The hidden Achilles heel of achieving investment readiness for nature-based solutions

The UK nature market is evolving at pace. Corporate demand for nature is rising, policy frameworks are maturing, and private finance is starting to unlock through mechanisms such as biodiversity credits and carbon markets. Yet despite this momentum, finance is still not freely flowing. Some projects don’t secure corporate buyers in time: deals fall apart, investors walk away and years of work can be lost. There is no denying that there are a number of challenging external factors at play. But some projects are securing funding, which begs the question: do you have an effective go-to-market strategy? Are you truly market ready? The focus around nature finance is typically on project development, land, and ecological outcomes. But the hard truth is that great nature projects don’t just sell themselves - and therein can lie a critical skills gap: the ability to translate nature projects into compelling, market-ready propositions and sell these to the relevant audience. Often undervalued, marketing has a vital role to play in funding nature. The final step in attracting buyers and investors to your nature project is about identifying and understanding your audience, reaching them, telling them your story, showing them how it aligns with their needs and building a relationship on which to build a deal or partnership. Corporate demand for nature and nature-based solutions is still building. You have an active role to play in this, by reaching across to your prospective buyers to understand their challenges, explore with them how you can help to overcome these, and help them build their knowledge of nature. Navigating an emerging market Nature is climbing rapidly up the business agenda, driven by frameworks such as TNFD and SBTN , al ongside growing corporate commitments to net zero and nature outcomes. At the same time, the UK nature market is developing distinct sub-markets - biodiversity net gain, nutrient neutrality, peatland carbon, and woodland carbon - each with its own regulatory context, measurement approach, and buyer profile. This complexity creates both opportunity and risk. For project developers, understanding the nuances of each sub-market and which market your work is best suited to is essential. But understanding alone is not enough. Success increasingly depends on how effectively projects are positioned, communicated, and sold. Understanding the marketing fundamentals At its core, marketing is about aligning organisational aims with audience needs. Traditional methodologies such as the “Four P’s” - product, price, place, promotion - remain highly relevant. In the context of nature markets, this translates into key questions: What is the product? Consider what you are providing e.g. carbon credits, biodiversity units or wider ecosystem services; and what your long term customer service and reporting promise is over the life-time of the contract in addition to the units and any co-benefits. How is the product priced? Consider the wider market and competitor pricing both in the UK and globally, co-benefits your project offers, and what is unique about your project that drives value. Where and how is it accessed by buyers? Consider if you have the resources, brand recognition and skills to go to market directly, or whether a buyers club or an enabler/selling platform might be more appropriate. How are you going to communicate with your target audience to sell your product and meet your aims? Consider how to define your target audience, proposition, messaging, content and channels through which to reach them. The additional three P’s of marketing - people, processes, and physical evidence - highlight the importance of credibility, delivery capability, and tangible proof points in building trust. This is particularly important in nature markets, where buyers are often navigating uncertainty and scrutiny. They are not just purchasing units; they are investing in outcomes, reputations, and long-term impact that they will need to report on over the lifetime of any contract they enter into. From audience awareness to nature action Your marketing will need to guide your audience through a structured journey: from awareness, to interest, desire, and action. This is where many projects fall short. Technical expertise and ecological value are necessary, but they do not automatically translate into buyer engagement. You must continuously build your narrative - layer by layer - helping potential buyers to understand not just what the project does, but why it matters to them. The corporate decision-making process can be complex and long. Only when there is a clear business case that meets budget and has full sign off can a company take action and ‘buy’ your offering. Taking a company on this journey requires a shift from project-centric thinking to audience-centric thinking. A structured approach to becoming market ready At Leadertree we have developed an end-to-end marketing approach that can be applied whole, or in part, to nature projects and organisations alike. It begins with market research and audience insight to inform your proposition. From there, the focus moves to proposition development - defining the core story, messaging, and value proposition. This is followed by strategy and planning, where content, channels, campaign and partnership approaches are mapped out. Finally, delivery brings the strategy to life through content, communications, and business development activity. Creating compelling nature communications for buyers is the art of distilling complex ecological and financial data into authentic, engaging and jargon-free stories that make sense on a business and personal level. Science Based Targets Networ