Supporting the Entire BNG Market: Why We Created Our Ecologists Directory
When developers first started approaching us about Biodiversity Net Gain, we quickly realised they needed more than just habitat units. Many came to us in the early stages of their projects, sometimes as simple as having "spoken to their LPA and they've been told they need biodiversity - not even units or anything."
Rather than turning them away, we saw an opportunity to help.
These developers need ecological assessments before they can even determine their BNG requirements. But finding the right ecologist - especially one with local LPA experience - can be time-consuming and confusing.
Born from Service
Our approach is advisory of the BNG process, as well as purchase of the BNG units. Yet what our clients wanted was an even broader perspective.
"The Ecologist Directory was born from necessity really," explains Sam Allen, who leads the initiative. "What we wanted to try and do was partner up people."
As specialists in BNG advisory services, we found ourselves fielding questions from developers who weren't quite ready to buy units yet. They needed fundamental ecological assessments first - the baseline surveys that would determine their BNG requirements in the first place.
"The idea is that we want people to come to us whatever kind of question they've got with regards to Biodiversity Net Gain," Sam notes. "We're more often than not able to answer the question, so the reason for creating the Directory really was to make it a sort of space for them to go and to be able to find support."
Understanding What Developers Actually Need
Through our experience, we've learnt that developers typically need multiple quotes to understand the marketplace properly. "I think it's a kind of industry standard really - they'd have to get at least 3 quotes to understand the landscape and the marketplace and understand really what the costs should be."
This insight shaped how we structured the directory. Rather than just listing a few preferred partners, we created a comprehensive resource of regional partners – some small, some large – a breadth of options. "Rather than going to someone and finding it's abnormally low or abnormally high, getting a number of them to find out is important."
The Power of Local Knowledge
One of our most significant discoveries was how much location matters to developers when ecological services. "Some want them to be close. Some want them to know the local lay of the land," Sam explains. "They want them to know that they've had experience with the LPA that they've got their planning with."
This led us to organise the directory by region, ensuring developers can find "hyper-local regional support" when they need it. There's real value in having an ecologist who understands not just the science, but the local planning landscape.
Why This Work Matters
"What BNG's doing is good - it's a good thing," Sam emphasises. His enthusiasm for the work is genuine: "It's fascinating actually - the work that the ecologists are doing with the baseline surveys and understanding what is on site and what's going to be impacted. It's something that I get really excited about, which sounds a bit nerdy, but I get really do get excited by it."
This excitement drives our commitment to supporting the broader biodiversity market. "We want to make sure that as a whole that the biodiversity market works," Sam explains. "If we can help in any way support ecology firms and practices, then we'll do that."
The directory represents more than just another service - it's our contribution to making BNG work for everyone involved. Because sometimes the best business strategy is simply helping people solve their problems - even when it's not directly what you sell.
Visit our Ecologists for BNG Directory to find vetted ecologists in your region of the UK
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