Tree Council: Branching Out Fund

Overview

Over the past 20 years, they have supported community groups, volunteer Tree Wardens and many others to plant hundreds of thousands of trees across the UK, thanks to generous Tree Partners and other supporters.

Eligibility

All applicants must:

hold public liability insurance for planting - if this poses difficulties, please get in touch
have written permission to plant on the site(s)
have a bank account (not a personal account) to receive grant payments

They welcome applications from:

Schools, colleges or universities
Constituted community groups
Childcare nurseries or care homes - charity or community funded
Tenants and residents associations
Parish / town councils / community councils
Tree Warden Networks (preference given to a Tree Council member network)
Community interest companies (limited by guarantee)
Small registered charities

Planting locations can be in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

What are they looking for

Branching Out supports applications ranging in value from £250 up to £2,500, with specific criteria for those under £500, and those above £500.

Projects that include several elements from the lists below, will score more highly in the assessment process.

Projects £250 - £500

Projects £500 - £2.5k

Evidence of:

Evidence of all criteria for projects under £500 plus:

Strong community involvement
Involvement of local schools
Engaging young people in planning, delivery and aftercare
Involving a broad cross section of the community (eg. age, gender, ethnicity)
Good value for money
Project is part of wider environmental initiatives
Access to relevant experience within the group or available locally
Trees sourced locally from a local tree nursery and/or community tree nursery

The inclusion of different tree types, e.g. individual trees, hedges, hedges with hedgerow trees or orchards
A considered establishment and aftercare plan Involvement of local Tree Warden/s
Volunteer-managed and delivered.
Please note that they do not routinely fund professional fees or labour
Demonstrate consideration of risk management, e.g. in identifying the presence of underground service/utilities
Demonstrate that you have an understanding of your project site and that it is suitable for tree planting (e.g. if you have spoken to a local ecologist / wildlife trust / local natural history society)

What types of tress will be funded

They favour schemes that utilise a combination of tree types, e.g. hedges with standard trees. If you feel your choices have not been covered below, please get in touch.

Will fund

Might fund

Trees: Native, UK-sourced and grown bare-root trees of an appropriate size for your project. They prefer to fund younger trees which will establish better, although they will fund trees up to 'standard' size (8-10 cm girth)
Hedging: Native, UK-sourced and grown, bare-root whips (saplings) and cell grown (root trainer) stock for hedging projects (40-120cm height)
Hedgerow trees: trees planted in hedgerows that are allowed to develop to full-size
Orchards: fruit trees on semi-vigorous, vigorous and very vigorous rootstocks

Non-native varieties and species if appropriate to the setting or chosen to take into account climate change adaptation or resilience, e.g. urban / park etc. (Please explain your tree selection as part of your application process)
Fruit trees on dwarfing rootstock, if the setting is appropriate (e.g. nursery / schools etc. Please outline why dwarfing stock has been chosen in your application)
Trees in containers / raised beds: they prefer to fund trees planted in the ground, however they may consider funding a small number of projects where the trees are planted in containers or raised beds, if the reason is adequately explained and supported by a robust and comprehensive irrigation and aftercare plan. Please get in touch prior to application

What establishment aids will they fund

Will fund

Might fund

Cardboard/bioplastic tree/hedge guards. But do not assume they are always needed – see their tree protection guidance
Non-plastic ties Canes/Stakes (coppiced material such as chestnut or hazel preferred although machined softwood also considered)
Mulch Peat free soil improvers (compost) if needed

More robust and costly guards if the setting justifies it, e.g. near sports fields, for street trees etc.

Budget Guidance

As part of your application, they ask you to complete and upload a budget sheet & claim form. The template to use can be found on their website. It is important that you use this template, rather than your own.
Please do not upload any quotations unless requested after submission If planting at multiple locations, please make it clear on the spreadsheet what trees and other elements are going where
They aim to pay claims within two weeks of submission of the Completion Report (which includes grant claim form, receipts and planting photos), but payment can take longer if the report is not completed correctly or information is missing
They will only pay VAT if you are unable to recover it
The Tree Council will cover 100% of the award (i.e. match funding is not a requirement)

Track grant Notes

Overview

Eligibility

They welcome applications from:

What are they looking for

What types of tress will be funded

What establishment aids will they fund

Budget Guidance

Key dates

Contact details

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