ReFarm

What ReFarm does

ReFarm is an Irish not-for-profit organisation, registered as ReFarm Ecosystem Services CLG (Company Limited by Guarantee), that channels blended public and private finance directly to Irish farmers in return for nature-friendly actions on farmland. Founded in October 2024 and headquartered in Dublin, ReFarm operates a results-based payment programme that rewards farmers for verified biodiversity outcomes including wildlife ponds, hedgerows, mini-woodland copses, and species-rich grassland management. The model is explicitly inspired by proven Irish precedents — the Burren Programme, the Hare's Corner Project, and Farming for Nature — and is anchored by an independent research partnership with Trinity College Dublin led by Professor Jane Stout (Ecology) and Professor Martha O'Hagan (Finance).

The core product is an integrated, single-programme service combining funding facilitation, farmer advisory, habitat verification via farmer-completed scorecards, and research. Payments are partly action-based and partly result-based, with a habitat-quality scorecard determining an additional dividend on top of the annual action payment (capped at €3,000 per farmer in the pilot). Distribution is direct: ReFarm reaches farmers through partnerships with Farming for Nature and Burrenbeo Trust (which also administers payments), relying on community-led GTM evidenced by an NPS of 9.63/10 and 88% survey participation. The technology surface is deliberately light — simple scorecards, birdsong and tree-counting tools, and an MRV / natural capital assessment system under development — rather than a software-platform architecture. Co-founders Anke Heydenreich (25+ years in finance) and Brendan Dunford (founder of Burrenbeo Trust) lead the organisation, with Caroline Fox as Programme Lead.

ReFarm's business model is that of a non-profit pass-through: funds raised from corporate, philanthropic, and public sector sources are deployed as direct payments to farmers rather than retained as profit. The 2025 pilot deployed €205,000 across 80 farmers in 21 counties delivering 139 habitat projects; €3 million+ in funding commitments has been secured out to 2030, and annual farmer-led investment is planned to double to €400,000 in 2026. Named funders include RWE Renewables Ireland, CIE Tours, John Paul Construction, Community Foundation Ireland, BiOrbic, Wicklow and Mayo County Councils, NPWS, and BrightWind, with DLA Piper providing pro bono legal support. The stated strategic intent is to scale the model nationwide across Ireland's farmland, aligning with EU nature restoration legislation and TNFD/CSRD corporate reporting frameworks.

Name

ReFarm

Legal name

ReFarm Ecosystem Services CLG

Website

https://refarm.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ReFarm is an Irish not-for-profit that channels blended public and private finance directly to Irish farmers through results-based payments for verified biodiversity outcomes. Founded in 2024 with Trinity College Dublin research backing, it supports habitat creation across Irish farmland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Finance

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants (BPADAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funds (FSANAJAE), Biodiversity, Conservation & Natural Capital Funds (FSANAJAG), Climate Finance Funds & Green Investment Facilities (BPADACAH)

Keywords

• Biodiversity incentive payments
• Nature-friendly farming
• Results-based payments
• Habitat restoration services
• Conservation finance facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Biodiversity Incentive Payments to Farmers: ReFarm channels public and private funding directly to farmers as payments for nature restoration actions and outcomes. As a not-for-profit organisation (Ecosystem Services CLG), funds raised are distributed to farmers for habitat creation and management rather than retained as profit.
2. Research Funding: Funding commitments for independent research led by Trinity College Dublin on financing mechanisms, biodiversity metrics, and scaling approaches. €1.5 million in seed funding over five years, with €3 million in total commitments out to 2030.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ReFarm channels blended public and private finance directly to Irish farmers to deliver nature restoration actions including wildlife ponds, hedgerows, mini-woodland copses, and species-rich grassland management. The organisation operates a results-based payment programme with simple annual scorecards that farmers use to self-assess habitat quality, with payments combining action-based and result-based components (capped at €3,000 per farmer annually in the pilot phase). Payments are administered in partnership with Burrenbeo Trust and the programme is independently researched by Trinity College Dublin.

