Organisations and individuals working to restore nature in southern England can apply now for grants of up to £100,000, with larger awards available for exceptional projects, through the Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund, a capital funding programme designed to restore and reconnect the region’s chalk and limestone landscapes.
The first Expressions of Interest are now progressing to full applications, and we’re starting to move towards allocating grants. There’s still funding available, so if you’ve been sitting on a project idea, now is a good time to bring it forward.
The fund supports nature recovery projects across southern England on chalk and limestone geology, from Dorset to Norfolk, including species rich grasslands, ancient woodland and chalk streams. These are some of the UK’s most biodiverse habitats, but many are under pressure from climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation.
The fund will support projects that create, restore and connect wildlife-rich habitats, support priority species and deliver lasting gains for nature. It also contributes to the Government’s 30by30 ambition to ensure at least 30% of England’s land is effectively managed for nature by 2030.
Who can apply for Big Chalk’s Nature Recovery Fund?
We welcome applications from environmental charities, farmers, land managers and landowners, community groups, local authorities, parish and town councils, educational institutions that manage land, and collaborative partnerships working within chalk and limestone landscapes.
Projects can be delivered by individual organisations or through collaboration between partners.
There’s still funding available, but if you’ve got a project in mind, now’s the time to submit your Expression of Interest.
We’re looking for projects at different scales, from local habitat creation and restoration through to ambitious landscape-scale initiatives. Projects must focus on capital investment – such as habitat creation, equipment and infrastructure – that will deliver long-term benefits for nature.
Funding tiers include:
- £1,000–£9,999 – streamlined assessment
- £10,000–£100,000 – expert panel review
- More than £100,000 – exceptional consideration for ambitious projects delivering significant and lasting benefits
The fund can contribute up to 80% of project costs (exceptionally up to 100%), offer match funding or provide top-up grants to help scale up existing ideas.
We're interested in projects that create, restore and connect wildlife-rich habitats, support priority species and deliver long-term gains for nature across the Big Chalk landscape.
Nature recovery at scale
The Big Chalk partnership's mission is to collectively secure the future of nature in southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes, by:
- championing the global importance of their unique nature,
- uniting nature recovery expertise to restore habitats and species, and
- working with speed, scale and focus.
The Nature Recovery Fund is one way Big Chalk is turning that shared ambition into action, supporting projects that can help build a more connected, resilient and nature-rich network of habitats and contribute to the Government’s 30by30 ambition.
“The most exciting thing about Big Chalk is the sheer scale of the ambition. If we want to bring nature back into our landscapes in a meaningful and lasting way, we have to think big — and we have to work together.”
— Sir John Lawton, Chair of Making Space for Nature
Get funding for your nature recovery project
- Capital grants from £1,000 to £100,000, with larger awards available exceptionally
- Flexible support for projects large and small
- Payments in stages throughout your project
- Rolling assessment throughout the year
Funding and delivery: Projects would normally need to be completed by 31 March 2027. But we know nature doesn’t always work to a financial year. Where there’s a strong ecological or operational case for longer delivery, some flexibility may be possible, provided funding has already been committed.
This is an opportunity to fund nature recovery work across the chalk and limestone landscapes covered by Big Chalk, including areas between National Landscapes and beyond traditional protected sites.
How do I apply?
We’ve introduced a new application process to help prospective applicants develop their projects before submitting a full application.
- Submit an Expression of Interest – tell us about your project, what you want to achieve and how it will benefit nature.
- Discuss your proposal with a Fund Manager – if your project is eligible to progress, we’ll talk through your plans and offer advice to help you develop your application.
- Submit your full application – following the conversation, you’ll be invited to complete the full application online.
Your Expression of Interest is the first step in our two-stage application process. You don’t need to have every detail worked out before you start.
Read the Applicant Guidance in full - it’s your go-to for eligibility, priorities, and what we’re looking for.
This way, we can focus our time on helping you create the strongest application possible and get funding moving to where it’s needed most.
Find out more and start your Expression of Interest.
The Big Chalk programme and Nature Recovery Fund is funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, supported by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).