Guidance

Water Restoration Fund: how RPA will assess your application

Published 9 April 2024

Applies to England

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will consider if the costs are reasonable, as set out in Table 1. Projects that fail this assessment will not be progressed.

We will then assess your application against the criteria set out in table 2 using the scoring system set out in table 3. Your scores will be multiplied by the weighting in table 2 to provide a weighted score for each criteria. These will be added to create a total weighted score.

We will also assess value for money through the technical criteria (Tables 2 and 3). The highest scores will be awarded for those projects which demonstrate their project is good value for money when considering the overall outcomes.

Table 1: Definition of reasonable costs

Indicator	Score
Applicant provides strong evidence that costs are value for money and are proportionate. Activities are essential to deliver the project or deliverables. The evidence suggests every proposed activity is adding meaningful value and it is likely that it could not be carried out with any less funding. Applicant’s costs should be similar to comparable bids.	Pass
Applicant fails to show suitable evidence to suggest that costs give value for money and fails to explain why the activities are essential to deliver. Applicant’s bid may also be excessive in comparison to other bids or the costs associated with necessary activities are ineligible or disproportionate. Applicant’s costs may greatly differ from other comparable bids.	Fail

Table 2: Technical assessment criteria

Criteria	Description	Weighting
1	Water environmental improvement and prevention of deterioration (minimum score of 10 out of 25 must be achieved to pass this criteria)	45%
2	Biodiversity – additional delivery for species and habitats	20%
3	Natural process recovery	10%
4	Capacity, capability and feasibility (minimum score of 10 out of 25 must be achieved to pass this criteria)	10%
5	Complementary action, partnership and stakeholder support	5%
6	Community and public engagement	5%
7	Evidence and technology	5%
8	Monitoring and Evaluation (Delivery projects only)	Pass or Fail

Table 3: Technical assessment scoring

Rating	Indicator	Score
Outstanding	Likely to deliver an outstanding impact on the objective and demonstrates outstanding evidence of value for money when considering the outcomes of the project.	25
Strong	Likely to deliver a strong impact on the objective and demonstrates strong evidence of value for money when considering the outcomes of the project.	20
Promising	Likely to deliver a promising impact on the objective and demonstrates promising evidence of value for money when considering the outcomes of the project but further evidence may be required.	10
Weak	Little potential to deliver positively against the objective and demonstrates poor value for money when considering the outcomes of the project.	0
No evidence	Likely to have a negative impact on the objective and no or limited evidence of value for money	Fail

How to meet the assessment criteria in your application

Read the information below to help you complete your application.

Application question 5.6: High-level explanation of how the project meets all the objectives and criteria

In your application we will ask:

Please provide a high-level explanation of how the project meets all the objectives and criteria of the Water Restoration Fund, and the scale of the project

You may wish to provide:

• a description of the proposed work or development project to be carried out on the water or wetland environment and the subsequent enhancements or benefits expected
• evidence and justification of the geographic extent and scale of ambition (including the magnitude of improvement) of the project and its outcomes and benefits

Application question 5.7: Water environmental improvement and prevention of deterioration

In your application we will ask:

How does the project propose to (development award), or will (delivery award) prevent deterioration, restore, or improve the status or condition of  water bodies or water dependent protected sites?

Highlight the key pressures, Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) pressures, remedies or threats; or water body Reasons for Not Achieving Good status (RNAGs) or Reasons for Deterioration (RFD) the project addresses. Where and to what extent, does it fully or partially address them (For example, will it lead to a change in overall condition of an SSSI sites or units, water body status, or within SSSI condition or water body class?)

You may wish to provide:

• evidence of the key adverse condition, threats or pressures or Reasons for Not Achieving Good Status (RNAGs) or Reasons for Deterioration (RFD) on these areas, and impacts on wider catchment and water environment within your project area
• evidence that you are aware of the status or condition of the water body or water bodies or water dependent protected sites – and how – and to what extent the activity proposed will prevent deterioration, maintain or restore them. See Catchment Data Explorer and Natural England’s Designated Sites Search
• evidence of how your proposed activity tackles or manages the remedies, threats or pressures impacting protected sites (including the magnitude of improvement)
• evidence that the proposed outcomes of your project that meets criteria 1 in table 2, demonstrates good value for money

Application question 5.8: Additional biodiversity delivery

In your application we will ask:

How does the project propose to (development award), or will (delivery award) create, restore or enhance habitat quality or quantity, or support recovery of a priority, threatened or keystone water dependent species? What are the habitats and species? What is the scale of this activity?

Projects should provide evidence on how the expected outcomes and benefits referenced in this section are additional to those described in section 5.7.

