Mainstreaming nature-based solutions to deliver greater value

Competition: Breakthrough 3: Transform

Amount awarded: £8,028,022

Led by: United Utilities

Partners: Affinity Water Limited, Anglian Water Service Limited, Arup, Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig (Welsh Water), Jacobs UK Ltd., Mott MacDonald Ltd., North Star Transition, Northern Ireland Water Ltd., Northumbrian Water Limited, Ribble Rivers Trust, RSK Group (ADAS, Salix, WRc), SES Water Plc, Severn Trent Plc, South East Rivers Trust, South West Water Limited, Southern Water Services Limited, The Nature Conservancy, The Rivers Trust, United Utilities Water Limited, Water Resources South East, Westcountry Rivers Trust, Wildfowl and Wetland Trust

Estimated completion date: September 2028

Water cycle tag: Rivers, catchments, groundwater

See the Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions project website for more information.

Nature-based solutions have the potential to provide multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits by tackling flooding, drought and water quality issues at landscape scale. This transformational programme of work brings together multi-sectorial expertise and leadership to collaboratively create and test new solutions to remove these barriers through real-life case studies and facilitate and enable transition of nature-based solutions into business-as-usual to deliver greater value for customers, society, environment.

“Water companies want to use lower carbon and more environmentally-friendly solutions to serve our customers; the know-how is limited and solutions can be expensive for scale. This project will help us to lower the total cost of nature-based solutions, including customers in decision-making and help us all go greener faster.” – Kieran Brocklebank, Head of Innovation, United Utilities

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Update from the project (January 2026)

The Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions (MNbS) programme remains on track, having successfully completed Phase 1 with all deliverables signed off. Over the past six months, we have focused on scoping the regional testing of our Phase 1 recommendations, developing workstream outputs and enablers, and collaboratively shaping the forward plan for Phases 2 and 3. Key highlights include publishing the draft Common Value Framework to provide a consistent approach to valuing NbS benefits, launching the MNbS website (over 1,400 visits in its first month), and progressing a programme to build the evidence base and support regulatory evolution in relation to NbS. We also contributed to post-Cunliffe planning by sharing a paper with Defra titled “Future Proofing PR29: Acting now to Mainstream NbS.” To strengthen engagement, we introduced a project partner weekly bulletin and launched a webinar series. Our LinkedIn community has grown to over 500 members, and we presented at the Institute of Water Northern Area Annual Seminar. These activities have helped raise awareness and build momentum across the water sector and beyond. Looking ahead, we are focused on delivering the remaining Phases of the programme, ensuring NbS becomes a mainstream approach for resilience and sustainability.