Funding and support for Tree Planting
This page lists a range of funding and support opportunities for planting trees. Please note that some funds are renewed annually and may be closed temporarily. For advice on funding specific projects please contact CWA staff.
Woodland Trust: Free trees for schools and communities
The Woodland Trust runs a regular programme supplying tree packs to schools and community groups across the UK. Tree packs come in a range of sizes from 15 to 420 trees and comprise mixtures of native species to meet various objectives.
Closes: January 13th, with delivery by March
Free Community Tree Packs - Forth Valley Area
Are you a community group that is interested in planting more trees in your local area? The Forth Climate Forest (FCF) and Woodland Trust would love to help you. Woodland Trust are keen to support community groups by providing free tree packs and they have agreed to streamline the application process within the FCF local authorities (Stirling, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk) by allowing a “bulk” application from the FCF. The overall application is due on January 13th with the trees being delivered for planting in March.
Please find additional info here, and we recommend reading through the FAQ section that details eligibility and logistical questions: Free trees for schools and communities. It is especially important to note that you must have landowner permission and be available for planting and maintenance of the trees.
If you would like to be a part of our application to receive a tree pack, please send your name/group contact info, which local authority you are in, and what tree pack you would like, by January 6th, 2025 to Sandra Engstrom (FCF Community and Canopy Officer): Sandra.engstrom@stir.ac.uk
Urban Forestry Challenge Fund - Future Woodlands Scotland
Trees are essential for boosting nature, reducing flooding, cutting pollution, and improving mental well-being. But many towns and cities in Scotland don’t have enough trees and green spaces, even though over 80% of us live in urban areas.
The Urban Forestry Programme is a 10-year, multi-million-pound initiative designed to help fix this issue. Over the next decade, we will provide funding for various projects through our Urban Forestry Challenge Fund, which offers multiple rounds of funding to support the 3-30-300 rule.
Online applications for the new Urban Forestry grants opened on 30 September, 2024. Apply now.
Closes: Friday 15th November 2024
The Tree Council: Branching Out Fund
The Tree Council Branching Out Fund is designed to get communities and young people up to the age of 21 involved in tree and hedge planting and care and is open to any school or community group within the United Kingdom.
Closes: midnight on Sunday 1st December 2024.
Dumfries & Galloway Tree Planting Grant Scheme
This grant is for small tree and woodland planting projects in the whole of the Dumfries and Galloway area which fall below the size eligible for the Forestry Grant Scheme. The maximum grant available is £1,000 per applicant per year. Applications will be assessed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Forestry Grant Scheme
The Forestry Grant Scheme, administered by Scottish Forestry, is the primary source of funding for new woodland creation. There are nine woodland creation options, covering different types of woodlands and objectives. The grant includes an initial planting payment and an annual maintenance payment for five years. There are also a range of capital grants available for operations such as fencing and tree protection.
The FGS also includes funding for restocking woods after felling, where this will improve the biodiversity, resilience and species diversity of woodlands in the long term.
Scottish Forestry Small Woodlands Loan Scheme
This scheme aims to remove cash flow barriers that small woodland owners might have when considering tree planting. The loan works alongside the existing Forestry Grant Scheme and is aimed at woodland creation projects up to 20 hectares in size. Half of the upfront costs associated with planting a new woodland, including buying trees, ground preparation or fencing, can be paid in advance by Scottish Forestry.
Carbon Sequestration
New, growing woodlands sequester carbon, and woodland owners/managers can generate income by “selling” this carbon to those who wish to offset unavoidable emissions. The Woodland Carbon Code is the voluntary standard for UK woodland creation projects where claims are made about carbon sequestration. The code creates verifiable carbon units that can be sold and provides assurance that the planted trees will be sustainably managed and capture the carbon dioxide claimed. Carbon units can be sold as Pending Issuance Units (PIUs), which are a “promise to deliver” future carbon sequestration, or as Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs) once the carbon has actually been sequestered. Owners/managers can register schemes and market their carbon units themselves, or engage a project developer to do this on their behalf.
The Borders Tree Grant Scheme
The Borders Tree Grant Scheme funds the planting of individual, or small clumps of trees, which add landscape and biodiversity value to the Scottish Borders countryside – for the benefit of people, communities and wildlife. We are losing trees to disease and old age and we want to encourage people to plant more trees. Applications are invited from residents in the Scottish Borders local authority area only.
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