England Woodland Creation Offer
What is EWCO
The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) is a national grant scheme administered by the Forestry Commission. The grant encourages investment in the creation and long-term management of woodland, on areas as small as one hectare.
Eligibility
EWCO is open to farmers and landowners who have full management control of the land in application (or consent from those who do). Successful applications are dependent on meeting criteria-based eligibility requirements.
Available funding
- Standard capital costs of tree planting up to £10,200 per hectare.
- Extra payments of up to £11,600 for projects delivering wider benefits to society, nature recovery, and the environment.
- Plus an additional payment of £1,100 per hectare for planting on land that is low sensitivity for woodland creation. Check eligibility via the Forestry Commission’s sensitivity maps for woodland creation.
- Annual maintenance payments of £400 per hectare, per year, for 15 years.
Transition into Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes
There will be a phased approach to the transition of EWCO into the ELM schemes to ensure there’s no gap in offering grants to applicants for woodland creation.
Support and advice
Take the first step in starting your EWCO application process by contacting your local Forestry Commission team.
Your local Forestry Commission team can offer free support and advice at different stages of your tree planting project, including:
- Advising on tree planting options and potential benefits to your land
- Arranging a site visit to walk the land and discuss tree planting goals
- Providing guidance on forestry regulations, tree health and species selection
- Helping you to draw up a high-quality woodland creation design plan
- Supporting the submission of your EWCO application form
The England Woodland Creation Offer allows woodland to be integrated into crop and livestock production so you can reap the benefits that shelter and forage trees can provide to cattle then harvest the wood for timber products several years down the line – and boost biodiversity too.
Ben Andrews, Organic Mixed Farmer