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Access funding with Nature+ sponsorship
Selling carbon isn’t right for every nature project. Nature+ connects small, distinctive, high-impact projects with private funding, allowing them to go ahead without selling any carbon.
Not every organisation needs to purchase verified carbon credits, and not every land manager wants to or can generate them. But many still want to do something good for nature. That's where Nature+ comes in.
Nature+ enables land managers to access private funding for nature projects without the carbon market.
As one of the UK’s longest‑standing voluntary carbon market project developers, with thousands of hectares of woodland creation and peatland restoration under our belt, we know how to spot a promising project and how to help develop it into something funders will support; something that's high-impact and quality assured.
We focus on smaller, characterful projects with strong co-benefit potential — not just carbon sequestration or reduction, but biodiversity uplift, green jobs, flood mitigation, etc.
These projects are often too small to justify certification under a carbon standard, but every pocket of land counts. We work closely with land managers, helping to finance and monitor projects to ensure maximum impact. Funding is staggered, so they’re supported from the start and not left out of pocket while funders are found.
Nature+ is about removing barriers, making restoration possible wherever land is available in the UK.
53
thousand
extra trees
Our back-of-the-envelope calculations estimate that in the past year, we could have facilitated the planting of well over 53,000 extra UK trees (48 ha) if we had a well-funded offering in place.
Sponsorship was really helpful. The grants alone wouldn’t have covered the costs. Nature+ turned it into a small but positive-return project, which meant it could go ahead. Returns aren’t what we’re in it for, but when you’re making changes at this scale, it’s reassuring to know you’re not going to make a loss.
FAQs
What is ‘Nature+’?
Nature+ is a funding model we developed to help the UK make the most of its available land for nature restoration.
Across the UK, many small patches of land are ready to be revitalised with trees, flowers, mosses, insects, and more. Nature+ supports landowners with the costs involved, ensuring that no worthy project is held back due to funding constraints.
Key aspects of Nature+ include:
- Nature+ projects are not certified under the Woodland Carbon Code or Peatland Code. While we follow their principles to guide project design, these projects do not generate tradable carbon credits, so carbon compensation claims cannot be made.
- They focus on small, unproductive pockets of land across the UK that would otherwise remain unused.
They deliver important co-benefits such as flood mitigation, improved air quality, shelter for livestock, habitat creation, enhanced biodiversity, and better soil health.
If we work on a sponsorship project, what do I get as the land manager, and what do you get?
What you get:
- Funding towards your project with low ongoing costs (maintenance only; no certification fees)
- Potential future income from the sale of sponsorship rights, with no extra effort required beyond planting and maintenance
- Retain ownership of the carbon associated with your project, which you can use for your own net-zero commitments if needed
What Forest Carbon gets:
- 100% of the sponsorship rights from the project
- 10% of any future natural capital payments received for the project site
If we work on a sponsorship project, what will I do as the land manager, and what will you do as the developer?
Are there criteria for sponsorship projects?
Yes. Sponsorship is designed for distinctive UK nature restoration projects that need funding to proceed. Typically, they also can’t be suitable for certification under the UK carbon codes.
We select projects based on:
- Character and impact — projects with strong potential to deliver environmental and community benefits
- Experienced land managers — with a proven track record of delivering successful projects
- Funding availability — whether Forest Carbon has the capital or buyers ready to support the project
How and when do I get paid for a sponsorship project?
Typically, we pay a fixed amount upfront (after establishment) to cover project costs. Then, we seek a buyer to purchase the sponsorship rights at a higher price. Any uplift above the fixed price is shared 50:50 between you and Forest Carbon, paid after a successful Year 5 verification, which we manage.
Let’s use a woodland creation project as an example:
- Forest Carbon pays you a fixed amount per tree planted to establish your woodland. The carbon sequestration remains with the project and cannot be sold during the contract.
- After planting is complete and proof is submitted, you receive the agreed payment, and Forest Carbon acquires the sponsorship rights.
