Urban Forestry Challenge Fund

Urban Forestry Challenge Fund is sponsored by Future Woodlands Scotland. Provides grants for urban greening projects and tree planting initiatives, aiming to increase urban tree canopy cover and improve access to quality greenspace.

Urban Forestry Programme | Future Woodlands Scotland Greening our urban areas with our Urban Forestry Programme Scotland’s towns and cities urgently need more trees to create greener, healthier places for people and nature. Over 80% of us live in towns and cities – yet many areas still don’t have enough trees. Trees cool our streets, clean our air, reduce flooding and bring nature into daily life.

They make our neighbourhoods healthier and more beautiful, while supporting wildlife. Our Urban Forestry Programme, launched with funding from bp and now supported by JERA Nex bp, is helping put trees where they’re needed most and create greener, healthier places across Scotland.

Through the Urban Forestry Programme, we: Provide funding for tree planting and greening projects through the Urban Forestry Challenge Fund Work with partners to build skills, knowledge and capacity to create long-term change Read 2026 funding announcement The Urban Forestry Challenge Fund – two grant options available The Urban Forestry Challenge Fund provides grants of up to £100,000 for projects that support the 3-30-300 rule : 3: Everyone should be able to see at least three trees from home, school or work 30: Every neighbourhood should have at least 30% tree canopy cover 300: Everyone should live within 300 metres of quality greenspace We prioritise areas with the fewest trees, guided by Tree Equity Tool , so that trees and green spaces benefit the people and places that need them most.

In its first two years, the Urban Forestry Challenge Fund supported 26 projects across Scotland. Three are already planting over 6,000 trees, while others are laying the groundwork to help urban forestry thrive in the years ahead. Download our Guidance Booklet Urban Forestry Challenge Fund information The Urban Forestry Challenge Fund opened on 24 November 2025.

It’s here to support projects that bring more trees, woodlands, and green spaces to communities across Scotland. If you’ve got a great idea, here’s how to get started: Step 1: Read the guidance booklet Download the 2025 Information and Guidance booklet Step 2: Preview the application form (optional) Want to plan ahead?

Download a Word version to draft your answers before you submit online: Download the Small Projects form Download the Large Projects form Step 3: Submit your application Ready to go? Please note the online form must be completed in one sitting, you can’t save and return later. Start small project application (£2,000–£20,000) Start large project application (£2,000–£20,000) How much can I apply for?

There are two levels of funding available: Small projects: £2,000 to £20,000 for local tree planting or green space improvements Larger projects: £20,000 to £100,000 for more ambitious urban forestry or woodland projects Projects can run for up to three years. We will consider funding up to 100% of your project costs for small projects but encourage you to include match funding or in-kind contributions where possible.

Overhead costs are capped at 15%. We support projects that increase tree cover and improve access to green spaces in Scotland’s urban areas.

We fund: Tree planting and long-term care for urban trees Urban woodland creation and management Research, education and skills development in urban forestry Community engagement and awareness-raising activities We also fund project development costs such as: Technical or design consultancy Community engagement activities Staff time related to urban tree planting or woodland creation We welcome applications from: Community groups and development trusts State-funded schools and education providers Registered charities and community interest companies Partnerships made up of these organisations We cannot accept applications from individuals, but we encourage you to share this opportunity with your local community council or organisations working on urban greening or tree planting.

What kinds of projects can apply? 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 will prioritise projects that are of moderate priority or above. When will funding decisions be announced?

Smaller grants (up to £20,000) : This is a single-stage application process and successful applicants will be notified February 2026. Larger grants (£20,000-£100,000) : This is a two-stage process. Successful applicants will be notified in April 2026.

Who do I contact for help? 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. Strengthening capacity in the sector As part of our Urban Forestry Programme, we’re working with partners and stakeholders to promote best practice and strengthen capacity in the sector.

There’s growing recognition of the vital role trees play in making our towns and cities healthier, more liveable and biodiverse spaces but to achieve our shared ambitions we need to expand knowledge, skills and resources. We’re already supporting research into tree cover in new housing developments and supporting training for local authority staff, and we are keen to identify other opportunities to support urban forestry in Scotland.

If you have an idea that could help Scotland move towards 3-30-300 get in touch.

