Highland Council invites new applications for the Nature Restoration Fund

The Highland Council is encouraging community groups and organisations to apply for a share of £300,000 available through the 2025/26 allocation of the Nature Restoration Fund.

Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: "I am very pleased to announce the opening of a new round of the Nature Restoration Fund. This funding continues to play a vital role in supporting biodiversity and enhancing natural habitats across the Highlands. The recent review of the fund’s impact over the past three years clearly demonstrates the scale and significance of the work being delivered. With over 25,000 trees planted, 9 hectares of wildflower meadows created, and 33 hectares of non-native and invasive species removed, the fund is helping to restore and protect vital habitats across the region. The contribution of volunteers has also been remarkable, with over 1,700 individuals actively involved in delivering nature restoration projects.”

Established by the Scottish Government, the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is a capital fund designed to help support projects that will deliver nature restoration, safeguard wildlife, and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss due to climate change. 

The launch of the fund also coincides with the Highland Council publishing a 3-year review of the fund, which has already administered over £600k to 67 projects around Highland.   

Cllr Gowans continued: "The Nature Restoration Fund has consistently attracted strong interest, and we anticipate high demand again this year. I would therefore encourage eligible organisations to prepare and submit their applications as early as possible to avoid disappointment. A total of £300,000 is available and all funding must be committed before the end of the current financial year.

“This is a valuable opportunity to support local action that contributes to Scottish Government and Highland Council’s wider climate and nature targets. I look forward to seeing the positive and impactful projects that will be brought forward through this funding round.”

Similar to previous years, the funding is focused on addressing the main drivers of the decline in biodiversity on land and seas, particularly rural biodiversity.  For example, where on land, over-exploitation of the natural environment and addressing its consequences, habitat loss and fragmentation, and removal of invasive non-native species.  To deliver this aim, the fund has four strategic themes:

• Habitat restoration – management for enhancement and connectivity
• Freshwater restoration, including hydrological change
• Eradication of invasive non-native species impacting on nature
• Coastal and marine management to promote restoration and resilience

The £300k capital funding allocated to Local Authorities is to support new, or to enhance existing, approaches that further biodiversity and which adhere to the following criteria:

• Deliver positive effects for biodiversity and enhance local ecosystems
• Address the climate emergency and its impacts through mitigation and adaptation and by promoting nature-based solutions

Capital items that could form that basis for spend may include, but are not limited to:

• Action for pollinators (equipment for maintaining wildflower areas or verges including planting)
• Improving condition and use of Local Nature Reserves (purchase and planting)
• Developing a local nature network through planting of wildlife corridors, removal of barriers to wildlife movement and pollinator planting
• Greening active travel routes (purchase and planting)
• Natural flood management actions such as connecting rivers with flood plains, pond creation, de-culverting, in-stream works for habitat and flow variability
• Removal of invasive non-native species (INNS) to improve the biodiversity value of the remaining habitat
• Habitat and species enhancement works using native stock, enhancing natural coastal defences through marram, addressing coastal squeeze.

All projects should be ready to start before the end of March 2026 and be completed by the end of October 2026.

The minimum grant support available is £2,000 and the maximum is £25,000.

Applications are welcomed from constituted community groups; public sector bodies; charities; voluntary and social enterprises; co-operatives and community ownership initiatives; development trusts.

This is a competitive process, so the Council is highlighting that projects with secured match funding or in-kind contributions are likely to score higher during assessment.  NRF can only fund capital expenditure that directly enhances biodiversity.  Revenue costs such as project management are not eligible however labour costs to undertake the approved works will be accepted. 

The Council is operating a rolling application process to apply for Nature Restoration funding. There are three decision making dates when applications will be considered. The key dates are as follows:

Round 1 – Submit by 12 noon on 3rd October 2025 for a decision by early November

Round 2 – Submit by 12 noon on 21st November 2025 for a decision by mid-December

Round 3 – Submit by 12 noon on 23rd January 2026 for a decision by mid-February

For full information, application form and further guidance please visit –www.highland.gov.uk/naturerestorationfund