A banner image with countryside fields in the background and a computer screen showing a biodiversity unit listing for for North Northamptonshire on the Gaia platform.

If you’re a landowner looking to sell biodiversity units, one of the most important parts of the process is making sure your units get in front of the right developers. At ILM, we don’t just help you register and manage your site - we also offer a dedicated brokerage service to promote your units and connect you with developers actively looking for biodiversity units.

A screenshot of Gaia's website showing four biodiversity gain site listings, a thumbnail of each site and description.

How Landowners Sell Biodiversity Units with ILM

As part of our service, we promote your site across a carefully selected range of platforms - including the Gaia BNG Marketplace, one of our trusted partners for marketing units. By combining our industry insight with their leading national reach, we make sure your site is seen by the fastest-growing pool of serious BNG buyers.

With Gaia’s policy-specific search filters, developers can browse sites by:

Local Planning Authority (LPA)
National Character Area (NCA)
Habitat type
Unit type
Local and neighbouring options

This means your site is only seen by people who are looking for the types of units you offer, in the areas they need them.

“Our filters are built to reflect how BNG decisions actually get made. Our landowners’ sites show up in front of developers who are searching by LPA, specific habitat types, and even buyers from neighbouring areas if local units are lacking. This means your listings are seen by the people who are actually in a position to buy them.””

— Ben Askins, Gaia Co-founder

A screenshot of ILM's gain site listing on Gaia's website with a large drone image of the site and a detailed description.

Why Choose Gaia

Gaia is one of the only government-backed marketplaces we use to market biodiversity units - and for good reason. The platform is user-friendly, trusted by a wide range of developers, and purpose-built for the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) market. Its filtering tools enable developers to match their pre-identified biodiversity unit needs with registered sites - by location, habitat type, or local authority.

This level of detail not only saves time, but it also means you’re getting genuine, relevant enquiries from developers who are already primed to progress. That’s good news for your site and your potential to sell biodiversity units to developers seeking off-site BNG solutions.

Gaia is also continuing to evolve. New features are being introduced to improve the process for both landowners and developers, including functionality for developers to upload their BNG metric when making an enquiry. This added context helps us quickly assess whether a site is a good fit, speeding up transactions and making the whole process smoother.

“As a dynamic software platform, we’re always upgrading. Right now we’re working on new listing features like embedded video and interactive elements, plus smarter filters including habitat distinctiveness and national register status. And we’re overhauling our enquiry system so developers can upload documents directly, making the process easier for everyone involved.”

— Ben Askins, Gaia Co-founder

More Visibility. Less Hassle.

Listing your site on Gaia promotes it directly to a growing number of developers who are actively looking to purchase off-site biodiversity units. Combined with ILM’s hands-on support, industry insight, and deep understanding of BNG legislation, it gives your site the exposure and credibility it needs to stand out in an emerging market.

But we don’t just promote your site at ILM - we build strong relationships that help it succeed. Our background is farming and land management, so we understand the value of your land and the importance of getting things right. Our team worse closely with landowners throughout the process - offering tailored advice, clear guidance, and open communication from start to finish.

Our relationship-first approach is what sets us apart. Whether you’re just getting started or already have a registered gain site ready to market, our services give you a trusted partner to help you unlock the full potential of BNG.

“BNG isn’t just about matching units to projects - it’s about long-term change. We see our role as building the digital infrastructure that helps trusted relationships thrive, so leading organisations like Integrated Land Management, combined with our buyers, can deliver real and meaningful results for nature.”

— Ben Askins, Gaia Co-founder

Ready to make your land work for nature and for you? Speak to our team today. Contact ILM.

FAQS

Yes! Our brokerage service is available to landowners who already have a registered or eligible Biodiversity Gain Site. We’ll help you market your units across trusted platforms like Gaia.
No, Gaia does not require exclusivity to list. This allows us to advertise units on multiple channels, tailoring our approach on each, and maximising our sites’ visibility.
While Gaia do have systems in place to verify registered Gain Sites, sites that are in the process of becoming legalised and registered can also be advertised on Gaia in advance.
With features like habitat type filtering and LPA-based search, it’s ideal for sites looking to reach developers with specific needs.