Government opens its £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund

The government has opened its £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund to applications.

Environmental charities and their partners can bid for grants worth between £50k and £5m.

All projects must contribute to at least one of the following themes:

• nature conservation and restoration;

• nature-based solutions, particularly focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation such as through tree planting and restoring peatland; and

• connecting people with nature.

Defra said projects will be favoured that create or retain jobs; the aim is for the fund to help create up to 3,000 jobs and safeguard up to 2,000 others in areas such as protecting species, finding nature-based solutions to tackling climate change, conservation and connecting people with nature.

Defra has funded the Green Recovery Challenge Fund by bringing forward £10m from the Nature Recovery Fund and £30m of Nature for Climate Funding.The fund will be delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.