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The Rewilding Challenge Fund: Driving Large-Scale Nature Recovery Across Britain

Discover how Britain is stepping up rewilding efforts with an ambitious annual fund, fostering collaboration for ecological and climate resilience.

By Medha deb

Created on Sep 26, 2025

Discover how Britain is stepping up rewilding efforts with an ambitious annual fund, fostering collaboration for ecological and climate resilience.

Rewilding has rapidly emerged as one of Britain’s most ambitious responses to the intertwined crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through scaling up restoration efforts on land and at sea, rewilding seeks not only to heal damaged ecosystems but also to create resilient natural landscapes that foster both wildlife and human prosperity. The Rewilding Challenge Fund—an annual grant established by the charity Rewilding Britain—has set the stage for transformative, large-scale projects with the potential to change the trajectory of the nation’s environment.

Understanding Rewilding: Restoring Nature’s Balance

Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of nature so that natural processes and native species can re-establish and flourish with minimal human intervention. The approach focuses on allowing ecosystems to recover, enabling dynamic mosaics of habitats and promoting resilience to climate impacts. It may include:

Reinstating natural processes, such as flooding or grazing, that have been historically suppressed
Reintroducing missing native species, including keystone species like beavers
Restoring native woodlands, peatlands, wetlands, and other vital habitats

The goal is to empower nature to sustain itself, reversing biodiversity decline and creating sustainable opportunities for local communities and economies.

The Rewilding Challenge Fund: Rationale and Objectives

The Rewilding Challenge Fund was launched to support Britain’s commitment to reversing nature loss and combating the climate crisis. The fund is a response to growing recognition from scientists, policymakers, and communities that substantial, landscape-scale action is required to restore ecological health and prevent further decline.

Annual Award: £100,000 granted each year to a single, large-scale project demonstrating the potential to deliver ecological, climate, and community benefits
Scope: Open to projects in England, Wales, or Scotland, working across land or sea
Main Objectives:
- Nurture and enable landscape- or seascape-scale collaborations
- Showcase innovative, scalable solutions for rewilding
- Ensure lessons and knowledge gained are widely shared across Britain’s rewilding community

“Think Big, Act Wild”: The Fund’s Vision for 2030

The initiative is anchored in a bold vision: major nature recovery across 30% of Britain’s land and sea by 2030, including core rewilding areas covering at least 5% of the country. Central to this vision are:

Large, ecologically connected rewilding initiatives that let nature take the lead
Protection and restoration of woodlands, peatlands, wetlands, rivers, grasslands, and coastlines
No net loss of productive farmland, balancing food production with nature recovery

This aligns with broader international efforts, including calls from the United Nations to halt biodiversity decline and protect 30% of the world’s land and seas by 2030.

Eligibility: Who Can Apply?

The Rewilding Challenge Fund is open to wide-ranging collaborations that can deliver genuine change at scale. Eligible applicants include:

Community groups
Landowners and land managers
Sea users
Non-profit organisations
Businesses
Partnerships spanning multiple stakeholders

Key requirements:

Projects must be based in England, Wales, or Scotland
The project area must be at least 1,000 hectares (10 km²), mostly contiguous
Applicants must be part of, or eligible to join, the Rewilding Network, a collaborative learning network managed by Rewilding Britain

The Application Process: Step by Step

Applying for the fund is a multi-stage process aimed at identifying the most impactful and collaborative projects. The application steps are:

Submission of a short expression of interest, outlining the project’s scale, vision, and collaborative approach
If shortlisted, a full application is requested, with a detailed plan and intended outcomes
Applicants present their proposals to a selection panel
One project is awarded the annual grant of up to £100,000

The next round of funding opens in 2025, with deadlines typically in October.

What Types of Projects Does the Fund Support?

