England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)
Forestry Commission (Defra / Nature for Climate Fund) · England
The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) is a government grant scheme supporting the creation of new woodland in England. It provides funding for capital costs, annual maintenance, and additional environmental and social benefits through stackable payments.
Summary
Deadline
31 Mar 2027
Complexity
Medium
Time to apply
20-60 hours
Updated
9 Jun 2026
The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) is a government grant scheme supporting the creation of new woodland in England. It provides funding for capital costs, annual maintenance, and additional environmental and social benefits through stackable payments.
Eligibility
Applicant types
Not specified
Business size
SME
Industries
Forestry, agriculture, land management, environmental conservation
Match funding
Needs verification
Requirements
Landowners, land managers, and public bodies Land managers in England creating new woodland meeting EWCO minimum area and land eligibility (per Forestry Commission guidance). Not specified
Eligible applicants
Landowners, land managers, and public bodies
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Up to £10,200 per hectare; additional payments up to £12,700
Total fund available
Not specified
Funding intensity
Not specified
Payment type
Reimbursement
Eligible scope
Not specified
Eligible expenses
- Not specified
Ineligible costs
- Not specified
Application and risks
Application platform
GOV.UK EWCO application process via Forestry Commission
Competitiveness
Competitive Selection
Decision timeline
Not specified
Assessment process
Typically 3 to 5 months from submission of a complete application
Application sections
Not specified
Application components
- Application form, woodland design plan, supporting documentation, land management plan
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
Not specified
Assessment criteria
- Alignment with priorities including climate change mitigation, biodiversity, water quality, flood risk reduction, and public access
Decision risks
Processing delays if application is incomplete or complex
Timeline and partners
Opening date
1 Jun 2021
Project duration
Not specified
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
- Not specified
Consortium requirements
- Single land manager applicant or landowner partnership per EWCO application rules.
Additional guidance
[{"label":"Initial Research Grant","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Training Grant","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Future Funding (Subject to Stage Gate)","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"In-Kind Support","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Intent to Apply Deadline","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Key Organisational Requirements","value":"Land must be in England and under applicant’s management control (or supported by landowner consent); minimum woodland size of 1 hectare (0.1 hectare blocks allowed)"},{"label":"Governance Requirements","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Monitoring Requirements","value":"Not explicitly stated; compliance with Forestry Commission requirements and agreement conditions implied"},{"label":"Doctoral Studentships","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Industry Leverage Expectation","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Funding Structure","value":"Up to £10,200 per hectare for capital costs; annual maintenance payments (typically up to 10–15 years); additional stackable payments up to £12,700 per hectare for environmental and social benefits"},{"label":"Renewal Structure","value":"Open for applications year-round"},{"label":"Environmental & EDI Requirements","value":"Strong focus on climate action, biodiversity, water protection, flood risk reduction, public access, and environmental sustainability"},{"label":"important notes","value":"100% capital cost intervention (up to cap); annual maintenance payments available; additional payments for nature recovery, water quality, flood risk, access, and proximity to communities; applicants can retain Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments if eligible; integrates with Woodland Carbon Code and future environmental schemes"}]
Quick facts
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- 31 Mar 2027
- Funding amount
- Up to £10,200 per hectare; additional payments up to £12,700
- Funding band
- Mid (£500k-£5M)
- Funding type
- Capital grant with additional incentive payments and maintenance funding
- Payment type
- Reimbursement
- Audience
- Mixed
- Industry
- Forestry, agriculture, land management, environmental conservation
- Last updated
- 9 Jun 2026
- Published
- 1 Jun 2021