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, and has set legally binding targets to increase tree and woodland cover to 16.5% of total land area by 2050. Meeting 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 produced. This will enable us to plant resilient treescapes that support 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 grantdeadline for applications?

The deadline for applications is relaunched.23:55 on 31 May 2023.

What funding is available?

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

The TPCG will provide 50% funding for projects up to a maximum grant value of £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

ApplicantsProjects may submitspan noup moreto thantwo onefinancial bidyears, duringcompleting eachno fundinglater round.than Projects must be completed by March 2025.

Funding will be split into two streams separating projects valued between £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 £10,000 to be eligible.

Funding Stream	Project Value	Funding Available (50%)
A	£10,000 to £100,000	£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

Am I eligible?

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.

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?

In the Application Form, you will be 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 your organisation and for the taxpayer

All costs and financial details should be in £ Sterling. Applicants must detail the source of their match fundingfunding. Applicants submitting proposals spanning two financial years should state this on the application form and clearly outline the activities that will be delivered by Marchthe 2025.end of each financial year. The Forestry Commission do not have the ability to transfer funding beyondbetween Marchfinancial 2025.years Pleaseso carefullyplease consider thisthe whenfinancial submittingyears yourin application,which you are applying for funding carefully, taking into account factors such as delivery time.

All questions in the application form are 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 three 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. If you wish to amend your application before the published deadline or withdraw your application at any time, please email: tpcg@forestrycommission.gov.uk

If you consider the information contained within your application to be commercially sensitive, you must notify the Forestry Commission of this when submitting your application.

Applicants may submit no more than one bid to the TPCG 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.

If you wish to clarify any application requirements or the application process, please email tpcg@forestrycommission.gov.uk. We will aim to respond to all requests for clarification within three 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 open process. We may be unable to respond to other support requests due to the competitive bid process.

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 the standard terms and conditions of the funding may have their application eliminated from the application 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.

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. 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.

Your application will be rejected if your project is ineligible for funding (see ‘Is my project eligible?’ above) or if your application scores 0 in response to any question in the application form when the Forestry Commission evaluates it. A minimum overall score of 16/32 is required to be eligible for TPCG grant 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 will be notified of their TPCG funding decision by Monday 3 July 2023.

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

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 with other parts of government.

All eligible applications will remain valid for 6 months after the closing date. If the funds are oversubscribed and additional funds become available, valid applications may be reconsidered for funding.

Reporting and payments

Successful applicants may claim following receipt of their purchased items. Successful applicants are advised to group claims for items where possible, and to submit claims no more frequently 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 30 days of the FCForestry Commission approving your claim. All  All claims must be supported by evidence of eligible expenditure (i.e.,(i.e. invoices/ timesheets) and, where possible, photos and descriptions of purchased items or work carried out to date. The 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.

Grant holders will be required to complete a post-implementation report within three to six months 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 need for further development. A template for this report will be provided to successful applicants. Payments may be reclaimed if reports are not submitted on time. Applicants may be encouraged to work with the Forestry Commission to publish a short article in a suitable trade press after the work has been completed.

Further Information

Applicants must 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.