NaturEtrade NFM Natural Flood Management

FAQ

• How does the auction work?
  • The auction allows farmers to bid for funding to construct and maintain one, or multiple, NFM measures on their land.
  • To do this, the user can bid for an amount of funding for the bundle of measures they wish to implement. The tool will indicate whether their bid is ‘selected’, which means that it currently qualifies for funding. This, however, can change if other users submit lower bids (i.e. will implement measures for less money). If a user’s bid changes from ‘selected’ to ‘unselected’, they will be notified via email, and they can then lower their bid if they wish to do so.
• How will I know if my bid is successful?
  • When you place a bid, you will be able to see whether it’s currently selected for funding. Then you will be emailed an update each morning, but only if the status of your bid changes (i.e. if someone outbids it, so it changes from currently selected to unsuccessful). Once the auction has closed, you will receive a further email confirming whether or not your bid was successful.
• Can I change my bid once I’ve submitted it?
  • The only way in which you can change your bid once you’ve submitted it is to decrease your price. This is to ensure that the auction remains fair and competitive. If you’ve made a mistake with the non-monetary details of your bid, such as the location of your NFM measure, you will need to contact us at victoria.munday@fwagsw.org.uk
• What am I bidding for?
  • You are bidding for funding from the Somerset Rivers Authority to construct one, or multiple, NFM measures on your land. You will need to maintain these measures for a minimum of five years after implementation, so you should account for this in your bid.
• What are the NFM measures?
  • Specifications for the measures can be found by clicking on their names here:
    • Maize Management
    • Grassland Sub-Soiling
    • Leaky Structures (Leaky Dams)
    • Hedge Planting
    • Soil Bunds and Leaky Ponds
    • Hedge Planting on Bunds
• How can I ensure that my NFM measure meets standards?
  • Factsheets on the NFM measures can be found here.
    After the auction closes, if your bid has been successful, you will be contacted by a member of our team to discuss how your chosen NFM measures will work best on your land, and they may also make a follow-up site visit to ensure that the measure has been implemented correctly.
• When and how will I be paid for implementing the NFM measures?
  • After the follow-up site visit to verify that the measure has been implemented correctly, payment will be made via bank transfer by the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA).
    The purpose of installing the NFM measures is to help deliver the Land Management work stream of Somerset's 20 Year Flood Action Plan, as part of the partnership approach known as Hills to Levels. Funding for the NFM measures comes from the 2018-19 Somerset council tax and contributions from Somerset's Internal Drainage Boards.
• Who can I contact if I have a problem?
  • If you have a problem using the online auction tool, please contact Victoria Munday at victoria.munday@fwagsw.org.uk or on 07946 503111.