An illustrative aerial view depicts a winding river flowing through a green landscape. On the left, dense woodland borders the river, with small islands of reeds and plants in the water, some with bees. A dirt path runs alongside the river on the right, passing cultivated fields and a red barn. In the middle ground, rolling hills are dotted with scattered houses, trees, and small figures. In the distance, a small town with a bridge over the river is visible, and on the far horizon, a larger town or city skyline appears.

New online toolkit helps unlock funding for nature through Protected Site Strategies

Category
News
Posted
18 June 2025

LUC has worked with Natural England to create new online guidance that shows how public and private funding can support Protected Site Strategies (PSS).

The new PSS toolkit helps practitioners and partners explore opportunities to fund projects that restore and protect nature on designated sites.

The aim was simple: make complex ideas about finance accessible to everyone working on nature recovery.

A six-slide presentation with the main title "Funding Options for Protected Site Strategies" visible on the first slide. Each slide contains a mix of text, diagrams, and images related to the topic of funding and managing protected sites.

Our team developed four versions of the guidance, each tailored to different audiences. One version speaks to local communities, another supports businesses and project partners, and a third is written for practitioners.

We also created a fully accessible version in plain English.

Each version is highly visual and easy to navigate. The design encourages learning, inspires action, and highlights success stories.

An illustrative aerial view shows an estuary landscape. In the foreground, marshlands with white birds meet open water. A sandbar with a barrier stretches across the water further back, near a clump of trees. On the right, a village with a pier sits on the bank. Green hills and fields surround the water, with distant structures on the horizon.

Throughout the toolkit, we use simple and clear language, often replacing ‘green finance’ with ‘funding opportunities’ to remove jargon and broaden appeal.

The toolkit walks users through each step of creating a PSS – from getting started, identifying pressures, and building partnerships, through to long-term delivery.

It explains how to use natural capital thinking and nature markets to secure private sector funding alongside public grants.

An illustrative aerial view depicts a winding river flowing through a green landscape. On the left, dense woodland borders the river, with small islands of reeds and plants in the water, some with bees. A dirt path runs alongside the river on the right, passing cultivated fields and a red barn. In the middle ground, rolling hills are dotted with scattered houses, trees, and small figures. In the distance, a small town with a bridge over the river is visible, and on the far horizon, a larger town or city skyline appears.

We also include links to useful resources, including material from the Green Finance Institute.

This is version one of the toolkit, with future updates expected as PSSs are developed and the guidance is road-tested.

With government funding committed to supporting this work, the toolkit will help more people take action to protect and invest in nature.

Learn more about nature markets at LUC

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