Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme

Charity Number: CUSTOM_69FD2B7A

Annual Expenditure: £14.4M

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Quick Stats

  • Total Programme Funding: US$138 million+ (across all phases from Arcadia)
  • Phase III Budget: US$72 million (awarded 2023)
  • Success Rate: Approximately 7-10% (based on 75-106 applications per round)
  • Decision Time: Multi-stage process over several months
  • Grant Range: US$120,000 - US$5,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Europe (land and marine ecosystems)

Contact Details

Address:

Cambridge Conservation Initiative

The David Attenborough Building

Pembroke Street

Cambridge CB2 3QZ

United Kingdom

Email: elsp@jbs.cam.ac.uk

Phone: +44 (0)1223 331300

Website: www.endangeredlandscapes.org

Pre-application Support:

The programme hosts informational webinars for each funding round and offers drop-in sessions where applicants can book short 1:1 meetings with the Management Team to discuss project ideas.

Overview

Established in 2016 by Arcadia (a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin), the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme has become Europe's leading large-scale restoration funding initiative. Managed by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative—a partnership between the University of Cambridge and nine international conservation organizations—the programme has awarded 41 grants since 2018, totalling US$49.94 million to 14 landscape projects and additional seascape initiatives. The programme currently advances restoration at 18 locations across Europe, from the Carpathian Mountains in Romania to the Koitajoki watershed in Finland and marine ecosystems in the Solent. In 2023, Arcadia awarded an additional US$72 million for Phase III, including over US$31 million dedicated specifically to marine ecosystem restoration. The programme's vision is to create landscapes and seascapes enriched with biodiversity, establishing resilient, self-sustaining ecosystems that benefit both nature and people. Projects funded by the programme have leveraged an impressive US$36 million in additional funding, demonstrating significant catalytic impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Landscape Restoration Grants

US$1.5 - 5 million over five years. Support large-scale restoration projects that restore nature and ecosystem processes at landscape scale, establish ecologically connected habitat systems, and enhance resilience to climate change. Applications accepted through periodic calls for expressions of interest.

Seascape Restoration Grants

US$1.5 - 5 million for five-year marine restoration projects. Medium-size grants of US$750,000 - 1.5 million available for national organizations aiming to grow their expertise and ambition in seascape recovery. Recent call (February) attracted 56 eligible applications with seven projects receiving in-principle offers.

Planning Grants

Up to US$120,000 to support preparatory work including field surveys, consultation, analysis, partnership building, and participatory planning. Next deadline: January 20, 2026 at 17:00 GMT.

Priority Areas

  • Large-scale restoration establishing continuous or ecologically connected habitat where natural processes generate natural patterns and species distributions
  • Viable populations of native species with capacity for landscape-scale movement
  • Natural functioning of ecological processes with reduced need for long-term conservation management
  • Climate resilience addressing global, regional, or national biodiversity conservation priorities
  • Community-driven projects supported by local communities and working across multiple sectors
  • Evidence-based approaches with commitment to robust monitoring and evaluation
  • Knowledge sharing with willingness to contribute to the restoration network and wider community
  • Projects in geographic areas currently underrepresented in the programme portfolio or not receiving significant conservation attention

What They Don't Fund

  • Species-specific conservation projects (as opposed to landscape-scale restoration)
  • Stand-alone education or awareness-raising projects
  • Government agencies, for-profit companies, or individual private landowners as major beneficiaries
  • More than two landscape restoration projects and two seascape restoration projects per country at one time (though the Oversight and Selection Panel may exercise discretion)
  • Projects outside Europe
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Governance and Leadership

Oversight and Selection Panel

The Panel independently applies programme criteria to recommend projects for funding and provides guidance on overall implementation and strategy.

Chair: Angelo Salsi spent 29 years in conservation and joined the European Commission in 1994 in the Nature Conservation department. He succeeded Professor Sir John Lawton CBE FRS, an eminent British ecologist, President of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, and Vice President of RSPB.

Panel Members: Include Dr Tundi Agardy (marine expert) and four distinguished marine experts with academic, policy, and practical expertise in marine ecosystem restoration.

Management Team

Director: Dr David Thomas has over 30 years' experience as a conservationist and project manager, most recently as Senior Programme Manager with Fauna & Flora overseeing large grants and supporting partners to restore habitats and establish networks of MPAs.

On the urgency of restoration, Thomas stated: “Restoring ecosystems at scale is urgent if we are to address the linked biodiversity and climate emergencies.” He emphasizes the complexity of landscape-level work: "For many years conservation has been at site level, often with complete control of that site, but restoration at landscape level isn't so straightforward – you need to involve people in many different sectors: energy, transport, tourism, food production, all with their own priorities."

Science Manager: Nancy Ockendon supports projects to make effective use of science, previously working as Managing Editor of the Conservation Evidence journal at Cambridge's Zoology Department.

Conservation Scientists: Taylor and Isobel support projects with monitoring restoration interventions across ecological and socio-economic dimensions, with backgrounds in freshwater ecology and multi-dimensional restoration assessment.

