New fund opens to support planting of 130,000 trees in England’s towns and cities

The Forestry Commission has launched the Urban Tree Challenge Fund, with grants available over the next two years to make urban areas greener and help meet the government’s target of planting one million urban trees by 2022. Initially the Urban Tree Challenge Fund is open to block bids, which are applications with a value of at least £500,000 that contain multiple small planting projects. In year two individual applications will be accepted for smaller, single planting sites, and prospective individual applicants can complete an expression of interest form to register interest in applying in 2020. More information is available through the Urban Tree Challenge Fund guide with applications now open until midnight on 28 July. There will also be a webinar at 12:30pm on Wednesday 12 June. The Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) was developed in response to the release of £10 million in the 2018 Autumn Budget announcement for planting at least 20,000 large trees and 110,000 small trees in urban areas in England. The fund provides up to 50% funding of standard costs for planting large and small trees and their establishment costs for three years following planting, such as the costs associated with buying a tree, planting it in a grass verge, basic protection and the labour required to plant it. Establishment payments will then support the cost of weeding, watering and checking trees during multiple visits over a three-year period. Anyone is able to apply for the fund as long as they either have full management control over the land or signed consent from those who do for the duration of the agreement.

from UK Fundraising http://bit.ly/2Zbixwu