- We then look to sell these rights to a third party at a higher price. Any uplift is split equally, but this second payment depends on a successful Year 5 survey and is not guaranteed.
Forest Carbon reserves the right to conduct one annual site visit with sponsors, which can add value and potentially increase sponsorship prices.
Separately, we visit the site periodically during establishment to ensure proper management.
How we work
With 55 years in the industry between us, we know there’s no such thing as one size fits all. Every sponsorship project is slightly different. However, this gives you a rough idea of what to expect from us after you get in touch.
Step 1
Stream assessment
Before anything else, we assess whether a project is better suited to certification or our Nature+ sponsorship model. Usually, a trusted expert, like a Forest Manager, introduces potential sponsorship projects to us, but if a land manager contacts us directly, we can recommend trusted third parties for project design or implementation.
Step 2
Initial evaluation
Once a project is deemed a good fit for Nature+, we’ll request key details — narrative, objectives, co-benefits, plot size, tree numbers, and any grants — and share indicative financial figures. As we fund upfront from a limited budget, projects compete based on their impact and appeal.
Step 3
Agreement
If your project is successful, we’ll share a contract that clearly sets out mutual expectations. This agreement must be signed before planting or restoration is complete.
Step 4
First payment
Once you provide proof of project completion and submit an invoice, we make the initial agreed payment.
Step 5
Narrative and marketing
We build the project story and promote it to new buyers and our existing network, focusing on those seeking Nature+ impact beyond standard Net Zero goals.
Step 6
Sale and share
Sponsorship rights are sold to interested buyers. In Year 5, after planting/restoration, we’ll survey to verify the project’s success. If the project passes and sponsorship rights have been sold at a higher price than we bought them, we share a portion of the uplift with you, as agreed.
Step 7
Ongoing partnership
We carry out intermittent surveys to ensure the project stays healthy throughout the contract. We remain available for support and discussions until contract completion.
Putting our money where nature needs it
From the start, we’ve been willing to take financial risks to get vital nature projects moving. Long before the UK carbon market was established, we offered upfront payments on completion of planting — before validation (in fact, before ‘validation’ or the Woodland Carbon Code even existed) — to landowners whose projects had strong potential for impact but needed funding certainty to proceed. This gave them the confidence to press ahead, while we carried the risk. This is still something we do today, because it helps to deliver nature projects that might otherwise not go ahead. Projects like:
If you have a project in mind that fits the Nature+ criteria, but can’t afford the upfront costs, get in touch. We may be able to help you make it happen.
Duich Moss
On the windswept Isle of Islay, Scotland, Duich Moss is a richly biodiverse, low-domed bog and internationally protected wetland. This ambitious peatland restoration project will rewet and repair a landscape once threatened by industrial peat extraction, helping to safeguard rare species and lock in thousands of tonnes of carbon.
Cùl Mòr
In the heart of the Scottish Highlands, the Cùl Mòr restoration project is helping to bring a landscape back to life. Restoring degraded peatland supports climate action, protects biodiversity, and strengthens a globally and nationally important ecosystem.
Bwlch y Groes
In Wales, along the border of Snowdonia National Park, a degraded stretch of upland bog is being brought back to life. The Bwlch y Groes project restored damaged peatland, helping to lock in carbon, restore biodiversity, and safeguard water quality in one of the country’s most ecologically important upland areas.
More ways to work with us
If you didn’t find what you were looking for on this page, we offer other services that may be a better fit. Whatever your goals, we provide straightforward, practical support to help you get involved and make a meaningful impact.
We connect you with buyers seeking UK-based, high-quality carbon credits and help you sell on your terms.
We help you certify your woodland or peatland project under the UK’s trusted codes, unlocking the potential to generate income from carbon credits.
We collaborate with market builders – from tech solutions to Code verifiers, investors, and grant funders – to strengthen the nature-based carbon market and scale up restoration.