About 40 nature projects in Scotland are set to benefit from a new partnership programme to help them attract private investments.
The Community of Practice programme, delivered in partnership by the investment company Social Investment Scotland, the government agency NatureScot and the grantmaker the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to unlock investment opportunities for nature-based projects.
Participants are drawn from NatureScot’s Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland scheme, a grant-making scheme that is funded by £3.3m over two years from the Scottish Government. The NLHF is also matching the value of FIRNS grants.
Participants are also being drawn from NatureScot’s Investment Ready Nature in Scotland programme and the nature partnership initiative Riverwoods.
The programme, which is running until April 2025, has a current cohort of about 40 nature projects from across Scotland that are working to address environmental concerns including marine and coastal biodiversity, wildlife protection, peatland restoration and forestry.
The programme gives participants access to expert-led advice and workshops, one-to-one coaching and matchmaking opportunities run by SIS, where the investment-ready projects will be introduced to potential investors and buyers. SIS will also facilitate peer-to-peer learning between projects.
The sessions will be led by Naomi Johnson, a SIS associate and social enterprise consultant, and will cover topics including aligning social and commercial value, impact investing and changing cultures.
Participants will have access to online resources, including an investment readiness tool, to help them attract additional finance to support their project aims.
Current participants include the Tweed Forum, which aims to develop natural flood management techniques to reduce flood risk in the Eddleston Water catchment; the Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust, which is aiming to protect Scotland’s Atlantic rainforest; and the North Highland Initiative, which is working to improve the flow of finance for peatland restoration.
John Uttley, principal adviser for nature finance at NatureScot, said: “This dynamic new partnership with Social Investment Scotland will help many creative and ambitious projects to access new sources of finance for their work to protect and restore nature.
“We must work together and increase our efforts, and this joint venture will provide a big helping hand to many projects working hard to stop biodiversity loss and tackle climate change.”
Kieran Daly, head of market building at SIS, said: “SIS has designed a programme which offers practical support and advice to help these nature-based projects attract more investment. Ultimately, this will in turn enable the projects to attract the funding they need to increase their impact – boosting Scotland’s biodiversity and enhancing natural capital for the future.”