New peatland restoration grant open for applications in Wales

The Welsh government has launched a new Peatland Restoration Grant, offering landowners in Wales the opportunity to secure funding of between £10,000 and £250,000 to restore vital peatland landscapes.

Managed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) as part of the National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP), the grant is designed to support landowners and organisations working to restore damaged peatlands across the country.

See also: More wind and solar farms needed say climate change advisers

Mannon Lewis, NRW’s strategic projects lead for NPAP said: “Peatland covers only 4% of Wales, yet stores 30% of our land-based carbon and is vital to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.

“As 90% of our peatlands are damaged, they actively release harmful greenhouse gases.

“In contrast, restored healthy wet peatland continuously forms peat layers that capture carbon.

“Offering this open, competitive peatland restoration grant is one way NPAP can support partners across Wales to achieve increasingly ambitious restoration goals for the benefit of future generations.”

Application criteria

The Peatland Restoration Grant is available to a variety of applicants, including individuals, public-sector organisations, registered charities, universities, research institutes, third-sector organisations, and private-sector entities.

Applications are open from 18 December 2024 and close at midnight on 18 March 2025 with NPAP aiming to notify applicants by May 2025.

Applicants must demonstrate previous experience with peatland restoration or have a partner with the necessary expertise to provide technical support.

The grant is competitive, with projects evaluated based on their alignment with the NPAP priorities and then given precedence according to their scores.

The priorities include addressing peatland erosion, drainage, and the restoration of afforested peatlands.

Important 

Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister responsible for climate change and rural affairs, emphasised the importance of the scheme.

“Earlier this year we announced that we’d already beaten our peatland restoration targets – this means we’re saving a huge 8,000t of carbon a year.

“This new Peatland Restoration Grant is another step forward to accelerate restoration and I encourage landowners in Wales to apply,” he said.

Eligible projects can receive up to 100% of their costs, but applicants must ensure all grant funds are spent by 31 March 2026.

The grant can cover costs such as project expenses, staff, networking, and overheads.

However, it cannot be used for expenses such as tree clearance without additional management actions, unused equipment, visitor panels, or boardwalks.

More information on how to apply and the full assessment criteria can be found on the Natural Resources Wales website.