How to apply

Apply Here

Our 2025 grant application cycle is open.

The Regenerative Fund for Nature invites applicants to submit proposals for the 2025 grant cycle.

The Regenerative Fund for Nature invites project applications related to three raw material supply chains: cashmere, cotton, and wool.

Criteria

1. Geographies included:

• Cotton in Turkiye, Brazil or Tanzania.
• Wool in New Zealand or Australia.
• Cashmere in Mongolia or Inner Mongolia (China)

2. Type of organization

Applicants must fall under one of the following categories:

• MSME companies*: Suppliers, farmers or estates that are categorized as micro, small or medium enterprises.
• Farming groups: Cooperatives or associations, with legal status in the project country.
• Project developers: Not for profit organizations with a mission aligned to the purpose of the Fund. Other raw material aggregators that engage with farmers / farming groups.

* For the purpose of the Fund, CI will use IFC’s definition of a micro, small or medium enterprise. The ranges are shown in the table below.

3. Projects must align with the fund's regenerative principles:

• Soil health: Increasing lands’ capacity to sequester carbon, hold and filter water and improve other elements of soil functionality.
• Biodiversity: Protecting, restoring and enhancing biodiversity on farms and on project influenced areas.
• Climate: Contributing to a stable future climate and enhancing the adaptive capacity of communities.
• Water: Enhancing water stewardship on farms towards a healthier watershed.
• Livelihoods: Supporting and improving the livelihoods of farmers and local communities.
• Animal welfare: Enhancing the welfare of farmed livestock and influenced wildlife.

4. Projects must align with the following technical criteria:

• GMO: The use of GMOs is not outright prohibited, but projects will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and must show a clear intention to transition away from them.
• Mulesing: Projects involving wool must demonstrate full traceability and compliance with non-mulesed wool sourcing.
• Monitoring and evaluation: Applicants must demonstrate both the capability and institutional capacity to conduct robust Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in alignment with our program’s goals for accountability, learning, and impact. Participation in the RFFN M&E process is mandatory. Our M&E Framework employs an outcomes-based approach, and projects must show alignment with our M&E strategy.
• Allocation strategy: Our M&E approach is directly connected to our allocation strategy, which classifies project hectares and beneficiaries into direct and indirect impact. This framework supports transparent, consistent tracking of land-based outcomes across projects. Applicants must clearly distinguish between these classifications in their reporting, and be able to validate each hectare and beneficiary included in their project using credible sources such as geospatial data, government or public records, signed agreements, training documentation, and field-verified information, among others. Estimates or averages can be used for indirect impact with an explanation of methodology.
• Theory of change: Applicants, at the Full proposal stage, are required to include a clear Theory of Change (ToC) that explains how planned activities will lead to meaningful, measurable outcomes over time.
• Science based targets: While not mandatory, the selection committee will prioritize projects that demonstrate alignment with and contribution to corporate Science Based Targets (SBTs) — particularly where this aligns with the Fund’s existing reporting requirements. Projects can demonstrate alignment by:
• Describing how proposed interventions aim to reduce impacts on land and freshwater, particularly those that support Science-Based Targets for Nature (SBTN):
• Reducing water pollution related to nitrogen and phosphorus
• Reducing water use
• Reducing conversion of natural habitat
• Reducing the quantity of land under production
• Describing any actions and/or investments the organization made or is making to engage in a landscape approach.
• Additionally, if invited to submit a Full Proposal, applicants will be required to submit a detailed:
• Work plan for the duration of the project.
• Budget for the duration of the project.
• Financial Questionnaire.
• Plan for possible risk and mitigation on all environmental, social, operational, and external risks identified

Find more specific details on the Technical criteria here.

What is the grant?

Financial contributions

For projects within these supply chains and countries, we offer grants ranging from $ 300,000 USD to $ 600,000 USD with a maximum project duration of 36 months, starting January 2026. Eligible applicants include micro, small & medium enterprises, farming groups, project developers and raw material aggregators committed to regenerative agriculture.

How to apply

We invite qualified applicants to submit a short Letter of Inquiry prior to a full application for this grant cycle. The deadline for submitting the LOI is 11:59 EST on July 15, 2025. The LOI is required before qualifying for the full application submission. Qualifying applicants will be notified by August 1st, 2025, and invited to submit a full proposal. The awards will be announced by December 2025.

You can access the letter of inquiry (LOI) form here.

For any issues or questions about the ConservationGrants system please reach out to Conservation International at conservationgrants@conservation.org.

For any questions about the application or the Regenerative Fund for Nature. Please reach out to Fund4Nature@conservation.org.

Submission requirements

What does the Letter of Inquiry (LOI) require?

The Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is the first step of the project selection process. The LOI is a brief overview of your organization, partners, material, geography, and production volumes. We will also require some brief answers to questions about your project rationale, approach, impact, and scale.

