Tree Production Capital Grant

About the Tree Production Capital Grant

The Tree Production Capital Grant (TPCG) provides funding to help tree nurseries and seed suppliers invest in projects which improve, expand, automate or mechanise their operations. This will help improve not only the quantity but also the quality, diversity, and biosecurity of supply.

The government aims to at least treble tree planting rates in England by 2025, contributingand tohas meetingset thelegally UK’sbinding overalltargets targetto ofincrease plantingtree 30,000and hectareswoodland percover yearto by16.5% theof endtotal ofland thisarea Parliament.by To2050. meetMeeting these planting targets domestically will require a corresponding increase in UK production of tree planting material. The TPCG is looking to support projects with outputs that will better equip nurseries to supply the trees required for new woodlands and urban planting projects. The grant forms part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund.

As well as enhancing the quantity of trees produced, we need to enhance the quality and diversity of trees producedproduced. This will enable us to plant resilient treescapes that meetsupport objectives for biodiversity and are resilient to stresses such as climate change and pests and diseases. This means facilitating the supply of diverse planting material from a range of species and provenances. Stocking material should be of the highest possible quality to reduce planting losses and ensure the delivery of healthy trees thriving in the landscape.

The fund enables suppliers to bolster production at pace and has been designed to complement the Tree Production Innovation Fund, which provides support for research projects that will enhance UK tree production methods.

The grant is open to tree seed and sapling suppliers of all sizes, as well as new entrants looking to diversify into the sector.

What is the deadline for applications?

The final deadline for applications is 23.5523:55 Mondayon 431 JulyMay 2022.2023.

What funding is available?

Up to £8.8£5.1 million of funding is available through the Tree Production Capital Grant, subject to sufficient high-quality bids being received.

SuccessfulThe TPCG will projectsprovide will50% be awarded up to £175,000 in grant funding tofor coverprojects up to 50%a ofmaximum costs,grant withvalue money coming from the Tree Production Capital Grant as part of the Government’s £750 million Nature for Climate Fund.£175,000.

Example projects suitable for funding could include:

• investments in machinery such as transplanting systems and grading machines
• improved polytunnel infrastructure and irrigation systems
• biosecurity through improved water treatment and refrigeration equipment

Projects may span up to two financial years, completing no later than March 2025.

Funding will be split into two streams separating projects valued between £20,000£10,000 and £100,000 (Stream A), and those valued at greater than £100,000 (Stream B). Projects must have a minimum total cost of £20,000£10,000 to be eligible. The TPCG will provide 50% funding for projects up to a maximum of £175,000. Applicants may submit no more than one bid during each funding round.

Funding Stream	Project Value	Funding Available (50%)
A	£20,000£10,000 to £100,000	£10,000£5,000 to £50,000
B	>£100,000	>£50,000 to £175,000

Eligible costs that may be claimed for include:

• costs of equipment and machinery purchased
• delivery and shipping costs of items purchased
• personnel costs related to the construction or implementation of the items purchased at the applicant’s site of operation

The following expenditure is ineligible:

• retrospective funding for work already carried out or to be carried out before a grant agreement is signed
• maintenance costs of the items purchased
• any training required for staff to make use of the items purchased
• seed or saplings to be delivered as the outputs of the project proposal
• consumables, for example compost or fertiliser

FindAm outI if you are eligibleeligible?

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be UK-based and will need to demonstrate how the grant will be used to increase English tree seed or sapling supply.

Forestry England and Forest Research are not eligible for funding under the TPCG.

The following groups are identified as likely potential applications to the TPCG:

• private sector nurseries and seed suppliers
• public sector organisations such as Local Authorities
• new entrants to forestry from adjacent horticultural/agricultural sectors
• environmental NGOs
• community tree nurseries

Forestry England and Forest Research are not eligible for funding under the TPCG.

How do I apply?

