Public and private sectors
The Nationaal Groenfonds (The Dutch National Fund for Rural Areas) advocates optimum use of government funds for investment in nature and landscape, and the activation of private sources of funding for rural areas. Right at the interface between the public and private sectors, it combines practical knowledge of the green sector with expertise in money, funding and government finance. The Nationaal Groenfonds is a specialist in financial arrangements for rural areas, for public and private players or public-private partnerships.
Without profit motive
By offering attractive financial packages the Nationaal Groenfonds stimulates private and public investment in new nature, woodland and landscape. The Fund’s activities directly reflect the broadening of policy on rural areas. Our core activities are banking, management of targeted regional funds, (strategic) consultancy and fundraising. We provide expert information and advice on nature and landscape funding, on a non-commercial basis. This makes Nationaal Groenfonds unique in the Netherlands.
Information
In concert with public and private players, Nationaal Groenfonds holds regular information seminars and symposiums. It also issues informative publications about nature policy and funding.
Financing
Nationaal Groenfonds is dedicated to providing responsible and attractive financing for your investment in nature or landscape. It is also the point of contact for advice and enquiries about subsidies.
Nature financing for public projects
Nationaal Groenfonds finances state and provincial nature development projects throughout the Netherlands. These are often projects within the National Ecological Network (EHS). The Fund administers the subsidies for these nature investments and supplements them with private money flows from banks. It also offers financial facilities for special government projects. The Fund also operates as a banker and provides the financial reporting on nature projects.
Agricultural and private nature development
The Nature Management Subsidy Scheme encourages nature projects run by agricultural and private landowners. These ‘investors in nature’ receive a development subsidy and financial compensation for any reduction in land value. The compensation is paid out in one payment by Nationaal Groenfonds.
Moreover, Nationaal Groenfonds can provide landowners with a ‘soft loan’ for the remaining costs of creating nature and wildlife areas. The Fund can also provide low-interest bridging loans if the subsidy moneys are not readily available. These creative facilities mean that farmers and private entrepreneurs can find ready finance for nature development.
Nature and enterprise
Private investments of a commercial business nature, such as in sport and recreation facilities, can also contribute to nature development and increase nature values. Do you want to set up an environmentally-friendly golf course, or perhaps an area of woodland near farm-based accommodation? With the Nationaal Groenfonds you can look into all the options for subsidies, prefinancing, a contribution in the form of afforestation certificates, or a supplementary ‘soft’ loan and bank financing.
Nature on rural estates
Restoration and environmental redevelopment of existing rural estates contribute to the quality of nature and landscape. And if you are founding a new country estate you can create or enhance nature values. The financing facilities of the Nationaal Groenfonds are ideally suited to this type of project.
Regional funds at regional level
Regional issues require an integrated regional approach, with cohesion between agriculture, water storage, nature and landscape, recreation, heritage and social structure. But administrative boundaries often stand in the way of an integrated approach. Numerous money flows with associated rules and procedures hamper optimum financing. A regional fund offers a solution. A regional fund can bring together public and private money flows, provide interim capital for investments, make lump-sum or periodic payments, and transform a long-term asset into an operating allowance.
But how do you organise the financial input of the parties, and how do you apportion risks and profits? What agreements and contracts are needed between the investors in the regional fund and the end users? How do you guarantee transparent day-to-day financial settlements, efficient payments, and clear financial accounting and reporting? The Nationaal Groenfonds specialises in the development of new regional funds, and in their day-to-day financial management, including outpayments, transactions on the money and capital markets, accounting and reporting.
Afforestation
Dutch people would like to see more woodland. This can be achieved with afforestation certificates from the Nationaal Groenfonds. Trees have a special characteristic which fixes CO2 (carbon dioxide). As it grows the woodland absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, and this helps to counter the greenhouse effect.
By issuing afforestation certificates the Nationaal Groenfonds ‘redeems’ the CO2-fixing capacity of new woodland. This makes an attractive return per hectare for people investing in new woodland. It is the perfect incentive to substantially increase the area of land devoted to woodland in the Netherlands. The new woodland must be sustainably managed, remain standing for at least 50 years, and be accessible to the public (at least in part). In this way afforestation certificates from the Nationaal Groenfonds also contribute to extending recreational facilities in the Netherlands.