If invited to complete a full application, what does my application need to contain?

If invited to complete a full application, the submission package must contain:

• A Full Proposal requiring more specific answers to what has been proposed on the LOI.
• Demonstrated capacity to report on our M&E Framework.
• Work plan for the duration of the project.
• Budget for the duration of the project.
• Financial Questionnaire.
• Plan for possible risk and mitigation on all environmental, social, operational, and external risks identified

We also welcome the submission of additional materials, such as photos and videos.

Apply Now

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Regenerative Fund for Nature?

The Regenerative Fund for Nature was established in 2021 by Conservation International and global Luxury group Kering, with Inditex joining in 2023, to answer the urgent need for innovative agriculture projects at the intersection of fashion and sustainability. Our mission is to transform fashion’s raw material supply chains by championing regenerative farming practices.

Through grants and partnerships, the fund invests in farming communities, project leaders, and NGOs to implement regenerative approaches that create value and deliver measurable outcomes for nature, climate and livelihoods. With increasing positive impacts and the addition of new investment partners, the Regenerative Fund for Nature is at the forefront of reshaping the fashion industry's relationship with nature.

What is the governance structure of the Fund?

Secretariat: Conservation International - responsible for day-to-day operations and coordination, financial oversight, grant-making and grant management.

Operations Committee: Experts from Kering, Inditex and Conservation International - charged with the process to select and approve grants, evaluate progress of grants and the Fund overall.

Executive Committee: Composed of senior leaders from business and conservation who provide general strategic advice and direction.

What is regeneration for the Fund?

Regeneration is an ongoing process that revitalizes ecosystems within existing land uses, empowers communities, strengthens economies and mitigates climate change. Regeneration can exist at an ecosystem level but also within individual components in nature, such as soil health or biodiversity.

The Fund draws on the latest scientific definition of regeneration. Existing literature, studies and definitions—including Carol Sanford’s regenerative philosophy, Regen10’s unified framework, The Textile Exchange’s Regenerative Outcomes Framework and OP2B’s advocacy for inclusive, jurisdictional approaches—were leveraged for guidance. Our goal is to reduce ambiguity and have an aligned understanding of what it means to regenerate a landscape. In 2025, the Fund will apply this definition to our monitoring and evaluation framework and how we allocate and attribute impact across our partner investments.

• A Dynamic, Continuous Journey: Regeneration begins with intentional actions—community engagement, landscape assessments and stakeholder agreements—that spark a cycle of ongoing adaptation and co-creation. The process evolves alongside the landscape and its people, with the goal of perpetual renewal rather than a fixed outcome. Regenerative practices form a critical layer within a broader landscape approach, enabling holistic ecological and social transformation.
• Holistic and Systems-Based Approach: Regeneration addresses the interconnected systems that sustain ecological, social and economic resilience. It integrates soil regeneration (e.g., fertility, structure and microbiota), landscape-level restoration (e.g., biodiversity, water cycling) and community-driven practices that reinforce ecosystem health. This comprehensive approach ensures measurable progress, causality and outcomes across scales, with each part of the system supporting the others leading to social and environmental resiliency.
• Commitment to Iterative Learning and Adaptation: Regeneration relies on measurable progress. This includes:
• Implementation of regenerative practices (e.g. no-till farming, rotational grazing and cover cropping)
• Improvement in soil health and biodiversity as precursors to larger landscape-scale changes
• Climate resilience outcomes for both people and the environment

Regenerative projects embrace adaptive management, refining strategies based on continuous learning and feedback. Regeneration is not static; it evolves to meet changing conditions.

• Behavioral and Cultural Transformation: Regeneration is driven by a shift in mindset, moving beyond short-term gains to long-term, systemic change. It begins with building shared values among stakeholders and fosters deep, lasting relationships rooted in mutual care and co-creation. This cultural transformation is essential for creating resilient communities that can sustain regenerative practices over time.
• Scalability with Local Adaptation: Regeneration is scalable across landscapes but must remain rooted in local contexts. Core principles—such as improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity and strengthening economies—are tailored to specific regions, ensuring relevance and effectiveness. By aligning smaller projects with larger systems, regeneration creates ripple effects across entire landscapes.

Technical Questions

Do I need to address all of the Regenerative Fund for Nature core principles in my intervention?

Yes. The Fund seeks projects that address multiple areas of regenerative agriculture, although the focus of the proposed program can emphasize specific principles more than others. There are many types of farm-based practices that can address the principles and outcomes of a regenerative system and applications for the Fund should articulate the types of practices being promoted and expected measurable outcomes. For non-livestock materials (cotton), the animal welfare principle may not be relevant or required.

Will the Fund recognize particular certifications?

Potential applicants do not need to have existing certifications in place. Indeed, this is an emerging area with few certifications specifically for regenerative agriculture. Applicants should indicate any third-party sustainability certifications for farm-level production, as this will help us understand existing practices — and how they might relate to regenerative outcomes.