AnIn applicationthe Application Form, you will containbe asked to provide details about:

• the project and the outputs expected
• how the project aligns with the scope of the grant and meets the aim to increase the quality, quantity, diversity and/or biosecurity of seed or sapling supply in England
• your approach to delivering the project and any delivery risks
• the cost of the project and how it represents value for money foryour theorganisation project team and for the taxpayer

All costs and financial details should be in £ Sterling. Applicants must providedetail projectthe costs,source organisationalof detailstheir match funding. Applicants submitting proposals spanning two financial years should state this on the application form and fundingclearly detailsoutline forthe activities that will be delivered by the end of each organisationfinancial involvedyear. inThe Forestry Commission do not have the project.ability Allto coststransfer andfunding between financial detailsyears shouldso beplease consider the financial years in £which Sterling.you are applying for funding carefully, taking into account factors such as delivery time.

All questions in the application form are mandatory.mandatory and you must submit a Finance Spreadsheet as part of your application. If any part of your application is incomplete, your application will be returned to you within twothree working days for you to revise and resubmit before the deadline should you wish. If any part of your application is unclear, the Forestry Commission may contact you – at any time prior to informing you of a funding decision – to request further information. YourIf applicationyou willwish beto rejectedamend if: your projectapplication isbefore ineligiblethe forpublished fundingdeadline (seeor ‘Iswithdraw myyour projectapplication eligible?’at above)any ortime, ifplease youremail: tpcg@forestrycommission.gov.uk

If applicationyou scoresconsider 0the ininformation responsecontained towithin anyyour questionapplication into thebe applicationcommercially formsensitive, whenyou must notify the Forestry Commission evaluatesof it.this Awhen minimumsubmitting overallyour scoreapplication.

Applicants ofmay 16/32submit isno requiredmore tothan beone eligiblebid forto the TPCG grant funding.annually.

The Forestry Commission reserves the right to change the deadline for applications or make changes to the Invitation to Apply and the application process at short notice. The Forestry Commission reserves the right to amend, add to or withdraw all or any part of the funding application process at any time during the process. All changes are recorded at the bottom of this page (click ‘show all updates’) and where these are made following the opening date the lead applicant for all applications already received will be contacted directly by email. Material changes (for example to the closing date or eligibility rules) will also be communicated via the Forestry Commission’s Grants and Regulations eAlert.

The Forestry Commission reserves the right to not award all of the funding available if insufficient bids of an appropriate quality are received.

Applicants who canvass Forestry Commission or Defra employees associated with the TPCG may have their applications rejected from the process.

Applicants who are unable to accept standard terms and conditions may have their application eliminated from the application process.

If you wish to clarify any application requirements or the application process, please email email tpcg@forestrycommission.gov.uk. We will aim to respond to all requests for clarification within twothree working days of receipt. If we consider information requests relevant to any applicant, we will provide additional guidance to all applicants (via point of contact provided) by email to ensure a fair and openness.open process. We may be unable to respond to other support requests due to the competitive bid process.

IfApplicants youwho wishcanvass toForestry amendCommission youror applicationDefra beforeemployees theassociated publishedwith deadlinethe orTPCG withdrawmay yourhave applicationtheir atapplications anyrejected time,from pleasethe email: tpcg@forestrycommission.gov.uk.process.

IfApplicants youwho considerare theunable information contained within your application to beaccept commercially sensitive, you must notify the Forestrystandard Commissionterms of this when submitting your application. This will then be considered when requests for clarification are received. If relating information is relevant to all Applicants and youconditions haveof indicatedthe thatfunding you consider this commercially sensitive, we will discuss with you before releasing any information and may behave unabletheir toapplication supporteliminated thefrom request due to the competitiveapplication bids process.

The Forestry Commission reserves the right not to answer clarifications where it considers that the answer to that clarification would or would be likely to prejudice commercial interests.

The Forestry Commission may carry-out checks on each application using a variety of government tools including the Cabinet Office’s automated grants due diligence tool called ‘Spotlight’ and Bank Account Verification software.

As part of due diligence process, the Forestry Commission may share details of the organisations involved in applications to the TPCG with other parts of government.

