The Tree Council’s Branching Out Fund provides small grants of up to £2,500 for well-planned educational projects to plant trees, orchards, and hedges in the UK that involve and educate children and young people up to the age of 21.

Projects can take place at any time during the 2023/24 planting season, which falls from mid-November 2023 to  around 17 March 2024 (grants must be claimed by the March 2024 date. Please note that grants are awarded once the project has been completed, so applicants must have sufficient resources in place to fully fund their project).

Branching Out grants can be used for:

o Buying trees, including fruit trees, and hedges, and/or
o Reasonable costs of non-plastic protection and supports such as canes/stakes or ties, mulch, mulching mats and peat-free compost or soil improvers.

Applicants are encouraged to plant a wide variety of species to aid resilience. Preference will be given to projects which are planned with specific and special emphasis on wildlife and biodiversity. Non-native species can be considered where appropriate. Any trees purchased should:

o Be bare-root stock, if possible (if container-grown stock is being used, applicants must explain why).
o Detail how the trees will be sourced, planted and cared for, whilst also demonstrating excellent value for money and active educational engagement of children and young people up the age of 21.
o Encompass appropriate species, size and numbers, including fruit trees, that are sourced from bio-secure stock. Apple and pears must be grown on semi-vigorous, vigorous and very vigorous rootstocks, and
o Planted in the ground.

Grants of between £200 and £2,500 are available with no matched funding requirement. Projects that have a total cost of more than £2,500 are advised to contact the Tree Council to discuss their proposal. Applications for a grant of under £500 are normally assessed more quickly than requests for between £501 and £2,500.

Funding is not available for:

o Chemicals for weed removal or suppression.
o Costs of contractors or staff time to plan or plant the hedge or trees.
o Dwarfing varieties, espalier, step-over fruit trees.
o Individuals.
o Intermediary organisations.
o Non-native, ornamental or evergreen hedges like Leyland Cyprus or cherry laurel.
o Peat-based compost or soil improvers.
o Plastic tree guards, ties or matting.
o Projects which plant on existing sites of wildlife or historic interest where tree or hedge planting is potentially damaging.
o Retrospective costs.
o Stock proof fencing, expensive guards and cages unless there is a very good reason.
o Trees planted in containers and container grown stock.
o Value Added Tax (VAT), or
o Volunteer tools and equipment, protective clothing, or costs of running community events.

Further information, guidance and an application form, which should be returned by email to the address below, is available on the Tree Council website.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 3rd December 2023.