National Education Nature Park: funding guide
Updated 1 November 2024
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-park-and-climate-action-awards-funding-allocations/national-education-nature-park-funding-guide
The Department for Education (DfE) has provided a £15 million fund for the National Education Nature Park which is administered by the Royal Horticultural Society. The grant is to help children and young people connect with nature through their education setting, such as a school, nursery or college.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available to selected education settings for:
- making ‘grey’ spaces green with biodiversity improvements, such as:
- planters
- trees
- green walls
- water butts
- outdoor education equipment, such as tools and waterproofs
- fieldwork equipment, such as camera traps and digital hand-held devices
- specialist support from contractors for installation and consultation
In the academic year 2024 to 2025 we are expanding the uses of the funding to include:
- grasslands
- ponds
Funding groups for 2024 to 2025
Settings have been put into one of 3 funding groups.
Settings that are in group 1
Group 1 settings:
-
were eligible for, and awarded, funding in academic year 2023 to 2024
-
are eligible again and can apply for a further £2000 for continued engagement
Settings that are in group 2
Group 2 settings:
-
were eligible but did not apply in the academic year 2023 to 2024
-
remain eligible for up to £10,000
Settings that are in group 3
Group 3 settings:
- were not eligible in the academic year 2023 to 2024
- are in a lower-layer super output area (LSOA) in category 1 of Natural England’s (NE) accessible natural greenspace inequalities indicator
- submitted a school-level census return in the autumn term of the academic year 2024 to 2025
- are eligible for up to £10,000
Eligibility criteria
The funding groups are eligible based on different eligibility criteria.
Royal Horticultural Society delivery partners will contact eligible settings.
Eligibility in groups 1 and 2
Group 1 and 2 settings remain eligible for a grant if they meet criteria from the academic year 2023 to 2024. They must:
-
have submitted a school-level census return in the autumn term of the 2021 to 2022 academic year
-
be located in a lower-tier local authority assessed as a category 1 levelling up area by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in the second round of the Levelling Up Fund
-
be located in a LSOA in category 1 of NE’s accessible natural greenspace Inequalities indicator, as shown in the green infrastructure map, which is a combined measure of deprivation and access to natural greenspace
In the academic year 2024 to 2025, the MHCLG criteria have been removed to increase the number of eligible settings.
Eligibility in group 3
Group 3 settings are eligible for a grant if they:
-
submitted a school-level census return in the autumn term of the academic year 2024 to 2025
-
are located in an LSOA in category 1 of NE’s accessible natural greenspace inequalities indicator
Multi-academy trusts
If the setting is in a multi-academy trust, other settings within the trust may also be eligible but will be listed separately.
Information on other improvements
The National Education Nature Park hosts a ‘Finding Funding’ page for any settings seeking funds for wider biodiversity improvements.