Funding and projects

The Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (FIRNS)

Supporting projects that help shape and grow the use of private investment and market-based mechanisms to finance the restoration of Scotland’s nature.
 

Scottish Government Nature Restoration Fund 

Supporting projects helping to protect and restore Scotland's biodiversity on land and sea and address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
 

Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF)

Supporting marine environmental enhancement in Scotland. Voluntary donations from marine users and individuals will provide grants to enhance the natural capital.
 

Other Sources of Funding

Information and resources on other sources of funding, including public and private sector funding streams, and trust and foundation grant programmes.

Peatland ACTION Fund

Helping to restore damaged peatlands in support of Scotland’s Climate Change Plan outcomes with funding provided by the Scottish Government. Funding has been expanded to include peatland restoration projects over multiple years.

 

Grant Management is going Digital!

NatureScot is soon to be moving onto a new digital Grant Management System (GMS). 

As 25% of our annual budget is spent through external funding, this is an important development to improve management of our funds. 

 

Rural Funding and Support

Farming with nature

The purpose of these pilots is to inform what future rural support outside of the Common Agricultural Policy might look like. Rural support could be developed to contribute to transformative land use change in Scotland, by restoring nature and reducing our country’s contribution to climate change.

SRDP and AECS

Within Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP), the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) promotes land management that protects and enhances Scotland's natural heritage, improves water quality, manages flood risk, and helps mitigate and adapt to climate change; public access projects have also been funded. SRDP also includes the Forestry Grant Scheme.

Management Agreements

A management agreement involves NatureScot making payments to a land manager in return for an agreed programme of work. We typically offer management agreements for Natura sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Wildlife Management

Sea Eagle Management Scheme

The Sea Eagle Management Scheme extends support for livestock farmers and crofters who suffer impacts across the sea eagle breeding range.

Goose Management Schemes

NatureScot provides funding and administrative support to the schemes and pilots. Each initiative has been developed by a local goose management group, which is chaired by the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate.

Deer Management Incentive Scheme

NatureScot has launched two deer management incentive scheme pilots to trial ways to support deer managers in tackling high deer numbers in a part of Central Scotland and in an area of the Highlands.

Projects

Species on the Edge (SotE)

Species on the Edge is a partnership of NatureScot and seven nature conservation charities. We are working in partnership to deliver a new programme of work to benefit around 37 of our most vulnerable species.

We work with communities, local initiatives and land managers to tackle species recovery work.

Scottish Invasive Species Initiative

(SISI) is an exciting 4-year partnership project tackling invasive non-native species alongside rivers and water courses in northern Scotland. We are funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, NatureScot and through in-kind support from project partners and volunteers - the total project value is some £3.24M.

All funding and projects listed below are now closed

EcoCo LIFE

Green Infrastructure Strategic Intervention

Better Places Fund

Plunge in! The Coasts and Waters Community Fund

Pearls in Peril

Biodiversity Challenge Fund (BCF)

Future Routes Fund

Investment Ready Nature Scotland (IRNS) Grant Scheme

Hebridean Mink

Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund

Orkney Native Wildlife Project

Monitoring Equipment Fund

Uist Wader Research

Working with Rivers Training Placement Scheme

Outdoor Learning in Nature (OLIN) Fund