutory adviser for England's natural environment, uniting prior agencies to protect landscapes, biodiversity, and resources for current and future generations. Its mission drives nature recovery through large-scale habitat restoration—rivers, wetlands, forests, peatlands—and nature-friendly farming, forestry, and fisheries, embedding ecology into national growth, health, security, and climate resilience. Core values emphasize collaboration, evidence-based action, integrity, long-term sustainability, and dual benefits for people and nature, with strategic outcomes focusing on recovering nature, better places via green infrastructure, health through green/blue space access, and sustainable land/marine management.

It funds thematic priorities like restoring ecological networks (e.g., Nature Recovery Network), protecting sites, expanding nature access for diverse communities, nature-based climate solutions, urban greening, species recovery, and partnerships. Supported activities include habitat creation, capital works, conservation, green therapy, community engagement, and local authority toolkits, via programmes like Species Recovery Programme (SRP) and Higher Tier Capital Grants. Beneficiaries encompass UK-registered charities, community groups, academic institutions, local authorities, farmers, and land managers delivering landscape-scale impacts in England.

Eligible applicants must be England-based with formal constitution and capacity; no income thresholds apply. Typical grants range £10,000–£1,500,000 for projects (capital-focused; limited revenue/capacity building). Applications follow scheme-specific, competitive rounds via EOI then full proposals online/portals, with adviser consultation for some; deadlines vary (e.g., SRP closed 2 November 2025). Excludes unrestricted/core costs; distinct as a regulator designating protected sites, catalyzing blended finance and cross-sector partnerships for systemic, place-based change over isolated projects.