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The Seed Sourcing Grant (SSG) supports projects that enhance seed stands and orchards available for collection. You can apply for up to 拢75,000 per year for eligible species and associated activities.

Your proposal can include:

• identifying and registering additional seed stands
• making seed stands or orchards more productive or easier to collect from
• creating new seed stands or orchards

About the fund听

The SSG supports the development of high-quality tree seed sources in England to ensure the availability of planting stock to meet government tree planting targets.

The听grant funds projects that will increase the quality, quantity, and diversity of seed stands and seed orchards on the Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) Register of UK Basic Material. For more information, see听Marketing FRM for forestry purposes.

Research and stakeholder engagement has identified species and associated activities that require support due to uncertain seed availability and limited quality seed sources on the register. The grant covers 100% of costs for eligible species and associated activities.

Who can apply听

Any UK-based organisation or individual private landowner can apply if they show how the grant will enhance English seed stands and orchards.

Eligible applicants include:

• public and private sector tree nurseries and tree seed suppliers
• research institutes including public sector research establishments
• landowners (private, public and NGOs)
• agents can make an application on behalf of landowners
• NGOs working on tree improvement and seed production
• private landowners applying for eligible activity on their own land
• both successful and unsuccessful applicants from previous rounds can reapply

Forestry England and Forest Research are not eligible to apply听but may be subcontracted by eligible organisations to complete grant related work.

Available funding

The SSG has up to 拢600,000 available to support projects at 100% of costs.听

Funding limits

• minimum project cost: 拢2,000
• maximum cost per financial year: 拢75,000
• you can submit multiple bids in each round

Project timelines

• projects can span up to 3 financial years (to March 2028)
• you must clearly define which outputs will be delivered by March 2026
• funding beyond March 2026 depends on next government spending review
• if future funding isn鈥檛 secured for 2026/27 and 2027/28, multi-year agreements will be terminated at the end of 2025/26 with at least 1 month notice

Completion deadline

Agreements are likely to be issued in September/October 2025. All items must be received and work completed by 27 March 2028.

Before applying, ensure you can complete all activities within this timeframe. You cannot claim for any spending after this date.

Longer-term projects

If your project extends beyond 27 March 2028, you can apply for the activities that will be completed within the SSG funding period.

Your application should:

• show what outputs will be achieved in the funding period
• explain how these contribute to the grant objectives
• outline any future plans beyond the funding period
• demonstrate how your SSG-funded work would contribute to these long-term plans听

Changes implemented for 2025

• the priority species list has been replaced with 鈥�SSG eligible species and activities鈥�
• all eligible species and associated activities will be funded at 100%, species not on the list are not eligible
• new guidance is available on minimum requirements and recommended approaches for eligible activities
• multi-year funding beyond March 2026 can be applied for, but is subject to the next government spending review
• the 拢75,000 maximum funding limit now applies per project rather than per organisation

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for funding:

• the seed stand or seed orchard must be in England
• the project proposal must be for an eligible species and associated activity outlined in the 鈥�SSG eligible species and activities鈥� list
• activities must be associated with one of the eligible听forestry reproductive material (FRM)听肠补迟别驳辞谤颈别蝉
• the work must not have started before funding approval and must only begin after a funding agreement is in place

Eligible species and activities

Read the list of eligible species and activities for details of species and associated activities eligible for funding. This list details minimum requirements, recommendations and examples for:

1. Management of seed stands and seed orchards, to improve seed production and/or facilitate seed collection.
2. Desk and field studies to identify and bring additional seed stands onto the Register of UK Basic Material.
3. Planning and planting of new seed stands, and their registration on the Register of UK Basic Material.
4. Planning and planting of new seed orchards and their registration on the Register of UK Basic Material.

You can combine multiple eligible activities in your proposal (for example, identifying new stands and managing them).

For stands or orchards with multiple species:

• each species must meet the requirements individually
• each species must be registered separately
• consult the Forestry Commission鈥檚 guidance on

Eligible categories of听FRM

The funded activities must either involve or result in the following types of basic material/categories of FRM:

• Source-Identified seed stands
• Indigenous Source-Identified seed stands
• Selected seed stands
• Tested seed stands
• Qualified seed orchards
• Tested seed orchards

Specific requirements for native/naturalised and non-native species are outlined in SSG eligible species and activities.

Eligible costs

You can claim for:

• staff costs including project delivery staff, researchers, contractors and technical advisors: personnel rates can include overheads that directly support the project but cannot be identified as a direct cost
• seeds and saplings
• consumables and temporary infrastructure required for management of seed stands for example, fencing
• contribution towards necessary equipment: for items over 拢500, the contribution offered will be at the evaluation panel鈥檚 discretion
• travel and subsistence for grant activity carried out in the most economically and sustainable way possible

If you need access to Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) seed or data contact MSBUKSeeds@kew.org听for costings before submitting your application.

