A NEW programme from responsible finance provider Social Investment Scotland (SIS) will help Scottish nature restoration projects to attract private investment.
Funded by the Scottish Government, SIS has joined forces with NatureScot and The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver the programme, which aims to boost the natural ecosystem and benefit communities across the country.
The projects set to benefit from the programme are involved in the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (FIRNS) scheme as well as Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (IRNS) and Riverwoods.
They will gain access to a series of expert-led events and workshops, one-to-one coaching, and matchmaking opportunities where SIS will introduce investment-ready projects to potential investors and buyers.
SIS will also facilitate peer to peer learning between projects.
Led by SIS associate and social enterprise consultant, Naomi Johnson, the sessions will cover key topics such as aligning social and commercial value, impact investing, and changing cultures.
Participants will also be provided with a range of online resources including SIS’s Investment Readiness Tool, helping them to attract additional finance to support their environmental and community ambitions.
The current cohort is made up of around 40 nature projects from across Scotland, all working to address various environmental concerns including: marine and coastal biodiversity, wildlife protection, peatland restoration and forestry.
Participants include the Tweed Forum, Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust and the North Highland Initiative, with more projects set to join in April.
Kieran Daly, head of market building at SIS, said: “We’re excited to be teaming up with NatureScot and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help grow nature finance in Scotland.
“Drawing upon more than 20 years’ experience helping charities and social enterprises increase their impact through investment, SIS has designed a programme which offers practical support and advice to help these nature-based projects attract more investment.
“Ultimately, this will in turn enable the projects to attract the funding they need to increase their impact – boosting Scotland’s biodiversity and enhancing natural capital for the future.
“In doing so, we can also hopefully attract more nature-based investment into Scotland.”
John Uttley, principal adviser – nature finance at NatureScot, said: “This dynamic new partnership with Social Investment Scotland will help many creative and ambitious projects to access new sources of finance for their work to protect and restore nature.
“At this time of growing urgency about our changing climate, nature plays an absolutely critical role.
“We must work together and increase our efforts, and this joint venture will provide a big helping hand to many projects working hard to stop biodiversity loss and tackle climate change.”
