Deadline: 26-Sep-22
The 2022 Grow Back Greener Fund is now open for applications to support a wide range of projects to help make London greener, fairer, healthier and more climate resilient.
The fund will prioritize projects in areas of the city with low tree canopy cover, where Londoners live further than a 10-minute walk from green space and at high climate risk.
Aims
The Grow Back Greener Fund aims to:
- improve access to high-quality green space for all Londoners in locations with the poorest access and highest vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, such as flooding and overheating
- increase tree planting and enhance London’s vital green and blue spaces, and make the built environment greener, to help the capital adapt and respond to the climate and ecological emergency
- create more opportunities for all Londoners, especially those from communities that use green spaces less, to access training to develop green skills, and to access green spaces, including by volunteering
- support communities, civil society organisations, environmental NGOs, local authorities, schools and housing associations to take local action that builds community resilience and supports Londoners to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thematical Focus
The fund will offer grants under two themes: green spaces and waterways and tree planting. While these two themes are not mutually exclusive, you should apply to the theme that best aligns with the aims of your project.
- Green spaces and waterways: The green spaces and waterways theme will prioritize projects in locations where Londoners live further than a 10-minute walk from green space and/ or at high climate risk.
- It will support projects that create new green spaces; improve the quality of and access to existing green spaces; or open up previously inaccessible spaces. It will also support projects that aim to improve waterways and enhance London’s resilience to climate change through green and blue infrastructure, including nature-based solutions that reduce flood risk, improve water quality, create shade and cool the city.
- Tree planting: The tree planting theme will support tree planting projects that aim to provide shade and cool the city, making London more climate resilient. They will prioritize projects that plant trees to provide shade in public spaces in areas with low tree canopy cover and/ or high climate risk. Where possible projects should aim to plant large canopy trees. They are also keen to support tree planting projects which help tackle flooding.
Funding Information
- A total of £2m is available, and they expect to be able to support about 70 projects.
- Grants of between £10,000 – £50,000 are available for both themes. However, for projects under the green spaces and waterways theme that will create new green spaces, grants of up to £75,000 are available. This is to reflect the higher costs of some of these types of projects, such as depaving and installing sustainable drainage systems.
- If you think that your project could qualify for a grant of up to £75,000.
Eligible Projects
They will prioritize projects that:
- Create new green spaces, and improve the quality of and access to existing green space where Londoners live further than a 10-minute walk from green space.
- Plant trees in areas of low canopy cover
- Are in areas of the city at high climate risk, especially where these are also areas of deprivation work with, or preferably are led by, Londoners who are less likely to access green space; this includes Black, Asian and minority ethnic Londoners, lower-income Londoners, LGBTQ+ Londoners, Deaf Londoners or those with a disability and those aged 65 and over
- Include opportunities for Londoners to access training or develop new green skills.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications are open to:
- Registered charities including charitable incorporated organizations
- Formally constituted community groups
- Social and not-for-profit businesses including community interest companies and social enterprises
- Community benefit societies
- Tenants and residents’ associations, and tenant management organizations
- Housing associations
- Local authorities, where they are working in collaboration with one or more local community groups, schools or civil society organisations. For applications to the tree planting theme, local authorities may apply on their own. However, collaborative projects are welcomed.
- Schools, including academy trusts, parents’ associations and other organizations working on behalf of a school.
For more information, visit https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/green-space-funding/grow-back-greener-fund-2022#acc-i-66939