Data relating to UK tree seed collections held at the MSB can be found at the UK .

We cannot fund:

• ongoing maintenance of seed stands or seed orchards after the project delivery window
• insurance for capital items or staff
• repairs and ongoing maintenance to existing or purchased equipment
• overhead costs that will not directly impact and support the project
• costs incurred outside of the project delivery window
• costs involved in preparing your application or work on another grant scheme
• work that has been started or carried out before a grant agreement has been signed
• capital items relating to seed processing or storage
• business as usual seed collection

How to apply听

This is a competitive grant so it is possible that not all eligible applications will receive funding.

In your application form, you will need to provide details about your organisation and your proposed project. You must also provide written responses to 8 assessed questions that will be scored by the SSG evaluation panel. Your finance spreadsheet should itemise project costs and funding applied for. All costs should be exclusive of any recoverable VAT.

Local authorities, universities or public bodies may need to submit evidence of financial viability. Check the 鈥楬ow to complete your application鈥� page for details.

If you need to amend your application before the deadline or withdraw your application, email听ssg@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

Assessment process听

All eligible applications will be scored by an evaluation panel. For details on how applications are assessed, refer to 鈥楬ow to complete your application鈥�.

The evaluation panel will have access to information about the delivery of previous SSG grant agreements and may use this to help score your application.

Additional information requests

The panel may issue an 鈥榦ffer in principle鈥� if they need more information. You will have 2 weeks to respond, and your response will be used to decide the outcome of your application.

Application responses

You will be notified of the funding decision by Tuesday 30 September 2025.

If successful, we will issue you with a grant agreement. Important:

• do not begin your project until you have signed and returned the agreement to the Forestry Commission
• you cannot claim for expenditure outside of the funding period

Reporting and payments听

Making claims

You can claim funds:

• at the end of each financial year
• at 2 other times of your choosing during each financial year

You must have received items or completed work before you can claim for them.

End of year or end of project reports must accompany each end of year claim, while progress reports are required with other claims to show work has been carried out according to the grant agreement.

Your reports should detail:

• achievement against stated outcomes and outputs
• lessons learnt
• any need for further development

Payments may be withheld or reclaimed if reports are not submitted on time.

Payment process

• claims are paid in arrears by BACS transfer
• payment will be made within 22 working days of claim approval
• all claims must include supporting evidence (i.e. invoices/timesheets)
• invoices must be addressed to the grant recipient organisation
• cash payments are not accepted

Useful resources听

For questions about the FRM system, contact FRM@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

Data relating to UK tree seed collections held at the MSB can be found at the .

For previous rounds (rounds 1 to 3), (PDF, 864 KB, 64 pages) were produced for 21 鈥榩riority鈥� species. For this round (round 4) these have been replaced by the SSG eligible species and activities. However, you may find the strategies useful as they outline ideal approaches to enhancing seed sources.

The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) ran an online event听鈥楽eed Sourcing for Trees of the Future鈥� in 2022. You may find their recordings useful:

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Further information听

The Forestry Commission reserves the right to:

• change the deadline for applications
• make changes to the application process at short notice
• amend, add to or withdraw all or any part of the funding application process

All changes are recorded on this page (tap 鈥�+ show all updates鈥�). Where changes are made after the opening date, the lead applicant will receive communication directly by email. Material changes (for example to the closing date or eligibility rules) will also be communicated via the听Forestry Commission鈥檚 eAlert.听听

Neither the Forestry Commission nor its respective advisers, directors, officers, members, partners, employees, other staff, or agents:

• make any representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the accuracy, reasonableness, or completeness of this guidance
• accepts any responsibility for the information contained in this guidance
• accepts liability 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

Intellectual property rights and rights to genetic resources听

Intellectual property and rights to genetic resources shall remain with grant recipients. Grant recipients should have appropriate material supply agreements in place with the landowners and other interested parties involved in sourcing and final planting locations of material to cover ownership of the resulting genetic resources and intellectual property rights.

Long term use of the seed stands and seed orchards听

All seed stands and orchards funded by the SSG听must be registered on the Register of UK Basic Material. They will undergo usual听 FRM听inspections (see听Marketing Forest Reproductive Material for forestry purposes听for more detail).

If inspections reveal that a seed stand or orchard is not being properly maintained during the grant period, the Forestry Commission reserves the right to reclaim funds.

Contact us听

If you have questions about the鈥�SSG鈥痮r the application process, contact us at ssg@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

Find out how to make a鈥�complaint or appeal.