Rewilding Innovation Fund

You are eligible to apply for the Rewilding Innovation Fund if you meet the following criteria:

• You're based in Britain
• You're a member of the Rewilding Network. This includes, but is not limited to, community, private and public landowners and managers of rewilding areas on the land and sea. If you aren’t a Rewilding Network member but would like to be considered, please join before applying.
• You're rewilding at scale* – that is more than 40 hectares of land (or any size of marine project). This can be an individual landholding or a cluster of landholdings. If you're rewilding at a smaller scale than this, we strongly encourage you to connect with others to form a local group, network or cluster to work up a project for application. In your application (just one between you) we'll need to see evidence of your shared vision and how you plan to work together. Local groups and networks can also apply to the fund for any innovative projects that will help to upscale rewilding.
• You show an understanding of and commitment to working to our rewilding principles – whether you are at the beginning of your rewilding journey or have been carrying out this work for some time.
• You can demonstrate why you need funding/intervention now, and why you cannot access this funding from other sources.
• You haven't previously been awarded money from the Rewilding Innovation Fund (previously known as the Incubator Fund) for the same piece of work. We are happy to accept funding applications from those who have applied before and been unsuccessful. Please ensure that you adapt and build on your application for our consideration this time around.

*This size has been set to tie in with the principle of rewilding being the restoration of ecosystems with enough space to allow nature to drive the changes and shape the living systems on which we all depend. By funding projects greater than 40 hectares we will provide nature with enough space to start to lead the way. 

• The fund aims to support works that could potentially unlock further funding or move your project up the rewilding scale, whether you are new to rewilding or have been going for some time. Examples of potential applications include: business plans and strategies, community engagement activities and co-design, feasibility studies, technology and innovation.

• Funds can also be used to pay for direct interventions or expertise that your project requires.

• Funding cannot be provided for land purchase or capital costs such as fencing.

• Funding for up to £15,000* will be considered. We expect the majority of grants to be less than £10,000.

• The Rewilding Innovation Fund steering group will use the following assessment criteria to award the money, including: funding: are there alternative options available?; alignment with our rewilding principles; degree of innovation and learning; financial strategy; consideration of the business concept and long-term viability and sustainability; understanding of monitoring and evidence-building.

*The maximum level of funding has been set at £15,000 because the fund aims to support elements in a project that can remove barriers and unlock further funding. If your project requires higher investment than this to get off the ground, consider whether there are smaller elements of your grand vision, such as business plans or feasibility studies, which you can use the Rewilding Innovation Fund for, so helping you at least get started. Could initial funding from us help leverage further funds elsewhere in the future?

• The funding must be spent within 15 months. Please detail in your application how you plan to work to this timescale.

• All supported projects must measure and report on their progress every quarter.

• All successful applicants must agree to share stories and lessons learnt for the wider Rewilding Network and for the public.

1. Ensure that you are a Rewilding Network member. If you aren't, please apply to become a Rewilding Network member before you make your funding application.
2. Complete the application form for the Rewilding Innovation Fund when the next round is open.  

Shortlisted projects will be invited to pitch their project to the steering group in a 10-minute online presentation. Read our privacy policy.

Not typically – however, if equipment forms a key part of the project, then we'll consider this on a case-by-case basis. For example, we do not typically fund GPS collars for cattle, but if an application is looking to test technology for a new species then this would be considered.

The Rewilding Innovation Fund does not cover capital works, including activities such as seeding seagrass, planting trees or creating ponds.

Funding can cover staff costs and external contractor costs, as long as they directly contribute to your application’s proposed outcomes. 

All projects funded by the Rewilding Innovation Fund must meet our rewilding principles and be associated with a Rewilding Network project. We welcome new applications to join the Network, and so you are able to apply to join the Network alongside your Rewilding Innovation Fund application. 

Please note that if your Rewilding Network application is unsuccessful, then you will not be eligible for the Rewilding Innovation Fund. We also welcome partnership applications, but all projects must be associated with a Rewilding Network project. 

We have a steering group to inform the shortlisting and final decisions for the Rewilding Innovation Fund. This group comprises members of the Rewilding Britain team and trustees. All applications are assessed and scored on the basis of our criteria. 

We currently have two rounds per year, typically one in the summer and one in the winter.