Tree Council Accepting Applications for Trees Outside Woodland Fund

Tree Council, in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, is offering grants of between £10,000 and £40,000 for local authorities and registered charities with an annual turnover of £100,000 across England to establish trees and enhance green spaces outside of Woodlands.

The Trees Outside Woodland Fund will support well-planned planting projects using a range of tree types and planting methods to support the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan goal to increase England’s overall tree canopy from 14.5% to 16.5% of the total land area. Eligible projects include hedgerows, orchards, agroforestry, Miyawaki plantings, and standard trees (including urban street trees).

Proposed projects must align with the following criteria:

• Clear community benefit and involvement.
• Improvements in biodiversity at the planting site(s) with the enhancement or creation of green spaces.
• Clear understanding of site suitability for tree planting, based on site considerations.
• Thoughtful tree selection following ‘right tree, right place’ principles.
• Use of sustainable, recyclable, non-plastic materials for tree protection.
• Comprehensive establishment and aftercare plans.
• Demonstrate good value for money.
• An effective anticipated project timeline for delivery by 2 March 2026.

Funding can be used for costs such as:

• Bare root or cell-grown, UK-sourced and grown, native and non-native trees of an appropriate size for the project.
• Establishment aids, such as sustainable tree guards, ties, stakes, organic mulch, biodegradable mulch mats, and soil amendments.
• Planting equipment and other capital items to support tree establishment, such as irrigation equipment, PPE, and external contractor costs (up to a maximum of 20% of the total project costs.

There is a two-stage application process. Groups must first submit an online expression of interest. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to complete a full application.

The deadline to submit an expression of interest is 31 October 2025 or until all funding is full allocated. 

Further details can be found here: Trees Outside Woodland Fund – The Tree Council