Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund Accepting Applications for 2025 Funding Round

Tree Council, in partnership with Network Rail, is offering grants of between £2,500 and £10,000 for local authorities, charities, community groups, educational institutions, and landowners across England, Scotland, and Wales, to deliver and well-planned tree-planting projects that directly benefit people and communities.

The Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund will support projects that align with the following criteria:

• Clear community benefit and involvement, such as volunteering, education, or wellbeing initiatives.
• Improvements in biodiversity at the planting site.
• Clear understanding of site suitability for tree planting, based on site-specific considerations.
• Thoughtful tree selection following ‘right tree, right place’ principles, supported by a detailed planting plan.
• Use of UK-sourced and grown trees, preferably native species from local or community nurseries and/or those that are plant healthy certified.
• Comprehensive establishment and aftercare plan, including a commitment to maintain the trees and site for a minimum of three years.
• Willingness to provide content for external communications purposes.
• Commitment to participate in monitoring and evaluation activities post-planting.

The following criteria are also desirable:

• Close proximity to the Network Rail network (lines or stations).
• Contribution to climate resilience (eg, riparian planting, sustainable drainage in urban areas).
• Part of a wider initiative or partnership (eg, environmental, social).
• Youth involvement, including skills training or enterprise elements.
• Collaboration with a Tree Warden Network or other local community groups.
• Use of sustainable, recyclable, non-polluting, and low-impact resources and materials for tree protection.

Funding can be used for bare-root, UK-sourced, and grown native trees of an appropriate size for the projects (preference will be given to younger trees), bare-root whips (saplings), and cell-grown (root trainer) stock for hedging projects (40 to 120cm in height), hedgerow trees, and orchards. Non-native varieties may be considered if appropriate to the setting or chosen to consider climate change adaptation and resilience. Priority will be given to trees planted in the ground, however, trees planted in containers or raised beds may be considered.

Proposed projects should be completed by 1 March 2026