Latest Urban forestry stories Project in action: Creating a nature network across Edinburgh From football pitches to food forests: 13 projects supported by the Urban Forestry Challenge Fund Putting nature at the heart of urban development Second year of Urban Forestry Programme opens across Scotland Project in action: Planting 200 trees in Stirling Scotland’s school grounds could be a forest in waiting Delivering Tree Equity within the Forth Climate Forest Amount: £93,000 Location: Forth Valley’s towns and city Awarded: April 2026 Planting 200+ fruit and nut trees in Aberdeen Amount: £20,000 Location: Aberdeen Date awarded: April 2026 Creating a welcoming space for Dundee community Amount: £19,000 Location: Dundee Date awarded: April 2026  Kirkton Community Centre, Derwent Avenue, Dundee, UK Trees, bees and fruit in Fife Amount: £17,000 Location: Buckhaven and Methil, Fife Awarded: April 2026  The Rotary Club of Buckhaven & Methil, Wellesley Road, Methil, Leven, UK NANA’s Garden: Growing Trees, Skills and Community in Lochside Amount: £18,000 Location: Dumfries Awarded: April 2026  Lochside Community Centre, Rankine Ave, Dumfries, UK West Lothian Urban Tree Planting Project | Connecting green networks, improve biodiversity, and increase canopy Amount: £61,815 Location: Livingstone Awarded: April 2025  Livingston EH54 6FF, UK St Marks Primary School will green its school grounds Amount: £36,034 Location: Barrhead Awarded: April 2025 St Mark’s Primary School in East Renfrewshire is planting 500 to 700 trees…  Roebank Drive, Barrhead, Glasgow G78 2JA, UK South Lanarkshire removes barriers to urban tree planting Amount: £90,000 Location: South Lanarkshire Awarded: April 2025 South Lanarkshire Council is removing barriers to urban tree planting by delivering…  Forrest Street, Blantyre, Glasgow G72 0JP, UK Canopies Community Project | Growing tree equity and community connection across Edinburgh Amount: £89,500 Location: Edinburgh Awarded: April 2025 The Canopy Communities project, led by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership… Edible Estates | Bringing orchards and woodlands to Edinburgh’s council estates Amount: £39,565 Location: Edinburgh Awarded: April 2025 Edible Estates will bring new woodlands and community orchards to two council housing… The Creative Canopy: Growing a dispersed orchard in Glasgow The Creative Amount: £85,085 Location: Govanhill, Glasgow Awarded: April 2025 The Creative Canopy Project, led by Govanhill Baths Community Trust,…  Govanhill Baths Community Trust, Calder Street, Glasgow, UK The Glasgow Canopy Project: Greening Govan and Dalmarnock Amount: £50,000 Location: Glasgow Awarded: April 2025 Led by Glasgow City Council, The Glasgow Canopy Project will bring hundreds of…  Dalmarnock, Glasgow, UK A community orchard and tree care project | Edinburgh Friends of Inch Park in South East Edinburgh are set to make the local area a dynamic hub for environmental…  225 Gilmerton Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5UF, UK Greening Edinburgh’s Norton Park SCIO for community wellbeing Norton Park SCIO in Edinburgh is set to be transformed into a greener, more vibrant space with support from our…  57 Albion Road, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh EH7 5QY, Scotland, United Kingdom Enhancing Glasgow’s green spaces | Linn Park The Friends of Linn Park nature reserve meadow and woodland project is dedicated to enhancing and maintaining the Glasgow park’s… Free nut and fruit trees | Stirling TreeLink Stirling, with grant support from the Urban Forestry Programme, is expanding its ‘free trees’ initiative to focus on garden…  Raploch Road, Stirling FK8 1SX, Scotland, United Kingdom A new Community Volunteer role to help care for 10,000 trees in Glasgow Thanks to funding from the Urban Forestry Programme, the Clyde Climate Forest (CCF) initiative, active across the Glasgow City Region,…  Ballantrae Road, Blantyre, Glasgow G72 0XG, Scotland, United Kingdom The Urban Forestry Progamme began in 2024, with the support of bp, which committed up to £10 million as part of its planned Scottish offshore wind project, Morven.

That commitment is now being carried forward with JERA Nex bp , bp’s joint venture in global offshore wind with JERA. A huge thanks to JERA Nex bp for making our urban forestry work possible.