Third round of The Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) has opened

Defra has opened the third round of The Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) for applications. Applications will run from 11 December until 16 February 2024. 

Individual grants of up to £100,000 are available for each project to develop to the point that they are ready to attract private sector investment. In total, up to £5 million is available. 

This is the third time grants have been made available through the fund, but the first-time grants will be specifically targeted to support the farming sector and they will fund the preparation of projects that help farmers to access nature markets. It will enable farmers to come together on a landscape scale and present a combined offer to investors, allowing more farmers and more types of farms to access and benefit from nature markets. 

For more information on the third funding round, including details about how to sign up to a webinar in January, please read our latest blogpost: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2023/12/11/apply-now-for-neirf-grant/