Knight Frank’s rural consultancy has enhanced its biodiversity net gain (BNG) advisory capability through a partnership with BNGx, strengthening its ability to support clients in the sourcing and transaction of biodiversity units.
The move comes as activity in the BNG market continues to grow and become more competitive, following the introduction of mandatory 10% biodiversity net gain requirements in England. Knight Frank’s data indicates that the cumulative number of habitat units allocated to developments has risen steadily since February 2025, reaching around 1,800 units by early 2026, with clear step-changes in activity as transactions begin to scale.
BNGx provides digital infrastructure to support the BNG market. Its platform combines an exchange, enabling developers to identify and secure suitable units, with an over-the-counter service that allows landowners to assess developers’ BNG requirements and structure transactions directly.
Through this partnership, Knight Frank can guide clients through a more coordinated transaction process, bringing together pricing, unit selection, legal documentation and payment within a single, integrated process.
For developers, this provides faster access to suitable units and clearer visibility on pricing, supporting more informed decision-making. For landowners and habitat providers, it offers a more direct and efficient route to market, enabling them to generate offers and complete transactions with reduced administrative burden.
Knight Frank worked with BNGx during the development of the platform, drawing on its experience advising both developers and landowners, to help shape how the system operates in practice.
Mark Topliff, Associate and Natural Capital consultant at Knight Frank commented: “As the BNG market continues to mature, the focus is increasingly on how transactions are delivered in practice.
“Our role is to support clients through that process with clarity and confidence. Working with BNGx allows us to bring together pricing, documentation and execution in a single, consistent workflow. This provides reassurance to buyers that the most appropriate and cost-effective package of units is being secured for a development, while also offering a more efficient and reliable route to market for those supplying them.
“We see BNGx as the market-leading BNG platform. Its robust technical infrastructure brings the level of rigour required to process transactions in this complex and long-term market. Their ability to manage the full transaction process in a safe, automated, and consistent way is unmatched, and that is where this approach offers a clear advantage for our clients.”
Andrew Hicks, CEO and co-founder of BNGx, commented: “Our focus has been on building the digital tools buyers and sellers need to help them process BNG transactions safely, quickly and efficiently. We are pleased Knight Frank will be using these tools to support their clients’ BNG requirements.”
For more information on BNGx, visit https://bngx.com/.
For more information on Knight Frank’s Rural Consultancy, visit: https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/commercial/rural-property