The Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF), which is aiming to increase tree numbers in urban areas through small-scale planting projects, has reopened. 

The UTCF is part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund, supporting the planting of 44,000 large ‘standard’ trees over a two-year period, from 2021/22 to 2022/23. 

The UTCF first opened in 2019 and to date has held two rounds of funding. This new, third round of funding is open to both block bids and individual applications.  

A block bid is designed for organisations to apply for funding for multiple projects that can be geographically dispersed or focused in one area but submitted under one application. The guideline for block bids is a minimum UTCF funding requirement of £250,000.  

Individual applications are for smaller, focused areas of planting undertaken by small organisations or community groups. These individual applications will need a minimum UTCF funding requirement of £10,000 up to a maximum of £30,000. 

The UTCF is open to anyone who wants to plant trees in urban or peri-urban areas, as long as they have full management control or consent to use the land and the planting location is within an urban area. 

An urban area is defined for the purposes of the UTCF as a built-up area with a population of at least 2,000 people, and a buffer of 1km to account for peri-urban planting. 

The UTCF is a competitive fund and applications will be scored and ranked to identify projects that will provide the greatest environmental and social benefits to an area. Value for money may also be considered. 

Find out if you’re eligible to apply here.

Applications must be submitted electronically to utcf@forestrycommission.gov.uk by 11.59pm on Sunday 25 July. 

To find out more about how your Sandwell business can do more to protect the environment visit our Going Greener page. We’ve gathered resources to help businesses play their part in conserving energy, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the prevention of human-made climate change.