New National Forest - North and Midlands

Defra is looking for a delivery partner to create England's third new national forest in the North or Midlands. The chosen partner will receive between £1 million and £7.5 million to deliver this transformative project. The forest will provide economic, environmental, and social benefits to the region. You must be an organisation outside of central government or its Arm's Length Bodies. The deadline for proposals is 7 July 2026. This is a major opportunity to lead a nationally significant environmental project. The funding will support the creation and management of the new forest.

This is for organisations that can deliver large-scale environmental projects. You must be outside of central government or its Arm's Length Bodies. You need the capacity to manage a multi-million pound forest creation project.

The North or Midlands are set to benefit from being the location of England’s third new national forest. This forest will be transformative, providing significant economic, environmental, and social benefits. Defra is now inviting organisations outside of central government or its Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) to submit a proposal to act as a delivery partner.

Submit a proposal to Defra to act as a delivery partner for the new national forest. Full application details are not provided in this summary.