Overview

The Powys Nature Partnership is expecting to be allocated funding by Welsh Government through the ‘Local Places for Nature’ (LPfN) scheme. The purpose of this document is to raise awareness about this potential funding opportunity for the 2023/24 financial year. This funding has not been confirmed.

The aim of LPfN is to create nature on your doorstep: where people live, work and access public services. It focuses on engaging communities to create and enhance places for nature and take action to increase access to nature in the community.

LPfN is a bottom-up programme with a focus on urban areas, particularly areas of deprivation and/or those with little or no access to nature. 

The Powys Nature Partnership is hoping to offer partners, organisations, and services the chance to bid for grant funding to create local places for nature where people live, work and access public services. Projects must be based in Powys but outside of the Brecon Beacons National Park (this area is covered by the Brecon Beacons Local Nature Partnership).

These grants will be administered nationally by the successful bidder and locally by the Powys Nature Partnership via Powys County Council. 

Who will be able to apply: 

The fund will be open to community groups, voluntary organisations, charities and other third sector organisations. It will also be open to the health board, schools, the local authority, town & community councils, and other public sector organisations. Applicants must have suitable public liability insurance for any work carried out along with any necessary permissions and consents to carry out the project.

Size of fund: 

Each project will be able to apply for a grant of between £2000 and £10,000. The funding will be available for Capital items/resources/equipment. If you plan to purchase any single item/piece of equipment/resource (including any work by contractors)which costs over £5000 then you will be required to submit three quotes with your application. This will be a reimbursement grant; applicants must submit evidence of expenditure to receive grant payments.

The funding is expected to be for two years. Applications for two-year projects will be considered with a maximum of £20,000 across the two years. The second year must build upon the project. To source funding for a second project, another application will need to be submitted in 2024. If you submit an application for a two-year project, the first year of your plan will also be considered for a one-year project if suitable.

Funding guidelines: 

We are looking for projects that will take practical action to create local places for nature by creating greenspaces, including on man-made structures and surfaces, or enhancing greenspaces which already exist. Projects do not have to be based at one site, for example, you may plan to deliver a town-wide project. Projects must enhance nature and be on land that is not-for-profit, allowing communities to access nature where they live, work and access public services. Projects must be in urban areas (in towns and villages or within walking distance). Preference will be given to projects in deprived areas (based on the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation) or projects which benefit communities with little or no access to nature.

Each project must contribute towards at least one of Welsh Government’s ‘modest measures’ to:

• Increase wildflower planting;
• Increase community food growing opportunities;
• Increase local tree planting;
• Create dense and diverse woodlands the size of a tennis court;
• Create habitats at rail stations and transport interchanges;
• Encourage wildflowers and improve biodiversity by changing mowing practices;
• Create sensory gardens; or
• Reduce the use of pesticides.

All projects must adopt the 'do no harm to nature principle', including steps such as using peat free composts and minimising plastic waste as well as using appropriate native species. Materials must be suitable for the area, as environmentally friendly as possible and sourced locally where possible. Plants (including trees and wildflowers) must be native species and of local provenance.  

Each project should be designed to be delivered in a way that ensures long-term sustainability with a maintenance plan for the next 5 years. On-going maintenance, repairs, and running costs cannot be covered by the funding.

Previous projects have included creating wildlife and community gardens, green walls, sensory gardens, ponds, as well as creating wildflower verges and wildflower meadows. Existing spaces for nature can also be maintained or enhanced.

How to Apply – To be confirmed

The purpose of this document is to raise awareness about this potential funding opportunity for the 2023/24 financial year. If the funding is confirmed, then details on how to apply will be circulated. This is expected to be in early April 2023 with applications to be open throughout April and May.