BCF - outcomes and eligibility

The priorities for funding are:

• Farmland – making more space for flower-rich habitats and grassland, streams, hedges, native woodland and ponds for pollinators, amphibians, and at risk mammals and birds
• Coast and wetlands – reviving and extending key ecosystems; coastal sand dunes, continental dunes and coastal habitats impacted by salt (halophytic); mires and fens
• Urban networks  – for example waterways, native woods, ponds and wildflower meadows, verges and green corridors
• Combating invasive species – targeting key areas to be cleared of invasive species e.g. Rhododendron, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed, and problem mammals
• Connecting reserves and protected areas – supporting management and partnerships to give added value and benefits around protected areas

Outcomes of the project

To achieve the level of change that is required to meet our biodiversity commitments, we want to fund projects that:

• Are ideally large scale and will make demonstrable impact
• Seek to address the drivers of biodiversity change with action preferably focused on causes rather than symptoms
• Make connections on the ground and link actions and/or projects, increasing resilience in those habitats and species most at risk

Additionally, projects should:

• Be focused on direct conservation action for habitats and species
• Be as collaborative as possible, either via existing partnerships or enabling different organisations and groups to work together to deliver action on the ground
• Demonstrate clear additionality to existing and already committed actions
• Be driven by actions that we know work, in places where we know they are needed
• Implement clear monitoring and evaluation plans that will evidence short term impacts, likely contributions to longer term outcomes and provide information to existing biodiversity reporting processes
• Acknowledge BCF support as set out in our guidance for recipients.