Rebuilding Biodiversity

Our Rebuilding Biodiversity theme covers a variety of living things and includes all species of plants and animals and the natural systems and habitats that support them. It is important that they are protected, and that the environment can adapt to threats such as climate change.  

Your organisation must be a fully constituted, charitable or not for profit with no share capital. We do not accept applications from local authorities, councils, hospices, hospitals, day-care centres, rehabilitation units, residential care facilities, allotments, and schools/colleges.  

We will not fund habitat works on any land on which the applicant intends to sell biodiversity units, and we are unable to fund research. 

The project must meet the following criteria:  

• Application value must be between £10,000 and £75,000  
• Total project cost must be no more than £200,000 including VAT  
• The project site must be within 15 miles of a significant Biffa Operation or active Biffa landfill site (check the project postcode using the Postcode Checker below) 
• The project site must also be located within 10 miles of any licensed landfill site – to find your nearest landfill site, telephone the regulator Entrust on 01926 488300 
• A Third Party Contributor should be identified to fund 10% of the application value (this could be from your own reserves if you are not already a registered Environmental Body)  
• The project must not cross over different themes  
• 75% of shortfall funding must be secured if Biffa Award is not being asked to fully fund the project  
• The project must have specific targets in relation to a Biodiversity Action Plan and must deliver a direct improvement to habitats and/or species 
• The organisation must have the support of key agencies, and have relevant experienced partners involved in project delivery 
• There must be a strong element of public access or inclusion, such as volunteer involvement 
• There must be a full management plan in place for the site and key species/habitats involved  
• If the organisation does not own the project site, a signed landowner agreement must be in place agreeing to access for maintenance, surveying and monitoring for a period of not less than 8 years from completion of the project (Memorandum of Understandings are not accepted) 
• If planning permission is required, it must have been granted before you submit an Expression of Interest  
• Any Biffa Award grant must be used for site-based improvement work, not for movable equipment, staff and core costs

Biffa Award is unable to fund retrospectively, so you should only apply for funding for work that will take place in the future. 

Please note you cannot re-apply for funding on the same site of a previous Biffa Award grant within one year of receiving your final payment. Additionally, we can only accept a maximum of two Full Applications per financial year from any one organisation, and only one application per organisation will be considered at any Board meeting.