Forestry Challenge Funds are administered by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) under the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).
The two Challenge funds are : Woods In and Around Towns, and Forestry for People.
Forestry Challenge Funds are now closed to new applications. There will be no application rounds in 2012 or 2013.
Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) Challenge Fund
The WIAT Challenge Fund aims to bring urban woodland into sustainable management and improve recreation facilities by carrying out an agreed programme of work.
The funding is targeted at woods within 1 km of settlements with a population of over 2000 people (the WIAT area). The aim is to regenerate the woodland environment close to centres of population, improving the quality of life for people living and working there.
The type of work that could be supported includes:
- development of woodland management plans
- silvicultural work to improve woodland structure and condition
- construction of new or improved recreation facilities including footpaths.
The WIAT Challenge Fund is a key mechanism for delivering FCS’s WIAT Programme. This programme of work in and around towns aims to:
- create new woodland
- bring neglected woodland into active management
- work with people to help them use their local woodland.
Forestry for People (F4P) Challenge Fund
The Forestry for People Challenge Fund covers all Scotland, including the WIAT area. It supports local involvement in woodland projects for health, learning and strengthening communities.
Examples of this might include:
- setting up walking initiatives
- developing natural play areas
- delivering rehabilitation programmes in woodland
- developing continuous professional development (CPD) programmes for teachers
- establishing volunteer groups
- developing not-for-profit initiatives such as green exercise projects
Health and education proposals should either align with Forestry Commission Scotland’s Woods for Health Strategy, the Woods for Learning Strategy, or tie into the work of local Forest Education Initiative groups (if relevant to your area).
Application Rounds
Forestry Challenge Funds are now closed to new applications. There will be no application rounds in 2012 or 2013.
Due to the over whelming demand for these challenge funds the last application cut off date was September 2011. The challenge funds were launched in 2009 and since then we have committed nearly £5 million pounds to 124 different projects from the very North of Scotland down to the south west of Scotland.
A lot of these projects are ongoing and will be drawing down funds in the remaining two years of this Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2012 and 2013. Our budget for these two years is now fully allocated.
Thereafter the intention is to incentivise Woodlands in and Around Towns through the new SRDP post 2013. Clearly there is a lot of work to be done between now and the launch of the new SRDP and we hope to provide further updates as they occur.
Should you have any queries regarding this please do not hesitate to contact your local conservancy office.
Guidance and information
- The how to apply and general guidance document (PDF 124k) gives an overview of both funds, eligibilty criteria and how to make an application
- The specifications and guidance notes document (PDF 93k) lists sources of best practice information. The specifications provided by these sources are regarded as the most desirable for use in applications
- The Challenge Funds information leaflet (PDF 352k) provides a broad overview of the scheme and what it aims to do
Claiming your grant
Application forms
Please use the claim form below for your application to claim a grant. This form can either be completed electronically or printed off and filled in. All claims must be received by the conservancy prior to the 31st December for that claim year.
Guidance notes are available to download to assist you complete this. Please follow the instructions in the guidance.
Once completed, please submit your claim form and all the supporting information to the Forestry Commission Scotland office that administered your application.
EVALUATION OF YOUR FCF WORKS
You must submit a final project Evaluation Report which should be an overall summary of what has happened during the duration of the project, what has been achieved and the scale of improvement and change.
The report should set out the results of the indicator measurements before the project started and again when all work is complete.
It should also set out the full cost of the project including direct cash costs, volunteer input, in-kind contributions etc.
All beneficiaries must complete this form. For larger-scale projects (e.g. those projects with a contribution of greater than £50,000 from the WIAT Challenge Fund and greater than £10,000 from the F4P Challenge Fund) a more comprehensive report should be appended - that report to be restricted to 10 sides of A4.
• A template of the Evaluation Report form to be submitted.
Challenge Funds contribute to the delivery of the Scottish Government's National Purpose Targets and Strategic Objectives, the SRDP priority outcomes and Scottish Forestry Strategy outcomes.
