Evaluation of Scotland's Rainforest Restoration Fund
Moss-covered trees and branches at Barnluasgan, Credit Lorne Gill/NatureScot
The Rainforest Restoration Fund (RRF) was introduced as a time-limited fund (from September 2025 to March 2026) to help tackle the challenges facing these iconic native woodlands. It supported restoration activity and the Scottish Government’s strategy to restore and expand Scotland’s rainforest.
The fund was administered by NatureScot working collaboratively with the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest (ASR).
In total, £1.76m in project funding was shared by 11 projects, each varying in scope and stage of development, but all with a shared focus on restoring and protecting rainforest habitat. Ten funded projects were ASR Focus Projects, and one project led by ASR was scoping out a new funding mechanisms for Scotland’s rainforest.
Social Investment Scotland (SIS) has produced an evaluation report which assesses the impact, delivery and administration of the RRF. It considers what difference the fund made, what was delivered, how projects worked in practice, and what this means for future rainforest restoration funding.
The RRF spans a range of activities, outputs, outcomes and milestones. Some notable highlights include:
Strong and consistent achievement of activities related to INNS control, with multiple projects meeting or exceeding their planned treatment areas. At the point of end-of-project reporting, 2041.1 ha had been cleared of Rhododendron ponticum.
Herbivore management–related milestones, including deer management, monitoring and enabling systems, were also substantially delivered, although in some cases quantitative targets were partially met due to factors such as timing constraints, access and weather conditions or delivery dependencies. At the point of end-of-project reporting, 36,413 ha had a grazing system in place that allows for adaptive/responsive management.
A significant number of planned, project activities and outputs focused on planning, surveys, training, governance or infrastructure rather than immediate habitat outcomes. These outputs inform and enable future activity and build capacity and momentum for continued project work within ASR focus project areas.
Growth and sustainability of local capacity to support ongoing rainforest restoration through job creation, skills training and recruitment and training of volunteers. At least 41 volunteers were recruited and trained through the RRF.
Through capital expenditure specialist equipment including vehicles, a fogging machine, drones and a venison processing unit were purchased, and substantial development of a new social enterprise deer larder achieved.
The evaluation also tells us that the RRF has played a clear and positive role in advancing rainforest restoration in Scotland. It has done this in clearly evidenced ways. It:
Provided visible and practical support at a critical point, helping projects move from planning into delivery and demonstrating that restoration can be achieved at pace.
Supported more than direct habitat work. By investing in training, planning, engagement and coordination, it has strengthened the foundations needed for long‑term restoration.
Reinforced collaboration across organisations, landowners and communities, showing that coordinated approaches can deliver results across complex landscapes.
Collaborated with ASR expertise and networks providing an efficient way of ensuring that appropriate work was identified and delivered.
The evaluation also includes ten recommendations for the future that will allow funds for rainforest restoration to build on what worked well in the RRF particularly around timing, certainty and fund administration.
Move to multi-year or phased funding models, providing funding at scale, to deliver better value for money and the long-term outcomes required.
Design future funds to align with delivery realities – recognising nature’s cycles and operational realities, rather than financial cycles alone.
Consider staff and volunteer well-being in designing fund processes and timescales, promoting delivery of proportionate work to timescales.
Provide longer lead-in times, clearer funding visibility and retain and formalise flexibility within delivery.
Consistently invest in enabling community and organisational capacity alongside delivery.
Consider where fund application and assurance processes can be streamlined.
Continue collaborating with expertise and networks through the ASR.
Review monitoring and reporting processes to encourage consistent, comparable data collection.
Develop collaborative learning and support mechanisms for ASR Focus Projects and essential project stakeholders.
Strategically assess the RRF alongside other nature restoration funds.
Conclusion
The RRF is widely seen as a significant step forward and an enabling force in restoring Scotland’s rainforest. Taken together, evaluation findings underline that the impact of the RRF extended beyond immediate delivery, and acted as a catalyst for building capability, generating evidence and strengthening relationships.
You can read the report here.
You can find out more about the activities and resources supported by this funding in our blog.
