FAQ

• How does the auction for landowners work?
  • This reverse auction allows you as a landowner to bid for funding to carry out and maintain one, or multiple ‘measures’ on your land which contribute to the improvement of water quality and natural flood management by slowing the flow of water in the catchment. ‘Measures’ include fencing off waterways, tree planting, soil aeration and hedgerows.
  • To do this on the website, once you’ve registered you can enter your SBI number to see you’re your Rural Land Registry Land Parcels. If you don’t have an SBI number or do not need to see your Land Parcels, just zoom in to find your land on the map. You can then choose from the ‘measures’ list on the left e.g. say you want a hedgerow along an existing fence line – for that you’d select hedgerow single line of fencing and click the ADD MEASURE button. Click the cursor on the map where you want the hedge to start and double click at the other end to finish the line. Then add how much funding you’re seeking for adding this hedgerow and one line of fencing and Submit the bid. If someone offers a lower bid to do the same amount of work you’ll get an email saying you have been outbid and asking if you’d like to reconsider your offer. You can do this as many times as you like but please don’t go below the real cost of you actually doing the work.
• What am I bidding for?
  • You are bidding for funding from the Environment Agency to put in place one, or multiple land management measures on your land. Please note that as landowner, you are responsible for maintaining any measures that are funded under this grant for 5 years so we recommend that you should account for this in your bid.
• What are the measures?
  • Descriptions and factsheets for the measures can be found here. Bids for any of the measures are accepted throughout the whole of the Upper Aire catchment.
  Figure 1 Area where bids for measures will be accepted in the Upper Aire catchment
• Are there minimum or maximum prices I can bid for?
  • There is no minimum price you can place a bid for as the most competitive bids will receive funding after review. However, there are maximum price limits for each measure. Please see the table below (Table 1) for further guidance.
  Table 1 Summary of Upper Price Limits for each NatureBid measure

  Measure	Unit / Measure	Upper Price Limit (£) per Unit / Measure
  Fencing along waterways	£/m	10 (incl. 2m buffer unplanted)
  Fencing along waterways	£/m	15 (incl. planted 2m buffer)
  Drinking Points	£/point	200
  New Hedgerows	£/m	32 (incl. single fence)
  New Hedgerows	£/m	40 (incl. double fence)
  Soil Aeration	£/ha	95
  Tree Planting	£/ha	12,400 (incl. fencing)

• How will Natural Flood Management affect my farm?
  • There are a number of potential benefits a land manager can get from implementing Natural Flood Management measures, including:
  • Reduced flood risk to productive farmland and farm buildings;
  • Improved soil fertility and reductions in soil loss, pesticide and fertiliser runoff;
  • Reduced effects of drought as healthy soils retain water for longer in dry periods;
  • Improved drainage of waterlogged areas preventing prolonged flooding of farmland;
  • Bankside fencing reduces the risk of waterborne disease and lameness in stock;
  • Hedges and tree planting can provide shelter and shade for stock;
  • Reduced erosion of tracks and river banks;
  • Reduced need for gravel management;
  • Potential for income generation for the landowner (from commercial woodlands and short rotation willow coppice).
• How can I ensure that my measure meets standards?
  • Factsheets and guidance for each measure can be found here. In addition, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust can provide a free advisory visit. This may include a walkover on your land to discuss locations of suitable measures and help to estimate costs. If you are would like a free consultation, please contact YWT at suzie.knight@ywt.org.uk.
  • If you are successful in the auction, we will visit your farm to check the suitability of your proposed measures before we sign any agreement with you.
• When and how will I be paid for implementing the measures?
  • Once we sign an agreement with you, 90% funding will be made via bank transfer from YWT. Work is due to be carried out by March 1st 2023. You will supply us with evidence that you have implemented the measures by 1st March 2023. Simple photographs taken from the same spot showing the land before the work, then the work once completed are satisfactory evidence. Once YWT have seen that each measure has been implemented satisfactorily, the final 10% payment will be made direct via bank transfer.
• How does implementation of measures and funding affect current agri-environment schemes?
  • If land is in an agri-environment agreement, it is the responsibility of the landowner/farmer to consult with RPA/ Natural England to ensure that compliance with the agreement is not affected. Please check your agri-environment scheme manual before making a bid and contact your land agent or the RPA if you have any queries. Agri-environment agreements may need to be amended or derogations provided. NatureBid cannot fund works which are already receiving funding through other schemes. Similarly, be aware that any works funded through NatureBid will not be eligible for funding in an agri-environment scheme.
  • Please also note that NatureBid and the funding supplied for works is separate to Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs).
• What agreement will I have to sign up to?
  • This is the agreement that YWT will have with you if you place a successful bid. (Nature Bid Agreement)
• What if I have multiple properties?
  • You can add multiple properties on the online auction website. There are no restrictions on how many properties you can add, or how many measures per property you can bid for.
• Can I change my bid once I've submitted it?
  • You will be able to make changes to your bid once it has been submitted. You will be able to alter the price, change the length and area of measure (if applicable), as well as deleting the bid. The original bid does not need to be withdrawn to make these edits.
• How will I know if my bid is successful?
  • When you place a bid, you will be able to see whether it is currently selected for funding. You will be emailed an update if the status of your bid changes (i.e. if someone outbids it, so it changes from "selected" to "unsuccessful"). You can easily alter the bid, you do not need to delete it and start again.
• Will my successful bid be reviewed?
  • If your bid is successful we will visit your farm at an agreed time for a site visit prior to signing the agreement. This will be to discuss and evaluate your proposed measures and any permits you might need, as well as anything else that might affect delivery such as archaeology, protected site status. We will help you to submit any necessary permits. During this visit we will also discuss the evidence you will need to provide to YWT once the measures have been implemented.
• What will happen if I do not deliver the measure(s) agreed upon before 1^st March 2023?
  • If you have not implemented the agreed measure(s) before 1^st March 2023 due to unforseen circumstances, you can repay the funds already given and we will not give you the final 10%.
• What will happen if my bid is unsuccessful?
  • When you place a bid, you will be able to see whether it is selected for funding. You will be emailed an update if the status of your bid changes (i.e. if someone outbids it, so it changes from ‘selected’ to ‘unsuccessful’). If you are unsuccessful you will not receive funding to complete the land management measures proposed.
• Can I receive technical help with the NatureBid Platform?
  • YWT are happy to provide any technical assistance with regards to the online auction process. YWT may also provide technical help with the completion of any permits required for completion of successful bid works. If you require any technical assistance, please contact suzie.knight@ywt.org.uk.
• Who can I contact if I have a problem?
  • If you have a problem using the online auction tool, please contact YWT at suzie.knight@ywt.org.uk or on 07879 645030.
• Step by step reference for how NatureBid works:
  • Please refer to Figure 2 for a summary of the NatureBid auction process.
  

  Figure 2 Summary of the Upper Aire NatureBid process