The Waterloo Foundation Tropical Rainforests Programme (UK)

Deadline: 01-Nov-2025

The Waterloo Foundation is seeking applications for the Tropical Rainforests Programme to support initiatives working to protect tropical rainforests for their value to the climate, communities and biodiversity, principally through avoided deforestation.

Funding Information 

• They will consider providing one off and multi-annual grants (usually for up to five years).  The majority of the grants in this programme will be for a total of £50,000 – £100,000 spread over multiple years. They often contribute to programmes co-funded by other grant-giving organisations, and look favourably on applications with match funding already secured.

Project Types  

• Local projects
  • Applications for practical local projects that they will consider would typically be working on a specified tropical rainforest area, defined in hectares. They will generally only accept applications for the protection of areas larger than 10,000 hectares. Applicants will need to demonstrate how their project involves:
    • Exposing, addressing and overcoming the local drivers of deforestation
    • Management of the specified area
    • Methods to measure and monitor the protected area
    • Sustainable livelihoods for forest-dependent communities
    • Securing land rights or management rights for forest-dependent communities
• Strategic projects
  • They will consider applications for strategic projects that are working on addressing the drivers of deforestation on a wider or international scale. These could include:
    • Working on international or regional forest policy
    • Campaigning for improved practices in commerce
    • Innovative ways of reducing deforestation e.g. financial systems or solutions based on the value of forest ecosystem services
  • Strategic project applicants will have to provide the following information:
    • Evidence of previous successful strategic programmes e.g. an attributable change in policy or improved supply chain. They may ask to see a full copy of the supporting data and evaluation at a later stage;
    • For your proposed programme, the specific measurable outcomes that you expect the programme to achieve, and the methods you will use to monitor these outcomes;
    • The strategy put in place to ensure the sustainability of the programme’s objectives for the long term.

Who can apply?

• They prioritise providing funding support to UK-based charities, many of whom work in close partnership with smaller local NGOs based in the countries in which they operate.
• If you are an organisation based outside of the UK you must send us contact details for a named person who is willing to provide them with a reference for your work. This must be someone who:
  • Works for an international NGO with offices in the UK
  • Works for an organisation that the Foundation has previously given a grant to
  • Works for an organisation with offices in the UK, which has been a current or former donor to your organisation
  • Works for an academic institution, think tank or as an independent consultant who is based in the UK, and which has evaluated your organisation.

Ineligibility Criteria

• They are not able to offer funding for:
  • Tree planting projects
  • Projects focused solely on the use of fuel-efficient stoves
  • Projects with animal conservation as the sole focus
  • Research projects
  • Projects focusing on environmental education
  • They are currently not accepting proposals for REDD and carbon finance projects
  • Projects based in countries that are not secure and politically stable. They are therefore unlikely to support projects in conflict-affected areas such as within DRC and CAR.
  • In addition, they only consider proposals from US-based organisations under exceptional circumstances, due to the higher availability of environmental funding in the US compared to the UK.

For more information, visit TWF.