Tree planting and woodland grants
As of 26 October 2026, GrantMatch lists 14 live tree planting and woodland grants from 11 funders. 1 closes in the next 30 days, the first on 20 November 2026, 7 are open all year with no fixed deadline, and 2 were added this week. Each entry links to the official source.
Listings last checked 22 October 2026. Guide checked 26 October 2026.
Money for trees comes in two quite different shapes. Community groups, schools and parish councils usually want a few hundred saplings, a hedge or a small orchard on land the public can use, and the help on offer is often free trees or a small grant. Landowners, farmers and estates creating or managing woodland of half a hectare or more are looking at government schemes that pay per hectare and come with long commitments.
This page lists both, so you can see what fits your land and your group. It covers England, Scotland and Wales, and each listing links to the official scheme page so you can check the current rules before you apply.
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Create free accountClosing in the next 30 days (1)
Added this week (2)
Bramley Fund (Apple Trees for Nottinghamshire Communities)
Nottinghamshire Community Foundation (Forever Notts)
The Bramley Fund gives up to £100 to Nottinghamshire community groups to plant up to four Bramley apple trees. It celebrates the Bramley apple, first grown in Southwell. Gardens, allotments and green spaces all qualify. Applications close on 8 February 2027. Official source: https://www.forevernotts.com/grant/the-bramley-fund/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 22 October 2026.
Parish Tree Planting Project: free trees, hedging and wildflower seed (Babergh and Mid Suffolk)
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils give free trees, hedging and wildflower seed to parishes and community groups for land with public access. All plants are native and locally sourced, and fruit trees are available too. Projects that link or expand wildlife sites are especially welcome. This is free planting stock rather than money, and you can apply at any time. Official source: https://www.babergh.gov.uk/w/trees-and-wildflowers-scheme. Last checked by GrantMatch on 22 October 2026.
Guide
Checked 26 October 2026 against the official sources linked.
Free trees for schools and community groups
The Woodland Trust gives free tree packs of 15, 30, 105 or 420 saplings to schools and not-for-profit community groups in England, Scotland and Wales, including residents associations, sports clubs, parish councils, faith groups, scouts and guides. You can ask for up to four packs, as long as the total stays at 420 trees or fewer, and the land must be open to the public. Trees are delivered in March and November, and packs do not include guards, so budget for protection.
Source: Woodland Trust: free trees for schools and communities, Woodland Trust: free tree packs, questions and answers
Creating new woodland in England
The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) pays up to £10,200 per hectare towards the cost of creating woodland, such as supplying and planting trees and fencing. It can add up to £12,700 per hectare in extra payments where the woodland brings public benefits like access close to a settlement, nature recovery or cleaner water, and a maintenance payment of £400 per hectare each year for 15 years. Planting has to meet the UK Forestry Standard, so talk to your Forestry Commission woodland officer early.
Source: GOV.UK: How the England Woodland Creation Offer works
Managing the woods you have
If you already look after woodland in England, the PA3 Woodland management plan grant is a one-off payment towards writing a 10-year plan that meets the UK Forestry Standard. It pays a flat £1,500 for 0.5 to 50 hectares, with more for larger holdings. An approved plan is also the way in to woodland support under Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier. Scotland and Wales have their own schemes, run by Scottish Forestry and Rural Payments Wales.
What makes a strong tree project
Funders want to know the trees will live. Show who owns the land and that they agree, who will water, weed and replace losses for the first few years, and how local people were asked. Native species suited to the site, a simple planting plan and a named group of volunteers go a long way, and so does thinking about access, so that people can enjoy the trees once they grow.
Who funds this
| Funder | Open grants here |
|---|---|
| Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs / Rural Payments Agency | 2 |
| Forestry Commission | 2 |
| Welsh Government (Rural Payments Wales) | 2 |
| Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils | 1 |
| Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs / Forestry Commission – Defra Trees Programme | 1 |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs / Forestry Commission – Defra Trees Programme | 1 |
| International Tree Foundation | 1 |
| Nottinghamshire Community Foundation (Forever Notts) | 1 |
11 different funders in total. Where a maximum award is stated, the middle value is £3,500.
By grant size
| Largest award | Open grants |
|---|---|
| Up to £2,000 | 2 |
| £2,001 to £10,000 | 1 |
| £10,001 to £100,000 | 1 |
| Over £100,000 | 0 |
| Amount varies or not stated | 10 |
All open grants (14)
No deadline listed
Check the funder's current application window before you apply.
