Trees, woodlands and forestry - Tree Production Innovation Fund

About the fund 

TPIF is a competitive grant that supports projects that enhance or facilitate domestic tree production methods. Improving tree production will help meet the government’s target of increasing tree and woodland cover in England to 16.5% by 2050. 

TPIF encourages the development and adoption of new technologies and ways of working that will:  

• improve the productivity and resilience of tree production practices 

• improve the quality of seeds and trees produced 

• ensure genetically diverse material from a wide range of species and provenances is available 

• create resilient treescapes that can withstand climate change, pests and diseases 

The fund has been designed to complement the:

• Tree Production Capital Grant – supports tree nurseries and seed suppliers to improve, expand, automate or mechanise the production of trees or tree seed

• Seed Sourcing Grant – aims to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of seed sources in England

  What you can apply for

  You can apply for proposals spanning up to 3 financial years. Whether single or multi-year, projects must have a:

  • minimum cost of £20,000

  • maximum cost of £200,000 per financial year

  All items must be received and work completed between the start of your grant agreement and 27 March 2029.

  Before applying, make sure you are confident that you can complete all funded activities and outputs within this period.

  Project eligibility

  To be eligible for funding, your project must:

  • be innovative

  • address one or more of the TPIF challenges

  • be environmentally sustainable

  • have intended outcomes applicable to tree production in England (but not necessarily exclusive to)

  • be relevant to species with forestry potential (but not necessarily exclusive to)

  • be limited to pre-commercial activity

  • not pose a risk to biosecurity

  • not have started before funding is approved

  There is no limit to the number of bids an applicant may submit as long as each application is for a unique project.

  Read our TPIF case studies to find out how funding benefitted previous grant holders.

  Eligible costs to apply for:

  • personnel costs, including direct overheads* for staff employed on the project

  • equipment costs for the period of the project. Where equipment is not used for its full life, only the depreciation costs corresponding to the life of the project are eligible

  • costs of contractual research, knowledge and patens bought or licensed from outside sources at arm’s length conditions, as well as consultancy and equivalent services used exclusively for the project

  • materials, supplies and similar products used specifically for the project

  • travel and subsistence specifically for TPIF-related grant activities, carried out in the most economically and sustainable way possible

  *Personnel rates may include overheads that directly impact and support the project but cannot be identified as a direct cost.

  Direct costs are expenses that can be clearly and exclusively linked to delivering the project. They must be attributable to the staff employed on the project. When calculating overheads, bear in mind that TPIF is a competitive process. Your project and associated costs will be assessed against applications from other organisations.

  Costs that are not eligible:

  • overhead costs that will not directly impact or support the project

  • costs incurred outside of the funding period

  • depreciation of costs for equipment purchased outside of the funding period

  • subscription or license fees extending beyond the funding period

  • costs involved in preparing your application

  • costs met by another grant scheme

  How to apply  

  Submit your application to tpif@forestrycommission.gov.uk by 11:55pm on 29 July 2026.

  You need to email us a completed:

  • application form

  • finance spreadsheet

  • project timeline

  • evidence of financial viability (if applicable)

  Find the TPIF application form and further guidance on how to complete the application form.

  Join our how to apply to TPIF webinar on 18 June 2026.

  After you have applied

  All eligible applications will be scored by an evaluation panel. Find out how applications are assessed in the TPIF application form guidance.

  We will let you know the outcome of your application. We expect to issue outcomes on 16 September 2026. 

  How payments work

  You can claim up to 4 times per financial year: in October (interim), 27 March (end of year) and 2 further dates of your choice. There is no interim claim deadline for applications in financial year 2026-27.

  You must have received an item or completed a piece of work before you can claim for it. The deadline for claims in each financial year is 27 March.

  We pay claims in arrears by BACS transfer following receipt of completed claim forms. Payment of the claim will be made within 22 working days of us approving your claim.

  Multi-year funding is subject to annual review. Agreements may be terminated if future-year budgets are not confirmed or if a project is not delivering the expected progress, outputs or value for money. This includes situations where funded activities do not start on time, where satisfactory progress is not being made or where the terms of the grant agreement are not being met.

  The grant agreement also includes standard termination-for-convenience provisions, meaning the Forestry Commission or grant recipient may end the agreement at any time with at least one month’s written notice.

  Contact us

  If you have questions about the TPIF or the application process, email us at  tpif@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

  To get the most up to date information on this grant sign up for our eAlert.

  Find out how to make a complaint or appeal.