Funding & Grants available for Tree Planting in England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland

As part of the UK drive to improve both air quality, natural habitat and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, there is a wide range of funding and grants for planting trees is available in England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland. Below we've highlighted the main funding for buying tree saplings currently available.

For tree planting and woodland creation projects in England, depending on the size, location, and purpose of your project below are the main grants and funding currently available.

England

• The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) is a Forestry Commission administered grant scheme that provides up to 80% of the standard costs for planting and establishing new woodland on at least 1 hectare of land. It also offers additional payments for public and environmental benefits, such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity, water quality, and access. The scheme is open for applications until 2023.
• The Urban Tree Challenge Fund is another Forestry Commission administered grant scheme that supports the planting and establishment of standard trees in urban and peri-urban areas in England. It also provides 80% of the standard costs, with the remaining 20% coming from match funding. The fund is open for applications until 2024.
• The Local Authority Treescapes Fund is a new grant scheme that aims to increase tree cover outside woodlands in rural areas in England. It offers up to £1.5 million per project for planting and establishing trees along roads, rivers, hedgerows, and parklands. The fund is open for expressions of interest until 2022.
• The Woodland Carbon Code is a voluntary standard that certifies woodland creation projects that sequester carbon dioxide and contribute to climate change mitigation. It enables landowners to sell verified carbon credits to businesses and individuals who want to reduce their carbon footprint. The scheme is administered by the Forestry Commission and supported by the Woodland Carbon Guarantee, which offers a long-term guaranteed price for carbon credits.

For funding grants to plant tree saplings in Scotland, there are currently several options to choose from, depending on the size and type of your project. Here are some of the main sources of funding available:

Scotland

• The Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) is a programme that offers financial support for the creation and management of new woodland. It has different grant options for woodland creation, woodland protection, harvesting, and more. You can apply online through the Scottish Government's Rural Payments and Services website. The FGS also offers loans for the first 20 hectares of new planting proposals through the Small Woodland Loan Scheme.
• The South of Scotland Tree Planting Grant (SoSTPG) is a scheme that funds the planting of individual, or small clumps of trees, which add landscape and biodiversity value to the South of Scotland countryside. It is open to any organisations or individuals that can suggest a planting project less than 0.25ha in size, that will enhance the landscape and biodiversity of the area and make a contribution to improved public amenity. You can apply online through the Tweed Forum website or the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership website. This is ideal for small plantings. 

Funding and support for creating and managing woodlands in Wales. Below are some of the main grants available.

Wales

• The Woodland Creation Grant offers funding for tree planting and fencing to farmers and land managers who have a woodland creation plan, approved by the Welsh Government. You can apply for this grant through the Woodland Creation Planning Scheme, which provides funding for developing a verified plan. The grant covers tree planting, fencing, gates, and 12 years of maintenance support. The grant also ensures that you will not lose your Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) if you plant trees on your land.
• The Small Grants – Woodland Creation Scheme simplifies funding for farmers and other land managers to plant small areas of trees on land in Wales under two hectares which is agriculturally improved or of low environmental value. The scheme offers a quicker and easier process to access funding for small areas of tree planting, without the need for a verified woodland creation plan. The scheme covers tree planting, fencing, gates, and 12 years of maintenance support.
• The Glastir Small Grants Carbon Scheme provides capital grants worth up to £7,500 to support tree, shrub and hedge planting, along with hedge laying and coppicing. The scheme is open for applications and aims to enhance carbon removal by increasing tree cover on farms.

Grants for planting trees in Northern Ireland include several grants available for landowners who want to create new woodlands or manage existing ones. Here are some of the options you can explore:

Northern Ireland

• The Small Woodland Grant Scheme is for new native woodland planting of 0.20 hectares and larger. The scheme provides a fixed area based payment for woodland establishment, a fencing grant and where eligible annual premia for a 10-year period. The scheme is currently closed for applications, but you can check the information booklet for more details.
• The Forest Expansion Scheme is for new woodland planting of 3 hectares and larger. All woodlands that comply with the UK Forestry Standard are eligible for support. Successful applicants will receive up to 100% of eligible establishment costs and where eligible annual premia for a 10-year period. The scheme is currently closed for applications, but you can check the information booklet for more details.
• The Forest Protection Scheme - Ash Dieback is for landowners who have ash trees affected by ash dieback disease. The scheme provides financial assistance for surveying, felling, and replanting of infected woodlands. The scheme is currently open for applications and you can check the information booklet for more details.
• The Woodland Investment Grant is for landowners who want to improve the management and biodiversity of their existing woodlands. The scheme provides funding for activities such as thinning, pruning, fencing, and pest control.

For more information and other funding options and help please have a look at Woodlands.co.uk 

If funding is not available due to timescale or size of project it is not unduly costly to buy tree saplings direct from Trees by Post - our tree saplings are very affordable and can be delivered usually within around 5 working days of ordering. We also supply Tubex tree protection tubes which protect tree seedlings from wind, grass and vermin whilst encouraging vertical growth - however to save money you may find tree protection tubes either free or at low cost (previously used) on Gumtree, Ebay or Freecycle.