Product overview

ReFarm is a single, unified not-for-profit programme that channels blended public and private finance directly to Irish farmers for implementing nature restoration actions on their land. The core offering is a results-based payment mechanism that funds proven biodiversity interventions—including wildlife ponds, hedgerows, woodland copses, and species-rich grassland management—administered through simple scorecards for habitat quality verification. Rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, ReFarm operates as an integrated service combining funding facilitation, farmer advisory support, habitat verification, and independent research, all coordinated through the ReFarm Lifecycle model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ReFarm Biodiversity Payment Programme Integrated not-for-profit service combining blended finance facilitation, direct biodiversity incentive payments to Irish farmers, results-based habitat quality verification through simple annual scorecards, and farmer advisory support. The programme funds nature restoration actions including wildlife ponds, hedgerows, mini-woodland copses, and species-rich grassland management, with payments administered in partnership with Burrenbeo Trust and capped at €3,000 per farmer annually in the pilot phase.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80 farmers supported across 21 counties delivering 139 habitat projects in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trinity College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Research partner leading independent evidence-based research through Schools of Natural Sciences and Business. Led by Professor Jane Stout (Ecology) and Professor Martha O'Hagan (Finance). Research funded by BiOrbic Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy. Research focuses on financing mechanisms, corporate reporting alignment (TNFD, CSRD), and scaling approaches.
• Farming for NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner bringing long-standing relationships with farmers and proven delivery models to ReFarm. Farming for Nature is a charity that supports and promotes farmers who farm for nature.
• Burrenbeo TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner co-founded by ReFarm co-founder Brendan Dunford. Brings farmer networks and proven delivery models including the award-winning Burren Programme. Administers payments to farmers in partnership with ReFarm. Home to The Hare's Corner project.
• DLA PiperminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides legal and governance support on a pro bono basis to ReFarm.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Soil Capital: Belgium-based agronomy and carbon farming platform paying European farmers for verified soil carbon and biodiversity outcomes. Comparable business model and target farmer segment, with similar results-based payment mechanics and corporate sustainability buyer channels.
• Agreena: Denmark-based carbon farming platform that pays farmers for verified regenerative agriculture outcomes using results-based MRV. Highly comparable to ReFarm's results-based payment model and farmer-focused GTM, but operating at pan-EU scale.
• Environment Bank: UK-based biodiversity offsetting company that creates, restores, and sells habitat credits from farmer-partnered land. Directly comparable model of paying farmers for biodiversity outcomes with verified environmental units, operating in a closely adjacent UK/Irish regulatory environment.

Emerging players

• Climate Farmers: Germany-based regenerative agriculture organization connecting farmers to funding for nature and climate outcomes across Europe. Comparable results-based farmer funding model, with broader geographic scope and EU-wide corporate funder relationships.
• Soil Association: UK charity promoting organic and nature-friendly farming, including certification schemes and farmer advisory services. Comparable mission around nature-friendly farming and farmer engagement, though operates primarily through certification and advocacy rather than direct payments.
• Trinity AgTech: UK agricultural sustainability platform offering natural capital assessment, biodiversity monitoring, and farmer advisory tools. Comparable focus on measuring and verifying biodiversity outcomes on farmland, though oriented toward SaaS delivery rather than direct farmer payments.
• Puro.earth: Finland-based carbon removal marketplace issuing verified credits including agricultural soil carbon. Comparable role as a marketplace/broker between corporate buyers and farmer suppliers, with overlapping corporate sustainability buyer segment.

Broad incumbents

• Indigo Ag: Large global agriculture sustainability platform operating carbon farming, biological inputs, and grain marketplace programs. Overlaps with ReFarm on results-based farmer payments for nature outcomes but serves a much broader and global market with significantly greater capital.

Others

• Burrenbeo Trust: Ireland-based conservation charity co-founded by ReFarm co-founder Brendan Dunford and core strategic partner administering farmer payments. Comparable mission around biodiversity on Irish farmland, but acts as a delivery partner to ReFarm rather than a competitor.
• Farming for Nature: Irish charity supporting and promoting farmers who farm for nature, providing the network ReFarm leverages for farmer outreach. Operates a closely adjacent mission around nature-friendly farming in Ireland and is a core delivery partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refarm-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ReFarm