Big Nature Impact Fund

Defra is launching a competition to appoint a Fund Manager for the Big Nature Impact Fund (BNIF), a proposed public-private blended finance vehicle with up to GBP 30 million public investment.

In the England Trees Action Plan, Defra committed to create an impact fund which could leverage private finance into new natural capital markets for carbon, water quality, biodiversity, natural flood alleviation and other ecosystem services.

In Summer 2021, Defra launched a Request for Information to seek market insight on the Fund’s design. Now, Defra is seeking proposals from potential managers for how they would design and run the Fund.

The Fund has the following policy objectives:

1. Create a legacy of investor confidence in ecosystem services markets by demonstrating the viability of investments at scale.
2. Further develop and pilot new business models for ecosystem services.
3. Increase viability of more natural environment projects.
4. Leverage private finance to increase rates of tree planting, woodland creation, peatland restoration, and habitat creation.
5. Realise the benefits of nature-based solutions, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity gains, water quality improvements, natural flood management,

and the associated social and economic benefits.

6. Generate and share knowledge of ecosystem services market models, to enable the development of a pipeline of nature-based projects.