The fund encourages innovative rewilding initiatives across different landscapes and seascapes, including:

Carbon capture projects (e.g., peatland restoration, afforestation)
Seagrass meadows and marine habitat restoration
Ecological feasibility and strategy development
Community consultation and participatory planning
Large-scale habitat connectivity (corridors for wildlife)

These projects embody the fund’s ethos:

Work at nature’s scale: Emphasize the restoration of whole landscapes and seascapes, not fragmented sites
Let nature lead: Enable natural processes to shape complex, resilient ecosystems
Create resilient local economies: Develop sustainable livelihoods (e.g., eco-tourism, regenerative agriculture) alongside restoration
Support people and nature together: Forge strong partnerships that benefit local communities and biodiversity
Secure long-term benefits: Ensure projects have enduring social, economic, and ecological impact

Examples of Previously Supported Initiatives

Past recipients and candidate projects have demonstrated creative and impactful approaches, such as:

Tree seeding experiments to kickstart woodland regeneration
Seagrass restoration studies aimed at boosting coastal biodiversity and carbon storage
Community-led feasibility studies to assess large-scale nature recovery
Rewilding strategies developed in partnership with local residents and land managers

Why “Think Big, Act Wild”?

The fund’s call to “Think Big, Act Wild” reflects the urgent need for transformative change:

Biodiversity in Britain is severely depleted—only a small fraction of land and marine habitats remain fully protected
Nature-based solutions are essential for meeting national climate targets and international biodiversity commitments
Large-scale projects can deliver far-reaching economic and social benefits for rural and coastal communities

This is about shifting from isolated conservation efforts to landscape-wide recovery, making space for nature to thrive and adapt.

Rewilding’s Broader Value: Beyond Biodiversity

Rewilding is not only about restoring habitats and species but also offers:

Natural climate solutions: Sequestering carbon through forest, peat, and marine habitat restoration
Flood resilience: Rewetted landscapes buffer communities against extreme weather
Improved water quality: Healthy wetlands and riparian zones filter pollutants
Sustainable livelihoods: Eco-tourism, nature-based enterprises, and regenerative farming
Health and wellbeing: Access to thriving natural spaces improves physical and mental health

The Rewilding Network: Sharing Knowledge and Support

All applicants and fund recipients become a part of Britain’s Rewilding Network—a community of almost 900 members managing over 113,000 hectares of land and 300+ square kilometres of sea. Key features include:

Peer-to-peer learning and resource sharing
Workshops and field days to showcase best practices
Access to toolkits and expert guidance on restoration methods
Opportunities for cross-region and cross-sector collaboration

How Does the Fund Support National and Global Commitments?

The fund advances Britain’s ability to deliver on:

United Nations’ 30×30 target: Protecting 30% of land and seas by 2030
Climate action: Boosting carbon sequestration to meet zero-emissions targets
Biodiversity revival: Halting and reversing declines in native species and habitats
Economic resilience: Providing blueprints for nature-based economies in rural and coastal regions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is eligible to apply for the Rewilding Challenge Fund?

Any partnership or organisation managing at least 1,000 hectares (10 km²) of contiguous land or sea in Britain. This includes community groups, landowners, businesses, and nonprofits, provided their project can join the Rewilding Network and demonstrate large-scale vision.

What kinds of projects are most likely to receive funding?

Collaborative initiatives that address ecological, climate, and social objectives, with strong local partnerships and potential for significant, lasting landscape or seascape transformation.

How many projects are awarded funding each year?

Currently, the fund supports one major project annually with a grant of up to £100,000.

How can I become part of the Rewilding Network?

By managing or supporting a rewilding initiative in Britain, you can apply to join the network and access guidance, events, and learning opportunities.

Does the fund support smaller pilot projects?

The Challenge Fund prioritizes large-scale projects over 1,000 hectares. However, the Rewilding Network and other schemes may assist with smaller-scale efforts.

Looking Forward: Scaling Up Ambition for a Wilder Britain

The Rewilding Challenge Fund is an expression of growing belief that nature’s recovery must be bold, inclusive, and landscape-wide. By nurturing alliances between land managers, communities, and innovators, the fund helps to unlock Britain’s potential to meet climate goals, revive wildlife populations, and inspire other nations to act.

The next grant round opens in 2025—interested groups are encouraged to begin forming partnerships and refining visions now.
As pioneering projects demonstrate what’s possible, the ripple effects could help shape national restoration policy for decades to come.

Britain’s future depends on its ability to “Think Big, Act Wild”—restoring natural resilience for generations ahead.

References

Author

medha deb

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

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