Consortium applications are welcomed. A lead partner should be identified in the application. The lead applicant will become the sole agreement holder with the Forestry Commission; they will be responsible for the undertakings and obligations detailed in any grant agreement, in line with Terms and Conditions of Funding.funding. If your application is successful, the lead applicant will become the sole agreement holder and will be the sole recipient of grant funding upon receipt of valid claims. The contractual arrangements held between the lead applicant and their co-applicants are not the responsibility of the Forestry Commission and the lead applicant will have sole responsibility for onward disbursal of grant funding to co-applicants, for example.

How will applications be assessed?

All applications will be evaluated by a panel with expertise and experience of tree production methods used in England. Any applications deemed to fall outside the scope of the fund will not be evaluated.

AllYour eligibleapplication applications will remainbe validrejected if your project is ineligible for 6funding months(see after‘Is themy closingproject date.eligible?’ Ifabove) theor fundsif areyour oversubscribedapplication andscores additional0 fundsin becomeresponse available,to validany applicationsquestion mayin bethe reconsideredapplication forform funding.

Applicantswhen willthe beForestry notifiedCommission evaluates it. A minimum overall score of their16/32 TPCGis fundingrequired decisionto bybe 10eligible Augustfor TPCG grant 2022.funding. Funding decisions may be conditional on the outcome of a physical inspection by the Forestry Commission to ensure the suitability of the site and proposals.

Applicants Projectswill mustbe notnotified beginof beforetheir TPCG funding thedecision startby dateMonday of3 anyJuly grant2023.

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ApplicantsSuccessful applicants may submitclaim nofollowing morereceipt thanof onetheir bidpurchased items. Successful applicants are advised to eachgroup streamclaims offor theitems grantwhere annually.

Applicantspossible, mayand claimto followingsubmit receiptclaims ofno theirmore purchasedfrequently items.than once per month. Payments will be made in arrears by BACS transfer following receipt of claim forms. Payment of the claim will be made within thirty30 days of receiptthe ofForestry claimCommission forms.approving your claim. All claims must be supported by evidence of eligible expenditure (i.e. invoices/ timesheets) and, where possible, photos and adescriptions post-implementationof reportpurchased withinitems threeor towork sixcarried monthsout followingto claim.date. Forestry Commission reserves the right to arrange site visits to confirm progress made on projects. Successful projects must not begin before the start date of any grant agreement offered by the Forestry Commission – expenditure outside of the funding period will not be eligible to claim back.

Further Information

ApplicantsGrant mustholders declarewill ifbe theyrequired haveto received,complete havea appliedpost-implementation for,report orwithin intendthree to applysix formonths of submitting their final claim. This will detail achievement against stated outcome and outputs, lessons learnt, a complete cost breakdown outlining how the grant funding has been spent, and any otherneed governmentfor funds.further Thedevelopment. ForestryA Commissiontemplate for this report will carry-outbe checksprovided to successful applicants. Payments may be reclaimed if reports are not submitted on eachtime. applicationApplicants usingmay be encouraged to work with the Forestry Commission to publish a varietyshort ofarticle governmentin toolsa includingsuitable trade press after the Cabinetwork Office’shas automatedbeen grantscompleted.

Further dueInformation

Applicants diligencemust tool.
declare if they have received, have applied for, or intend to apply for any other government funds.

The Forestry Commission is not responsible for any losses, breakages or injuries incurred by the applicant whilst engaged in activities associated with the TPCG. Neither the Forestry Commission nor its respective advisers, directors, officers, members, partners, employees, other staff or agents:

• makes any representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the accuracy, reasonableness, or completeness of this guidance; or
• accepts any responsibility for the information contained in this guidance or for the fairness, accuracy or completeness of that information nor shall any of them be liable for any loss or damage (other than in respect of fraudulent misrepresentation) arising as a result of reliance on such information or any subsequent communication

Enquiries

You can get further help from the Forestry Commission by emailing your enquiry to tpcg@forestrycommission.gov.uk. Find out how to make a complaint or appeal.

Contact the Forestry Commission

For more information or enquiries, please contact tpcg@forestrycommission.gov.uk.