Communications and Network Manager: Rachel brings over 10 years' experience from BirdLife International and the Rainforest Alliance.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Review Guidance: Carefully review the guidance document before applying
  2. Attend Webinar: Participate in informational webinars (offered for each funding round)
  3. Optional Drop-in Session: Book 1:1 meetings with the Management Team to discuss ideas
  4. Submit Expression of Interest: Through online application form by specified deadline
  5. Sign up for Updates: Register to receive latest information about funding opportunities

Applications are by invitation or through periodic calls for expressions of interest. The programme aims for a collaborative approach, encouraging organizations to work together.

Decision Timeline

Multi-stage Process:

  1. Expression of Interest Stage: Initial submissions reviewed by programme team and Panel
  2. Stage 2 Full Proposal: Shortlisted applicants invited to submit detailed proposals (requires financial audit reports from last 2 years)
  3. In-Principle Approval: Selected projects receive conditional approval
  4. Final Stage of Design: Projects finalize documentation and secure government consents/authorizations
  5. Workshop: Week-long workshop for grantees to reflect on project plans
  6. Final Approval and Start: Funds disbursed after all requirements met

Timeline Example: October 2024 call launch with January 2025 deadline. Projects receiving in-principle approval in early 2025 expected to begin implementation later in 2025 after finalizing plans.

Success Rates

Highly Competitive: Recent calls attracted 75-106 expressions of interest. The February seascape call drew 56 eligible applications with seven projects receiving in-principle offers (approximately 12% success rate). Overall success rates estimated at 7-10% across funding rounds.

2023 Planning Grants: Nine awards made from competitive pool.

Reapplication Policy

Information not publicly available. Contact programme directly at elsp@jbs.cam.ac.uk for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Funder

Partnership is Critical: “Partnership is critically important to successful restoration at landscape scale. The organisations and networks invited to apply are encouraged to collaborate with one another, as well as with community organisations, local government, research institutions, local and national NGOs, companies and private landowners.” Applications should demonstrate complementary experience, expertise, and resources.

Bold and Innovative Vision: The programme seeks “bold and innovative projects that have a long-term vision and want to deliver impact on the ground” with willingness to share experiences and learnings.

Evidence-Based Approach: The programme is an “evidence champion” committed to application of evidence in project design. Dr Thomas emphasized: "It's important to think about the purpose of monitoring when choosing indicators – how will the data be used, who is the audience, and is it information that the audience needs and that will be persuasive?"

Realistic Timeline Expectations: “The measurable impacts of restoration may take years to appear – long beyond the typical 3 to 5-year project timeframe... While it is easy to measure activity – for example number of trees planted, or number of bison reintroduced into an ecosystem – it may be decades before you see the wider ecosystem recovering.”

Lead Partner Requirements

  • Must be not-for-profit organizations (national, regional, international NGOs or social enterprises)
  • Must have previously managed grants of no less than 60% of the amount being requested from the programme
  • Must be currently or very recently active in the project landscape

Recent Successful Projects

  • Foundation Conservation Carpathia (Romania): Făgăraș Mountains restoration across 200,000 ha
  • Rewilding Ukraine: Danube Delta floodplain connectivity restoration, reconnecting Danube River and Katlabuh Lake via Staronekrasivski Wetlands
  • Bulgarian Society for Protection of Birds: State-of-the-art forest and grassland restoration influencing land management over 810,000 ha
  • Rewilding Portugal: Côa Valley wildlife and natural processes restoration
  • Solent Seascape Project: 270+ Seagrass Champions restoring seven hectares of seagrass meadows
  • Cairngorms National Park Authority (Scotland): Beaver reintroduction partnerships
  • SABUKO (Georgia): Kakheti Steppes grassland restoration to 25,000 ha, reconnecting wildlife corridors for Caucasian Leopard

Key Terminology

The programme uses specific language emphasizing: “landscape-scale,” “connectivity,” “natural processes,” “resilience,” “partnership,” “evidence-based,” “long-term vision,” “community-driven,” and “cross-sectoral collaboration.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Scale and Ambition Matter: The programme funds large-scale, transformative projects (typically affecting 25,000+ hectares). Small-scale site-based conservation won't succeed here.
  • Partnership Over Solo Applications: Applications must demonstrate strong, diverse partnerships across sectors (NGOs, government, research, community, landowners). Single-organization applications are unlikely to succeed.
  • Track Record is Essential: Lead partners must have managed grants worth at least 60% of the requested amount. Don't apply if you lack this capacity.
  • Geographic Strategy: Maximum two landscape and two seascape projects per country. Research the programme's current portfolio to assess your country's status.
  • Evidence and Monitoring: Demonstrate commitment to robust, purposeful monitoring and willingness to share learnings. The programme values scientific rigor and knowledge exchange.
  • Long-term Vision Required: Projects must articulate how restoration will reduce management needs over time through natural processes, not perpetual intervention.
  • Early Engagement Valuable: Utilize pre-application webinars and 1:1 drop-in sessions. The programme values dialogue with potential applicants.
  • Leveraging Funding: Successful projects have raised significant additional funding (average US$7.95 million per year). Demonstrate potential for catalytic impact and co-financing.

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