The deadline for applications for grants from £50,000 to £250,000 is 12noon on 14 April 2021.
For applications from £250,000 to £2 million, you must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) by 12noon on 22 March 2021.
Those proposals that best meet the criteria will be invited to make a full application after the EOI phase.
You must contribute at least 5% of your project costs in cash (partnership funding) for all grants over £250,000.
Applicants can apply for projects which are ready to deliver – this means that it is fully planned and costed and can start immediately once the funding has been awarded. You must be able to spend the grant fully by the end of March 2023. All project activity must take place in England.
Projects are required to contribute to at least one of the following themes of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund:
- Nature conservation and restoration
- Nature-based solutions, particularly focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation
- Connecting people with nature
The fund has been developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies, including Natural England, the Forestry Commission, and the Environment Agency. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is distributing and monitoring this government money.
The application guidance can be accessed here.
The online application form can be accessed here.
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Environment Agency, Natural England, and Rebecca Pow MP about the fund can be accessed here.