Guidance

Managing your Tree Production Innovation Fund

Updated 11 September 2026

Applies to England

Use this guidance to understand Tree Production Innovation Fund (TPIF) processes and find answers to common questions. 

Read this alongside your grant agreement and the TPIF claims and reporting guidance. 

How to contact us 

Send all emails about your project to TPIF@forestrycommission.gov.uk.   

Key dates 

Claim and reporting deadlines 

Submit interim claims and reports by 11:55pm on*: 

• Wednesday 7 October 2026

• Thursday 7 October 2027 

• Thursday 5 October 2028 

* Interim claims are optional. Interim reports are mandatory.  

Submit end of year claims by 11:55pm on: 

• Saturday 27 March 2027 (for the 2026 to 2027 financial year) 

• Monday 27 March 2028 (for the 2027 to 2028 financial year) 

• Tuesday 27 March 2029 (for the 2028 to 2029 financial year) 

You must submit a claim at the end of the financial year (or the end of your project if that is sooner). You can submit additional claims at the interim deadline, and on 2 other dates of your choosing, each financial year. 

The financial year runs from 1 April to 27 March. Read the TPIF claims and reporting guidance for details of how to claim for costs incurred between 28 and 31 March. 

We will run a claims question and answer drop-in session before each end of year deadline. We will send invites in advance. 

Understanding your grant agreement 

Grant recipient 

The grant recipient is the organisation listed at the top of your grant agreement. We can only pay claims to the grant recipient organisation. 

Lead applicant 

The lead applicant is the person who signed your grant agreement. They can sign claim forms and request or approve changes to your grant agreement. 

Project representative 

Project representatives are listed in the ‘Overview of your grant’ section of your grant agreement. They can sign claim forms and request or approve changes to your grant agreement. 

Escalation contact 

The escalation contact is listed in the ‘Overview of your grant’ section of your grant agreement. We will contact them if there is a complaint, appeal or dispute. They can sign claim forms and request or approve changes to your grant agreement. 

Grant addendums 

Grant addendums record significant changes made to your grant agreement. These must be agreed by the Forestry Commission and the lead applicant or project representative.  

Carrying out your funded activities 

When carrying out your funded activities you must: 

• save invoices and receipts 

• keep a record of any staff time you intend to claim 

• check that invoices are correct and addressed to the grant recipient organisation  

• do not make payments in cash 

You can only claim for items or activities on your finance spreadsheet. 

Read the TPIF claims guidance on how to submit a claim. 

Changes to your project 

Any requests to make a change to your project must come from the lead applicant, a project representative or the escalation contact. 

Requesting a change 

Tell us as soon as possible if you want to: 

• make significant changes to your project 

• reallocate budget because item costs have changed 

If your proposed changes affect how your budget is allocated between items, submit an amended finance spreadsheet for approval. If you no longer plan to purchase an item, change the grant funded amount for that item to £0. 

Your maximum funding amount cannot be increased, and you cannot move budget between financial years. 

All significant changes need Forestry Commission approval in advance. We may issue you with a grant addendum depending on the nature of the changes. 

Underspend, risks and issues 

Contact us as soon as possible if: 

• there are major risks, issues or delays to your project 

• you are predicting significant underspend 

We may be able to provide advice or help you adjust elements of your project. 

Withdrawal from your grant agreement 

If you no longer plan to go ahead with your project you must let us know as soon as possible and explain the situation clearly. 

We may consider delivery of previous projects when assessing future grant applications. 

Changes to your team or organisation 

Any requests to change your project must come from the lead applicant, a project representative or the escalation contact. 

Changing or adding lead applicants and project representatives 

Contact us if you need to: 

• add a new project representative to your grant agreement 

• change the lead applicant on your grant agreement 

We will issue you with a grant addendum. 

If your lead applicant is leaving the organisation, tell us in advance so they can approve the change. 

Change of address, bank details or VAT registration status 

If you are already registered as a Forestry Commission supplier, contact us if there are changes to your address, bank details or VAT registration status.  

We will issue you with a supplier amendment form. 

Change of organisation name 

If your organisation name changes, let us know. We will issue you with a grant addendum and ask you to complete a supplier amendment form.  

Transfer of agreement to a different organisation 

We can only pay claims to the grant recipient organisation listed on your grant agreement. 

If you want to change the grant recipient to a different organisation (for example, if you are merging with another organisation), contact us. 

We will review your request. If approved, we will issue you a grant addendum and ask you to complete a supplier creation form. 

Site visits 

We may carry out a site visit at any point during your funding period. We will contact you to arrange this. 

During the visit, we will discuss your project’s progress, including any challenges, risks, issues and future plans. We will complete a report during the visit and share it with you. 

Marketing and communications 

Acknowledging your Forestry Commission funding 

Where appropriate, you should use the Forestry Commission logo to acknowledge the source of your funding. This helps promote the impact of the grant. 

You must contact us to seek permission before using the Forestry Commission logo on external facing documents and products.  

We can provide:  

• logos as PNG files (with transparent backgrounds) 

• logos for use in both colour and black and white formats 

• brand guidance 

When using our logo, use this wording: “Supported through the Tree Production Innovation Fund by: [Forestry Commission logo]”. 

Promoting your project 

We may be able to help you promote events, publications or media related to your project. 

Contact us in advance if you: 

• would like support with promotion 

• are releasing any press notices, significant publications or media  

When posting about your project on social media, tag us at:  

• LinkedIn: Forestry Commission 

• Facebook: @ForestryComm 

Connecting with other TPIF recipients 

Knowledge exchange events 

You must attend two knowledge exchange events hosted by the Forestry Commission during the lifetime of your project. These sessions will be online (MS Teams) and are designed to facilitate networking, collaboration and the sharing of ideas between projects. 

We will contact you about dates. 

If you are running your own knowledge exchange event, let us know in advance and if you would like support promoting it to other TPIF recipients. 

TPIF directory 

You will be added to the TPIF directory if you gave us consent in your application. The directory will be shared with all grant recipients once each project has begun. 

We encourage you to contact other TPIF grant recipients in the directory who are working on similar topics or with similar methodology, to collaborate and share ideas. 

Providing feedback 

We welcome any feedback about the grant. This helps us to improve our offer and processes. 

We may invite you to provide anonymous feedback via surveys. You can contact us at any time at TPIF@forestrycommission.gov.uk.