As developers work to meet their Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) obligations, it’s becoming increasingly clear that not every project can deliver the full uplift on-site. Space constraints, design priorities, and ecological considerations often mean that off-site solutions are not just a fallback – they’re a necessity.
To meet that need, developers are turning to platforms like Gaia and trusted providers like Integrated Land Management (ILM), offering a clearer path to fulfilling BNG obligations off-site. Gaia is a go-to platform for sourcing BNG units, helping developers quickly find what they need, while ILM ensures developers can move forward with confidence in what they’re buying. Let’s dig in.
A Purpose-Built Marketplace for BNG
Gaia’s BNG Marketplace offers developers a streamlined way to discover available off-site units that meet the needs of their project. With filters that allow users to sort by Local Planning Authority (LPA), National Character Area (NCA), habitat type and more, developers can quickly identify suitable sites that offer high-quality, verifiable units.
ILM’s experience using Gaia has shown the platform’s value first-hand.
“Listing our sites on Gaia has been fantastic. It’s user-friendly and gets our sites in front of the right people by removing a lot of the early-stage admin, which makes the whole process more efficient for everyone.” – Melanie Bachelier, Operations Manager, ILM
“We built Gaia to bring structure and transparency to the BNG market. Hosting the UK’s most extensive BNG Marketplace, we’ve proud to have achieved national coverage and assist majorities of developers with our policy-specific tools.” – Ben Askins, Founder, Gaia
How to Search for BNG Units
Gaia’s platform is designed to make the process of finding BNG units as simple and specific as possible. For developers, the value lies in its powerful filter system – enabling searches by Local Planning Authority, National Character Area, and even habitat type.
This level of specificity ensures that the units you see are relevant to your project, your location, and your planning needs. It makes the whole process more efficient, and significantly reduces the usual groundwork involved in early-stage enquiries.
A recent ILM sale illustrates this perfectly: “Using the filters, our buyer was able to find exactly what he needed, no endless back-and-forth or trawling listings – just the perfect match with a local site that made his job easy, really!” – Melanie Bachelier, Operations Manager, ILM
“We’ve ensured that our free-to-use platform is built for speed. Just apply filters by habitat, LPA, NCA or even neighbouring areas to account for spatial multipliers. If nothing matches? Just submit a unit request and we’ll tap into our network of 150+ providers to find a match.” – Ben Askins, Founder, Gaia
A Growing Marketplace – With Distinctive Habitat Options
Not all BNG units are equal. Amongst their Biodiversity Gain Sites, ILM are offering units with rarer, high distinctiveness habitats that are more difficult to find elsewhere – and Gaia’s specialist filters help these units stand out to developers who know what they need.
With a strong and growing pipeline of sites, ILM is actively delivering units across several Midlands LPAs and beyond—some of which see limited local supply. Their enhanced listings on Gaia, complete with organisation branding and site details, give developers added confidence when sourcing nearby units and avoiding spatial risks.
“Gaia has created a central space where developers can explore credible, registered Biodiversity Gain Site – without trawling through multiple providers or dealing with generic sales pitches.” – Melanie Bachelier, Operations Manager, ILM
“We’re now listing close to 40,000 BNG units and have almost 100 habitat banks across the country. Our scale makes us the go-to platform for developers — giving landowners confidence that their sites are being seen by serious, relevant buyers.” – Ben Askins, Founder, Gaia
Making BNG Work – Together
As demand for BNG units continues to grow, platforms like Gaia and habitat bank providers like ILM are making it easier to deliver meaningful biodiversity uplift across England.
From discoverability to delivery, whether you’re a developer sourcing off-site units, or a landowner considering creating a Biodiversity Gain Site – Gaia and ILM are connecting the right projects with the right places, providing local, high-quality units that make BNG work in practice.
To find BNG units currently available, visit Gaia’s BNG Marketplace at marketplace.gaiacompany.io.
To explore ILM’s gain sites and Biodiversity Units, visit www.integratedlm.co.uk