A NEW £1 million fund to increase and diversify domestic tree production has been announced by the Forestry Commission this week in partnership with Defra.

With £1 million available this year, the Tree Production Innovation Fund will encourage the development and adoption of new technologies and ways of working that will ensure the quantity, quality and diversity of planting stock available for tree planting in England.

In May 2021, the government launched the England Trees Action Plan which aims to treble tree planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament, reflecting England’s contribution to meeting the UK’s overall target of planting 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament.

The fund will support nurseries to increase and diversify the domestic supply of young trees to facilitate an increase in tree production while maintaining high levels of biosecurity, helping to reach planting targets.

Applicants will be invited to apply for up to £200,000 in grant funding to support projects designed to address one or more of the following challenges identified through stakeholder engagement as barriers to tree production. The application window closes at 11.55pm on September 8.