Tree Production Innovation Fund launched to encourage new technologies for tree planting
A new Tree Production Innovation Fund (TPIF) to encourage new technologies for tree planting has launched. The projects should aim towards enhancing the quality, quantity and diversity of tree planting stock for planting in England.
The £1 million Tree Production Innovation Fund supports the governments England Trees Action Plan. The aim is to treble tree planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament. Their target is to plant 30,000 hectares per year by 2025.
Forestry Commission Chair Sir William Worsley said:
“I fully believe forestry needs to embrace new technology, and in turn, we need to develop technology that can support the future of forestry. We need new and innovative ideas to drive this change and I’m pleased this £1 million funding will support nurseries to increase and diversify domestic tree supply.
“By enhancing the quantity, quality and diversity of planting stock available now, it will help our trees to be healthy and resilient to the impacts of changing climate and increasing threats from pests and diseases into the future.”
What’s available?
Applicants for the Tree Production Innovation Fund can apply for grants between £20,000 – £200,000.
Grant funding must be used to support projects designed to address one or more challenges. These have been identified through stakeholder engagement as barriers to tree production and are as follows:
Challenge 1
How can we make better use of available seed and vegetative planting material to maximise the quantity, quality and diversity of trees produced?
Challenge 2
How can we develop growing systems to enhance their efficiency and resilience to change, whilst delivering improved quality and diversity of product?
Challenge 3
How can innovative environmentally sustainable weed control solutions to reduce reliance on herbicides?
Eligibility criteria
The lead applicants for the fund need to be based in the UK. The Forestry Commission welcomes applications from consortia and new entrants to the sector.
The following are identified as likely potential applicants to the Tree Production Innovation Fund:
- Public bodies partnered with private sector third party organisations
- Private sector nurseries, seed suppliers and organisations
- Colleges and universities
- Research institutes
- Environmental NGOs
- Horticultural and agricultural growers
Note: Public bodies will be required to partner with private sector third party organisations to be eligible for funding.
Is your project eligible?
Applicants submitting proposals for pilot/feasibility studies should make this clear on their application form. You must clearly outline the activities and outputs that will result from this round of funding.
To be eligible for funding the:
- Proposal must demonstrate how the project will contribute to enhancing the quantity, quality and/or diversity of trees produced for planting in England by meeting one of the challenges above
- Lead partner in the work to be funded (i.e., the lead applicant) must be a UK based business, sole trader or organisation
- Intention of the work to be funded shall be to exploit the results in England (but not necessarily exclusively so)
- Project proposal shall be relevant to species with forestry potential (but not necessarily exclusively so)
- Work to be funded must not have commenced
- Project must be limited to pre-commercial activity
How to apply
Applicants must be written in English and submitted via email to tpif@forestrycommission.gov.uk
You must answer all questions.
Your application for the Tree Production Innovation Fund needs to contain:
- Details of the project and how it fits within the scope of the fund
- The approach you will take and where the focus of the innovation will be
- Who is in the project team and what their roles are
- The impact that the project might have outside of the project team
- How the project will be managed effectively
- The main risks for the project
- The impact that an injection of public funding would have on the project
- Details of activities to be funded and outputs expected
- The cost of the project and how it represents value for money for the project team and for the taxpayer.
Note: there’s no limit to the number of bids an applicant may submit. This is providing that each application is for a discrete and unique project.
Submission deadline: 8th September at 23:59 pm
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