England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs / Forestry Commission – Defra Trees Programme
The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) is the Forestry Commission's main grant for planting new woodland in England. It pays towards the cost of creating the woodland and then helps you look after it while the young trees establish. According to GOV.UK, you can get up to £10,200 per hectare for the planting and related capital works, such as standard cost items and infrastructure for woodland management or public access. On top of that, there is an annual maintenance payment of £400 per hectare for 15 years. If your woodland's location and design deliver wider public benefits, such as nature recovery, water quality or access for local people, you can apply for additional contributions of up to £12,700 per hectare. A low sensitivity land payment of £1,100 per hectare is available if your proposal sits entirely within a low sensitivity area for woodland creation. All planting and management must follow the UK Forestry Standard. The minimum area is 1 hectare, which can be made up of several blocks of at least 0.1 hectares each. Woodland must normally be at least 20 metres wide, or 10 metres for riparian buffers and shelterbelts. Timing matters. You can apply at any time, but applications take 3 to 5 months to process. To have a good chance of an agreement in time for the next planting season, GOV.UK says your complete application should be in by 31 May. If you apply after October, an offer for the coming season is unlikely. Who it suits: farmers and landowners who want to plant at least a hectare of new woodland, including shelterbelts and riverside buffers. If you are planning 5 hectares or more, consider the Woodland Creation Planning Grant first, which pays for the design work. GOV.UK does not state a closing date for EWCO. Official source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/england-woodland-creation-offer. Last checked by GrantMatch on 14 October 2026.
Tree Health Pilot Scheme
Forestry Commission
The Tree Health Pilot (THP) scheme helps owners and managers in parts of England deal with trees affected by specific pests and diseases. It is run by the Forestry Commission and pays towards the actual costs of agreed work, such as felling, treatment and restocking. It covers trees in woodland and trees outside woodland, such as hedgerow trees, roadside trees, copses and shelterbelts. There is no minimum or maximum number of trees, but your application must be worth at least £500. The trees must be one of these: larch with Phytophthora ramorum; spruce with confirmed eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) or in the proactive spruce removal area; sweet chestnut with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight; oak with oak processionary moth in the established area; or ash with ash dieback. Location is the main limit. Apart from spruce cases, the trees must be in the North West, West Midlands, South East or London. Spruce can be anywhere in England where the beetle has been confirmed with a Statutory Plant Health Notice within the proactive removal area. You start with an expression of interest, or a Woodland Officer may invite you. After eligibility checks, the Forestry Commission arranges a site visit and sends you an application pack. Do not start any work before your agreement is live, as you cannot claim for it. VAT you cannot recover can be included. You can be in other agri-environment or woodland schemes, as long as you are not paid twice for the same work. As a pilot, agreement holders are asked to give feedback through surveys and interviews. The GOV.UK guidance we checked does not state a closing date. Official source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tree-health-pilot-scheme/tree-health-pilot-scheme-2024-who-can-apply-and-what-land-is-eligible. Last checked by GrantMatch on 14 October 2026.
Woodland Tree Health (WTH) grants
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs / Rural Payments Agency
Woodland Tree Health (WTH) grants help land managers in England recover from tree pests and diseases. They have been open all year since 5 January 2026, are not competitive, and are approved by the Rural Payments Agency with support from a Forestry Commission woodland officer, provided there is budget. There are two grants, and you can apply for one or both. The WTH Restoration grant supports restocking woodland after felling because of a tree health problem, with 21 capital items. The WTH Improvement grant pays for removing trees and rhododendron infected with Phytophthora ramorum, Phytophthora pluvialis, Phytophthora pseudosyringea or Phytophthora kernoviae, with 3 capital items. The Capital grant finder on GOV.UK lists each item and its payment rate. A woodland officer will assess your site first. Once you have an agreement, you have 3 years to complete the work. Work must be worth at least £500. You only need to enter the affected area, with a minimum block of 0.1 hectares, and some items can be used on trees outside woodland, such as replanting hedgerow trees. The grants do not pay for work done before your agreement starts, agent or advisory fees, planning or transaction fees, legal requirements or in-kind contributions. Land in the HS2 safeguarding zone and developed land are not eligible. Who it suits: farms and woodland owners dealing with disease-related felling, or with infected rhododendron that needs clearing. Official source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodland-tree-health-grants-2026/applicants-guide-woodland-tree-health-grants-2026. Last checked by GrantMatch on 14 October 2026.
Forestry Grant Scheme (Scotland)
Scottish Forestry (Rural Payments and Services)
The Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) is the Scottish Government's main grant for creating new woodland and managing existing woodland in Scotland. It is administered by Scottish Forestry through Rural Payments and Services, and supports the national target of 18,000 hectares of new woodland a year. There are eight categories. Two are for creating woodland: Woodland Creation and Agroforestry. Six are for managing existing woodland: Woodland Improvement Grant, Sustainable Management of Forests, Tree Health, Harvesting and Processing, Forest Infrastructure, and Forestry Co-operation. Within some categories there are several options for particular types of project. Payment rates are set per option in the full scheme guidance on Rural Payments and Services. Applications are online only, and you must first be registered with Rural Payments and Services. Do not start any of the proposed work before applying, and do not begin until you have an approved contract. The scheme has been updated to align with the UK Forestry Standard (2023), and applications submitted since 1 April 2024 must meet the Scottish Government's Fair Work First conditions. The scheme page does not give a closing date for capital applications. Scottish Forestry published a budget update briefing note in June 2026, so check its latest grants briefing notes before planning your timings. Who it suits: farmers and landowners in Scotland planning new woodland, shelterbelts or agroforestry, or improving woodland they already have. Note: Scotland's main farm support payments are claimed through the annual Single Application Form, which closed on 15 May 2026. Official source: https://www.ruralpayments.org/topics/all-schemes/forestry-grant-scheme/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 14 October 2026.