How do you distinguish between organic and regenerative?

Under the 'umbrella' of 'regenerative', there are a suite of best practices, including organic approaches. Yet taken as a whole, regenerative agriculture aims to move beyond organic, and deliver on many outcomes such as restoring soil health, improving carbon sequestration, protecting biodiversity, etc. At the most fundamental level, our approach to promoting regenerative agriculture is focused on outcomes, not only practices.

Do the grantees need to produce materials that are directly used by Kering or Inditex brands?

No. The purpose of the Fund is to drive a transition to regenerative practices across the wider industry, and to build awareness and support for regenerative agriculture in general, which goes beyond the fashion sector. We do hope to connect selected projects to the fashion and textiles supply chain, as we are committed to sourcing materials that enhance nature. Providing visibility into how the raw materials from the project are integrated into the fashion supply chain is encouraged.

Will you consider projects that fall outside the specified eligibility criteria?

No. Please review the criteria mentioned above.

Will you consider projects outside of the eligible countries?

We regret that we cannot fund activities outside of the eligible countries. It is possible that we might add additional countries in the future based on new analyses of priority interventions.

Can I propose a project that spans multiple countries?

Yes. But this will require separate applications for each country.

Why is the award amount/duration given in ranges?

We understand that different projects will vary in terms of resource needs, timeline for delivery of outcomes, and time to maturation. Therefore, the Fund is set up to provide applicants the flexibility to suggest projects that align best with the timeline and funding needs of the proposed activities. Applicants need to be clear what measurable outcomes will be delivered by the project during the tenure of the grant — even if the project extends beyond the grant period.

If I receive an initial grant for 36 months, can I apply for another grant at the end of this term?

The short answer is yes. However, all ‘phase 2’ opportunities will be assessed based on the competitiveness of the proposal and the availability of funding at the time of the request.

Application evaluation

How will applications be evaluated?

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Alignment with Fund Objectives: The proposed projects are aligned with the outcomes the Fund is seeking, in the countries that have been prioritized. Find our principles and outcomes as part of the M&E Framework.
• Opportunity to Scale: The concept shows the ability to scale. In this case, scale is taken to mean either spatially to new geographies, and/or scaling into multiple/additional principles of regenerative agriculture using the funding provided. Given that the Fund seeks to transition 1,000,000 hectares towards regenerative agriculture, we are interested in projects that can scale across wide areas.
• Feasibility of Idea: The proposed project with measurable outcomes is achievable within the project timeframe and budget, and there is a high likelihood of success. This includes alignment with the Fund’s M&E Framework, and allocation strategy.
• Capacity of Partner: The applicant has the proven capacity to implement, manage, communicate, and report on activities proposed in the project.
• Relevance: The ability to deliver high quality raw materials into fashion supply chains.

Read more specific details on the Technical criteria here.

Other questions

How will you perceive proposals which propose cost-sharing measures/in-kind contributions?

If you have additional funding sources, please let us know. While this is not a requirement, co-financing may indicate enhanced capacity to implement and deliver outcomes.

Can other companies (brands) join the Fund?

Yes, please get in touch at: fund4nature@conservation.org. We would welcome opportunities to expand the fund — and its impact — by bringing more funding partners to the table.

I have more questions about the grant application procedure and/or activity implementation. Who can I ask?

For any issues or questions about the ConservationGrants system please reach out to Conservation International at conservationgrants@conservation.org.

For any questions about the application or the Regenerative Fund for Nature. Please reach out to Fund4Nature@conservation.org.

I am not planning to apply but am keen to discuss a collaborative opportunity. Who should I contact?

Please send an email to fund4nature@conservation.org.

How to apply?

• Step 1: Go to the application system, ConservationGrants.
• Step 2: You will be prompted to the ConservationGrants log in page. If you already have a ConservationGrants account, please introduce your username and password. If not, please create a new user account. You will receive an email requesting you to confirm the email address, and a prompt to create a new password.
• Step 3: You will be taken to the “Explore Grant Opportunities” page. Select “Regenerative Fund for Nature – LOI.”
• Step 4: Follow the instructions to fill out the LOI application. Qualifying applicants will be notified by August 1st 2025 before being invited to submit a full proposal.
• Step 5: Follow the instructions to fill out the LOI Application form.
• Step 6: Download the files named ‘LOI Application form’, ‘Annex I Principles and Outcomes’ and ‘Technical Criteria’. Please complete only the file titled "LOI Application Form." The other two forms are for guidance.
• Step 7: After completing the LOI Application form, click the "Create Application" button located at the bottom right corner. You will then need to answer a few questions before being prompted to upload the completed ‘LOI Application form’.
• Step 8: Click ‘Submit'. Qualifying applicants will be notified by August 1st 2025 before being invited to submit a full proposal.

Current Partners