- Current status of the fund
- About the fund
- What we’ll fund
- Eligibility
- Timescales
- What we’ve funded
- Contact us
Following a successful pilot, the National Forest for Wales Scheme will continue to work at a landscape scale to create and improve forests across Wales.
On this page
Current status of the fund
The scheme is currently closed for applications. Future rounds of funding will be promoted via the Local Nature Partnerships.
About the fund
The National Forest for Wales (NFfW) scheme is funded by Welsh Government and managed and distributed by WCVA as the Scheme Manager of the Local Places for Nature – Local Nature Partnerships Scheme (LNP). The fund supports projects across Wales that:
- realise the economic, community, biodiversity and recreational benefits of the NFfW
- are collaborative between a number of land owners at a landscape scale
- meet all 6 NFfW outcomes
Applicants must work with their Local Nature Partnership to develop their project.
What we’ll fund
We will support innovative landscape projects that as a whole meet all of the following NFfW outcomes (each participant can focus on individual outcomes if required):
- good quality, well designed and managed resilient woodlands
- woodlands accessible to people
- community involvement in woodlands
- connected woodlands
- dynamic, multi-purpose woodlands and trees
- woodlands that demonstrate learning, research and innovation
There is a £4.3 million total budget (£4M capital and £300,000 revenue) for the fund. Projects funded should be between £50,000 – £250,000.
Eligibility
The scheme can be accessed by organisations in Wales who work in collaboration with their Local Nature Partnership to develop and oversee their project.
Applications should try and reflect (but not be limited to) and demonstrate as many as the following as possible:
- Be rooted in the needs of its ‘place’ and the impact trees can have for their community/locality.
- Strong community engagement:
- offering opportunities for deprived communities to access woodland and nature.
- creating local, sustainable, economic opportunities in rural areas.
- Deliver against wider forestry policy objectives:
- Tree Planting
- Improved access and connectivity
- Skills development
- Economic value of woodland
- Support broader community engagement through education, skill development and volunteering opportunities
- Innovative approaches to woodland and landscape management and piloting and demonstration of new practices
Timescales
All projects must be delivered and claimed by 31 March 2027.
What we’ve funded
Some of the activity supported through the previous pilot scheme that reflects the landscape approach included:
- Engaging community activities for young people and vulnerable adults
- Improving access and enjoyment to woodlands with improvements and repairs to infrastructure
- Providing training and demonstrations for volunteers and groups on traditional woodland skills such as coppicing and tree planting
- processing timber and exploring sustainable economic opportunities by using a mobile sawmill and producing a guide for those managing woodlands for economic and community benefit
- Connecting the woodlands, hedgerow trees, pastures and peatland of a local forest for habitat creation, enhanced biodiversity and broader community engagement
Contact us
For general queries on the application process please email LNPCymru@wcva.cymru or call 0300 111 0124.