PA3 Woodland Management Plan grant
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs / Rural Payments Agency
The PA3 Woodland Management Plan (WMP) grant is a one-off payment to help you write a 10-year woodland management plan that meets the UK Forestry Standard. It is a capital item available all year from 5 January 2026, subject to budget, and it is not scored or competitive. It matters most if you want woodland support through Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). GOV.UK says you must have a WMP approved by the Forestry Commission before applying for woodland under CSHT, whether the agreement is woodland only or mixed. Leave enough time for approval, and if your plan includes felling, you need a felling licence first, which involves 21 days on a public register. Payment depends on the area of eligible woodland on your holding. From 0.5 to 50 hectares it is a flat £1,500. From 51 to 100 hectares it is £1,500 plus £30 for each extra hectare. Above 100 hectares it is £3,000 plus £15 for each extra hectare. Up to 20% of the area can be newly planted woodland (under 10 years old), but the plan must cover all the woodland on the holding. The grant does not pay for the woodland work itself, agent or advisory fees, planning or transaction fees, work done before your agreement starts, or in-kind contributions. Who it suits: farms and estates with existing woodland who want to manage it better, open up future grants, or apply for CSHT woodland options. Official source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pa3-woodland-management-plan-2026/applicants-guide-pa3-woodland-management-plan-2026. Last checked by GrantMatch on 14 October 2026.
Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG)
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs / Forestry Commission – Defra Trees Programme
The Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG) pays for the planning work that comes before you plant a new woodland in England. It does not pay for the trees themselves. Instead, it helps you produce a woodland creation design plan that meets the UK Forestry Standard, which you can then use to apply for planting money through the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO). The grant works in two stages. Stage 1 pays £1,500 for a desk-based look at the constraints and opportunities on your site. If the site looks suitable, you are offered Stage 2, which pays £150 per hectare (minus the £1,500 already paid) towards a site appraisal map, a design concept plan and a draft design plan. The total is capped at £30,500 per project. Supplementary payments are available if you need extra surveys, such as a peat depth or archaeology survey. Since 11 December 2024, consultation and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening happen at Stage 2. Your final proposal is published on the Forestry Commission's public consultation register for 21 days, and a County Archaeologist is consulted. The upside is that you will not normally need to repeat consultation or EIA screening when you go on to apply for EWCO. Who it suits: farmers and landowners planning a larger planting scheme of at least 5 hectares who want professional help to get the design right before committing. You can apply all year round. The Forestry Commission aims to respond within 20 working days, and you must have a signed agreement before you start work. GOV.UK does not state a closing date for the scheme. Always check the latest forms on GOV.UK, as they are updated regularly. Official source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/woodland-creation-planning-grant. Last checked by GrantMatch on 14 October 2026.
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Create free accountBramley Fund (Apple Trees for Nottinghamshire Communities)
Nottinghamshire Community Foundation (Forever Notts)
The Bramley Fund gives up to £100 to Nottinghamshire community groups to plant up to four Bramley apple trees. It celebrates the Bramley apple, first grown in Southwell. Gardens, allotments and green spaces all qualify. Applications close on 8 February 2027. Official source: https://www.forevernotts.com/grant/the-bramley-fund/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 22 October 2026.
Questions
How many tree planting grants are open?
Today GrantMatch lists 14 live tree planting and woodland grants from 11 funders. 7 are open all year with no fixed deadline.
Can a community group get free trees?
Yes. The Woodland Trust gives free tree packs to schools and not-for-profit community groups in England, Scotland and Wales, as long as the trees go on land the public can use. Some councils also give free trees and hedging to parish councils and community groups, and those schemes are listed here when they are open.
How much does EWCO pay?
Up to £10,200 per hectare towards creating the woodland, up to £12,700 per hectare in additional contributions for public benefits, and £400 per hectare a year for 15 years for maintenance. The exact amount depends on your plan and site.
Do I need to own the land?
For government woodland schemes you usually need to own the land or have the right to manage it for the length of the agreement. For community planting, the landowner, often the council, school or parish, must agree in writing, and many funders ask to see that.
How do you check these grants?
We collect grants from official funder pages, GOV.UK, councils and community foundations, and remove them when they close. Each grant page links to its source and shows when we last checked it. Always confirm the details with the funder before you apply.
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Tell us about your organisation once and GrantMatch shows the grants you are most likely to win, checks your eligibility and emails you when new funding for tree planting and woodland projects opens. Free to start, no card needed.
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Sources and how we check
We collect grants from official funder pages and remove them when they close. Each grant page links to its source and shows when we last checked it. Always confirm the details with the funder before you apply. Guide sources: