Tree and woodland grants and incentives overview
Updated 24 April 2025
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodland-grants-and-incentives-overview-table/woodland-grants-and-incentives-overview-table
Grants and financial incentives for woodland creation, maintenance, management, tree growing and tree health.
Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG)
The WCPG provides funding to prepare a woodland creation design plan, which is UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) compliant. Landowners, land managers and public bodies can apply to support the planning of woodland creation.
Find out more: Woodland Creation Planning Grant.
Financial incentives
You can apply for £1,500 to complete a stage 1 checklist.
At stage 2, you can get £150 per hectare to produce a woodland creation design plan, minus the £1,500 offered at stage 1. You can also receive a funding contribution towards any additional, specialist surveys that we agree need to be undertaken.
Funding is capped at £30,500 per project.
You will never be paid less than £1,500 for approved Stage 1 work and a minimum of £500 for approved Stage 2 work
Can I apply alongside other Forestry Commission grants?
If you’ve already applied for a woodland creation grant, such as England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), or submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment enquiry to plant a new woodland, you’re not eligible to apply for a WCPG on that site.
You can apply for EWCO once we have made you a Stage 2 offer under the WCPG.
Minimum area
5 hectares or more.
Minimum woodland block size
Any block must meet the definition of woodland set out by the National Forest Inventory: a minimum area of 0.5 hectares and a minimum width of 20 metres.
You should consider the minimum thresholds that apply to grants for woodland creation if you intend to seek grant aid to plant the woodland.
Applicant and land registration with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA)
No.
Eligibility with Basic Payment Scheme delinked payments (land manager and land must be registered with the RPA)
Not applicable.
England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)
EWCO is a flagship grant scheme for farmers and land managers to encourage investment in woodland creation. These woodlands will help to mitigate climate change, deliver nature recovery and provide wider environmental and social benefits.
Find out more: England Woodland Creation Offer.
Financial incentives
In addition to covering the standard capital costs of tree planting (up to a cap of £10,200 per hectare) and annual maintenance payments of £400 per hectare for 15 years, EWCO also offers an additional £1,100 per hectare when planting on low sensitivity land and ‘Additional Contributions’ (per hectare) for:
- nature recovery: up to £3,300
- water quality: £500
- reduced flood risk: £1,000
- riparian buffers: £2,500
- close to settlements: £600
- public access: £3,700
Can I apply alongside other Forestry Commission grants?
Recipients of EWCO ‘additional contributions’ payments for a specific ecosystem service are not eligible to receive payments for the same service through participating in other schemes and ecosystem markets.
Before you apply to the EWCO you should consider using the WCPG. The WCPG provides funding to prepare a UKFS-compliant woodland creation design plan, which can subsequently be used to support a EWCO application.
Minimum area
The minimum total size of woodland included in a EWCO application is 1 hectare.
Minimum woodland block size
All woodland blocks within a EWCO application must be 0.1 hectare or more in size. Blocks must have a minimum width of 20 metres (except for riparian buffers and shelterbelts, where the minimum width is 10 metres).
Applicant and Land Registration with the RPA
Yes.
Eligibility with Basic Payment Scheme delinked payments (land manager and land must be registered with the RPA)
Eligible land under EWCO can also be used to claim delinked payments.
Tree Production Capital Grant
The Tree Production Capital Grant supports tree and tree seed suppliers to improve the productivity and resilience of their operations, enabling a reliable supply of diverse, biosecure and high-quality trees.
The deadline to apply is 25 June 2025.
Read more about the Tree Production Capital Grant.
Financial incentives
Up to 50% of the cost of investments up to a maximum grant value of £175,000. The minimum grant is £5,000 (for example, 50% of a £10,000 project).
Who can apply
You must be UK-based and will need to supply, or plan to supply, trees or tree seed to England. Applicants can include:
- private sector nurseries and seed suppliers
- public sector organisations such as local authorities
- new entrants to tree production from horticulture or agriculture
- environmental NGOs
- community tree nurseries
Tree Production Innovation Fund
The Tree Production Innovation Fund supports the development of new technologies or techniques that enhance UK tree production methods in England.
The deadline to apply 9 July 2025.
Read more about the Tree Production Innovation Fund.
Financial incentives
You can apply for £20,000 to £200,000 per financial year.
Who can apply
UK based businesses, sole traders or organisations, such as:
- private sector nurseries, organisations, and seed suppliers
- horticultural and agricultural growers
- private sector research and technology suppliers
- new entrants to the sector
- research institutes
- universities and colleges
- public bodies partnered with private sector third party organisations
Seed Sourcing Grant
The Seed Sourcing Grant supports the development of high-quality tree seed sources in England. Projects should enhance seed stands and orchards available for collection.
The deadline to apply is 19 August 2025.
Read more about the Seed Sourcing Grant.
Financial incentives
You can apply for £2,000 to £75,000 per year for eligible species and associated activities.
Who can apply
Any UK-based organisation or individual landowner can apply, including:
- public and private sector tree nurseries and tree seed suppliers
- landowners (private, public and NGOs)
- private landowners applying for eligible activity on their own land
- NGOs working on tree improvement and seed production
- research institutes including public sector research establishments
Woodland Carbon Code (WCC)
The WCC is the UK’s voluntary carbon standard for woodland creation projects. If you are a landowner and can demonstrate that you meet this standard, you can sell the carbon sequestered in your woodland in the form of Woodland Carbon Units.
Find out more: Woodland Carbon Code.
Financial incentives
A new native woodland can capture 400-500 tonnes of CO2 (tCO2e/ha) over 100 years, buyers have recently paid between £5 and £15/tCO2e for carbon units captured by woodland projects verified through the Woodland Carbon Code.
Can I apply alongside other Forestry Commission grants?
If you apply for registration with the WCC you are not excluded from applying for other Forestry Commission grant and funding schemes.
Minimum area
There’s no minimum size for the WCC and there’s a streamlined process for small woods less than 5 hectares.
Minimum woodland block size
None.
Applicant and Land Registration with the RPA
No.
Eligibility with Basic Payment Scheme delinked payments (land manager and land must be registered with the RPA)
No.
Tree Health Pilot Scheme
The Tree Health Pilot is a grant scheme for owners and managers of trees and woodlands, to help deal with tree pests and diseases. It is running in target areas across the South East and the North West and West Midlands. The pilot is testing and refining new variations of support for tree health issues and the learning will inform the design of an expanded Countryside Stewardship grant available in Environmental Land Management (ELM). Tree Health Pilot grants will continue until transition into ELM ensuring there is no gap in support.
There are grants available for:
- larch trees with Phytophthora ramorum
- spruce trees affected by Ips typographus
- sweet chestnut trees with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight
- oak trees with oak processionary moth
- ash trees with ash dieback
For more information visit Tree health pilot scheme 2024.
Countryside Stewardship grants
Use the Countryside Stewardship grant finder to see what funding is available.
Woodland Tree Health grants (Rural Payments Agency)
Woodland Tree Health (WTH) grants are open for applications all year round. You can also apply for other capital grants, including other woodland capital grants, at any time of the year.
WTH grants are available to a wide range of farmers and land managers, particularly those who have a Sustainable Farming Incentive agreement.
Find out more about Woodland Tree Health grants.
Agroforestry grants and funding
Agroforestry is the integration of trees into the farming system. See what funding is available for agroforestry.
Further information
Grants for woodland creation from some of our partner organisations.
How landowners can benefit from commercial forestry.
How woodland creation benefits your farm.
To find out more about creating woodland contact your local Forestry Commission woodland creation team.
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