An aerial view of a paludiculture trial site (Credit: Lancashire Wildlife Trust)
My name is Anika Dowling, and I am a policy advisor in Defra’s Peat team. In this blog I’ll set out what each new scheme offers and how you can apply.
In the Environmental Improvement Plan, we announced our new Peatland Programme for 2026 to 2030. This month, we’ve launched three peatland grant schemes, each focused on a different part of the challenge. They are:
Lowland Peat Water Implementation Grant, launched today Paludiculture and Wetter Farming Fund, launched today Peatland Restoration Sector Capacity Grant, which launched on 11 JuneIf you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know we’ve already extended the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme for a further year and recently invited applications for the Lowland Peat Water Discovery Grant application window.
Together, these grant schemes will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support more sustainable land use, and strengthen the delivery capacity needed to deliver change across England’s peatlands. We look forward to supporting ambitious projects that will deliver lasting change on the ground.
Lowland Peat Water Implementation Grant
Previous lowland peat water pilots included funding for small-scale infrastructure, showing how targeted investment, new technology, and cross-sector collaboration can improve water level management in lowland peat landscapes. Delivered in partnership with the Association of Drainage Authorities, they installed infrastructure such as tilting weirs, solar-powered pumps and real-time monitoring systems in regions such as the Somerset Levels, Cambridgeshire Fens and Humberhead Levels.
A tilting weir in the Vale of Pickering, funded by a pilot project. (Credit: Anika Dowling)The Implementation Grant expands on the pilot stage by funding the delivery of developed plans at a larger scale, installing the infrastructure needed to manage water tables within lowland peatland catchments.
Delivered by the Environment Agency, it will support locally led consortium-based projects to manage water more strategically at catchment scale, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the loss of peat soils.
Projects will deliver the water management controls needed to enable more sustainable land use, while improving resilience to flooding and drought, supporting biodiversity, and enabling a mosaic of land uses under wetter conditions, supporting the long-term viability of the peat soils.
Approximately £36 million is available through two funding rounds:
Round 1 runs 2026 to 2030, and is targeted at those with existing implementation plans Round 2 runs 2028 to 2030, and is targeted at those who are currently at an earlier stage, such as successful applicants to the Water Discovery Grant SchemeFurther details on the Water Implementation Grant scheme can be found on the GOV.UK website. To request an application pack, email peatwatergrants@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Applications can be submitted to the above email address until 18 September.
The Environment Agency will host an Application Webinar on 15 July. To register, please complete the online registration form.
Paludiculture and Wetter Farming Fund
Our Paludiculture Exploration Fund supported early research and trials, improving understanding of how to grow wetland crops and the barriers to commercially viable farming at higher water tables. It funded projects developing crops into products such as construction materials in the Broads and plant‑derived clothing insulation from crops grown in the Somerset Levels and Lancashire Mosses, and included field trials of food crops such as lettuce and celery grown at higher water tables, and the production of sphagnum moss as a growing medium.
Typha (bulrush) growing in the Broads National Park. (Credit: Christopher Moses)Delivered by Natural England, the Paludiculture and Wetter Farming Fund now takes a more focused approach, funding projects to develop markets and test systems at scale across two priority themes: wetland crops for manufactured products and food production at higher water tables on lowland peat soils.
Projects will support the development of supply chains and markets for the wetland crops Typha, Phragmites and Sphagnum, and further investigate how water can be managed to grow conventional food crops while reducing carbon emissions. We also want to see projects tackling key barriers to the adoption of farming at higher water tables on peat by developing practical growing systems, improving access to suitable machinery and processing methods, and strengthening the commercial case for farming on wetter peat soils.
Together, these projects will support a transition to more sustainable land use on lowland peat, delivering new economic opportunities through emerging markets and supply chains, alongside reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved water quality and biodiversity gains.
Approximately £10 million is available for grants. Applications can be submitted on the Defra eCommercial portal until Friday 21 August. Natural England will host an Application Webinar on Tuesday 7 July. To register, please email PWFF@naturalengland.org.uk
If you’re interested in building or joining a consortium ahead of a group application for either the Lowland Peat Water Infrastructure Grant or the Paludiculture and Wetter Farming Fund, you can log your details in this consortium-building database, hosted by Defra’s delivery partner, Niab.
Peatland Restoration Sector Capacity Grant Scheme
Delivering peatland restoration at scale will not be possible without growing the capacity of the sector.
The Peatland Restoration Sector Capacity Grant supports this by funding skills, training, equipment and local capability, helping to remove the practical barriers that currently limit delivery on the ground.
It will strengthen the workforce and skills needed to deliver peatland projects in lowland and upland settings in England over the coming years.
£1.15 million is available for grants of up to £20,000 per annum. Further detail is available in our dedicated blog post. Applications can be submitted via the government’s Find a Grant website until 23 July. For more information, please contact peatlandrestoration@defra.gov.uk.
A trained operative carries out restoration works in the North Pennines (Credit: Kate Clift)What else are we doing for peat?
As well as these grant schemes, you can receive support for improving and restoring England’s peat through Defra’s farming payments. The Lowland Peat Countryside Stewardship Actions will be of particular interest for those applying to the Water Implementation Grant.
Look out for more peat news this summer, including an update on the Restoration Register. This will be an open geospatial record of government-funded restoration projects in England, with scope to grow into a fuller picture of restoration across the country.
seen at 09:30, 29 June in Environment.