In July 2024, we launched the Urban Forestry Programme. It was developed to address the need for more trees and green spaces in Scotland’s urban areas, improving the health and wellbeing of residents and the environment.

As the Programme’s founding partner, bp has committed up to £10 million, as part of its planned Scottish offshore windfarm project, Morven.

The programme prioritises areas in Scotland with the fewest trees, guided by the Tree Equity Tool.

As part of our multi-year Urban Forestry Programme, Future Woodlands Scotland will provide funding for a range of projects over the next 10 years. There will be multiple funding rounds during this period, offering ongoing opportunities to support Scotland’s towns and cities in meeting the 3-30-300 rule:

• 3: Everyone should be able to see at least three trees from where they live or work.
• 30: Every neighbourhood should have at least 30% tree canopy cover.
• 300: Everyone should be within 300 meters of quality public greenspace.

If you would like to discuss potential projects or future funding rounds, please get in touch with us.

We welcome applications from any not-for-profit registered or constituted body. This includes community groups, state funded educational institutions, charities, community interest companies, development trusts, local authorities or partnerships made up of these organisations.

We are not accepting applications from individuals. However, we encourage you to share the Urban Forestry Programme with your local community council or organisations working in urban forestry or your Local Authority.

We are keen to see trees being planted and cared for. This means that consideration should be given to what trees are planted, where they are planted and how they are planted. Projects should also have clear plans for tree care to ensure they survive and thrive.

As well as new tree planting, we will fund:

• Activities which enable long-term care and maintenance of trees and woodlands
• Urban forestry management
• Research, education and skills development
• Engagement and awareness-raising activities

If your project is not yet ready for delivery, we will consider applications seeking funding for project development including:

• Technical or design consultancy
• Community engagement costs
• Staff time related to the project objectives

We encourage creativity and innovation. Applicants should propose projects that address a need and contribute to our vision.

Projects must focus on urban areas in Scotland, especially where people can benefit the most from trees. When you apply, you’ll need to provide the “Tree Equity Priority” for the neighbourhood(s) where your project is happening. This will show whether the area has a low, moderate, high, or highest need for more trees based on its Tree Equity Score.

We offer two levels of funding for this first round of applications:

– Projects between £2,000 and £20,000
– Projects between £20,000 and £100,000

Funds can be used over a maximum of three years. Your budget should clearly show how you plan to  use the funds each year.

Please note that this is a competitive process with limited funds, and we will only accept one application per organisation per funding round.

You can apply for funding to cover 100% of your project costs. If you plan to get additional funding from other sources, include this in your project budget. Also included in-kind contributions, like staff or volunteer time.

Funds can be used for overheads, but it is unlikely that we would fund more than 15% towards overheads. For guidance on calculating full cost recovery, please refer to the National Lottery’s Applying for Your Project Overheads guide.

Applications for the 2024 Urban Forestry Challenge Fund opened on 30 September 2024 and can be submitted through our online application process.

If you’d like to prepare the questions in advance, you can download our sample application form as a Word doc.

As part of the application you’ll also need to upload:

• a copy of your organisation’s constitution (unless you are applying as a local authority)
• your organisation’s most recent accounts
• a project budget
• a map of the relevant area(s) (optional)
• up to 3 further attachments to support your application (optional)

• Smaller grants (up to £20,000): There is a single-stage application process. The deadline for applications is 5pm Friday 15 November, 2024. Funding decisions will be made by mid-December.
• Larger grants (£20,000-£100,000): The first-stage deadline is also 5pm Friday 15 November, 2024. Successful applicants will be invited to a second stage in early 2025, with funding decisions expected by April 2025.  

If you have any questions about the Urban Forestry Programme, please contact Des Hackett, our Urban Forestry Manager or visit the Contact us page for more information.

The Urban Forestry Programme is a 10-year programme and there will be more funding rounds in future. If you miss out on the 2024 round, don’t worry. Just email our Urban Forestry Manager, and they’ll be happy to help you explore more options.