You may wish to provide evidence of:

• the types of habitat the project seeks to create, restore, or enhance – including ponds, headwaters, other wetlands etc.
• the species the project seeks to support and help recover in England. We will prioritise water dependent threatened ‘red list’ species, species listed under Section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act, or those providing significant ecosystem service benefits
• how the project will support Government targets including, but not limited to: the statutory target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and then bend the curve to increase species abundance by 10% by 2042; and the target to create or restore in excess of 500,000 hectares of a range of wildlife-rich habitat outside protected sites by 2042, compared to 2022. See https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/6427187599900672  and https://oifdata.defra.gov.uk/themes/wildlife/ for more information
• how the project demonstrates positive impacts on increasing the resilience of habitats (and associated water dependent species) to climate change. We do not expect you to predict detailed impacts of climate change - but we do want you to show you’re thinking beyond the lifetime of your project, the sustainability of outcomes and climate change adaptation
• the extent of the recovery to the habitats and species of the proposed area, both in geographic scale and magnitude
• evidence that the proposed outcomes of your project that meets criteria 2 in table 2 demonstrate good value for money

Application question 5.9: Natural process recovery

In your application we will ask:

How will the project restore natural environmental processes and functions to provide long-term and sustainable benefit to the environment – beyond what is required to meet objectives for SSSIs or Water Framework Directive (WFD) water bodies?  

You may wish to provide:

• evidence of how your project will result in the full restoration, partial restoration or improvement to the biological, chemical, hydrological and physical components of habitats (and impact on associated species) across the project area
• examples of nature-based solutions such as flood mitigations that fully restore natural processes, restoration of flows and water levels and biological community recovery
• evidence that the proposed outcomes of your project that meets criteria 3 in table 2 demonstrate good value for money
• additional guidance on natural process restoration in all water and wetland habitats and Nature-based Solutions. Also see ‘A narrative for conserving freshwater and wetland habitats in England (NERR064)’ for an explanation of restoration of natural processes and also guidance including how to assess

Application question 5.10: Capacity, capability, feasibility and project sustainability 

In your application we will ask:

Is the project (delivery award) or plan (development award) ready to deliver? You should specify how you have considered the resource, capacity and expertise required, what management plans you have in place and identify and rate (High, Medium or Low) the key 5 (or more) risks to the success of the project.

You may wish to provide: 

• evidence of how ready you are to start work - are you in a position to commence once grants have been awarded?
• evidence to illustrate what resource requirements are needed and if you have the necessary resource, capacity and expertise required in place to complete the project
• evidence of previous successful delivery of similar scale projects, where applicable
• evidence to show the project is deliverable within the set timeframes
• evidence of what permissions, consents, designs, and other plans or agreements you have in place or what permissions you’ll need before your project can begin (planning permissions must be in place at the claim stage)
• evidence of medium to long term management plans that considers maintaining benefits after the agreement period has ended and how it will be ensured that this management plan remains in place or an explanation if no onward management is required
• a risk assessment and risk management plan – application should highlight key project risks and consider how they could prevent or limit the project from meeting its objectives on time and to budget, and how these risks will be manged or mitigated

Application question 5.11: Complementary action, partnership and stakeholder support

In your application we will ask:

How will the project deliver (delivery award) or plan to deliver (development award) environmental objectives or actions from relevant environmental plans or strategies and what level of support and/or match funding do you have from stakeholders?

You may wish to provide:

• evidence of how your project supports priority actions outlined in the relevant catchment plan or other environmental plans from this list (or specify which other plan/s or strategies): Local Nature Recovery Strategies, Peat Action Plan, England Trees Action Plan, River Basin Management Plans, Catchment Partnership plans, priority actions and measures for 2022 to 2027 in the Catchment Partnership Pages of the river basin management plans, GB Invasive Non-native Species Strategy (2023 to 2030), and Nature-Recovery-Projects
• evidence of any support from stakeholders, for example written support
• evidence of how successful the project will be at attracting match funding or how you have considered or secured match funding, partnership funding is not mandatory, but applications should seek to secure partnership funding, to increase value for money and evidence this in their application as this will impact the final assessment

Application question 5.12: Community and public engagement

In your application we will ask:

How will the project improve (delivery awards) or plan to improve (development awards) sustainable community access to nature, particularly to blue space, including the establishment of educational opportunities?

You may wish to provide:

• evidence of providing or improving sustainable community access  that has no adverse effects on the water and wetland wildlife. (examples could include creating sustainable access routes for the public or educational opportunities)
• demonstrating how this increased access to nature will be sustainable and long term for the relevant communities
• evidence how your project will specifically target community access and engagement with blue space
• evidence how your project will specifically target social groups in areas of deprivation or those groups that have less engagement with nature
• evidence that the perceived outcomes of your project that meets criteria 6 demonstrate good value for money

Application question 5.13: Evidence and technology

In your application we will ask:

How will the project (delivery and development) expand the evidence base through the use of innovation and technology?

You may wish to provide evidence of:

• innovative approaches, technologies or techniques your project will be utilising
• how your project will expand the evidence base

Routine monitoring not associated with project delivery will not be funded in isolation.

Application question 5.14: Monitoring and evaluation

For Delivery award projects only

Describe the monitoring and evaluation plan for the project

You should:

• provide evidence of how you will monitor and evaluate your delivery project
• provide evidence of any ongoing monitoring plans
• share draft or final monitoring and evaluation plans that you have in place
• share agreed project timelines, milestones and outcomes
• explain how you plan to share or utilise data and information that may result from any monitoring and evaluation activities