Tree Production Innovation Fund Programme (UK)

The TPIF encourages the development and adoption of new technologies and ways of working that will:

• improve the productivity and resilience of tree production practices
• improve the quality of seeds and trees produced
• ensure genetically diverse material from a wide range of species and provenances is available
• create resilient treescapes that can withstand climate change, pests and diseases

Project Challenges and Priorities

• Projects must address one or more of the following challenges:
  • Challenge 1: Efficient use of Forest Reproductive Materials (FRM)     
    • A variety of issues can lead to a low conversion rate of seed and vegetative material to trees for planting. Forest Reproductive Materials (FRM) are in limited supply, and it’s vital that they maximise the efficient use of the supplies available.
    • Seed quality, encompassing the purity, viability and health of a batch, can be highly variable for trees. Even viable seed can be very hard to germinate and successfully establish, especially for the many tree species which have deeply dormant seed. Optimised techniques for tree seed harvesting, processing, screening, and storage all have potential to improve quality and biosecurity of seed available to nurseries.
    • Projects might seek to develop enhanced treatments such as priming, which can improve synchronicity and speed of germination. Seed coatings and pelleting can change seed shape and size (which can facilitate use of machinery in seed processing and nurseries) and deliver beneficial compounds from nutrients to pesticides. Projects might also explore how the seed microbiome can positively and/or negatively affect germination and growth.
  • Challenge 2: Ensuring a diverse and resilient supply of FRM and saplings  
    • Increasing the variety of species and provenances and genetic diversity of the treescapes can improve resilience to pests, disease and the changing climate. However, enhancing the diversity of material available for planting presents challenges. Some species that are not commonly available in tree nurseries at this time may present germination or propagation difficulties, which require the adoption of new techniques and approaches.
    • They encourage proposals that show potential to overcome these barriers, particularly for broadleaves and alternative conifer species.
    • Growing an increasingly diverse range of species, each with multiple provenances presents a challenge to nurseries and seed suppliers, as they require management of a large volume of product lines. They welcome proposals seeking to address this through the development of innovative approaches to stock control.
    • Development and management of tree seed sources is vital for the resilience and diversification of supply. Innovation in establishment or management of seed orchards and seed stands might include development or application of tree breeding approaches to deliver certain traits to market, or innovation in the identification, development, planting, growth, management or harvesting of seed stands and orchards.
    • They also recognise that seed collecting and processing are specialist activities that require networks of knowledgeable and seasonal labour, and specialist equipment and facilities. They also welcome proposals to innovate the supply chain for seed, potentially through collaborative approaches or systems change.
  • Challenge 3: Development and adoption of automation and other technologies to enhance productivity   
    • Labour supply issues can limit tree nursery productivity. Automation, for example of singulation or grading, are used in other growing sectors, but have been a challenge to introduce into the tree production sector where nurseries deal with smaller volumes and a wider diversity of species.
    • The development/adaptation and or adoption of appropriate automation to increase nursery efficiencies and capacity could help to overcome labour uncertainty. In addition, such advances would reduce the need for repetitive manual labour and present opportunities for higher quality jobs (for example, running of planting machinery).
    • The sector has recently seen some shift from field grown to cell grown plants. They are also interested in proposals that could widen uptake or accessibility of these techniques, or develop novel transplanting or planting systems to enhance productivity.
  • Challenge 4: Weed control   
    • In recent years the sector has begun to adapt nursery practices to reduce use of chemical herbicides. The sector faces a considerable challenge to reduce reliance on such products without turning to alternatives that are equally environmentally unsustainable, whether it be in the context of greenhouse gas emissions, impact on biodiversity or other considerations. Solutions to this challenge are vital to maintain the productivity of the sector.
    • They welcome proposals that use all kinds of innovation to solve this challenge. These might include technology-based solutions such as laser technology as well as nature-based solutions. Projects might explore the efficacy, potential damage to non-target organisms and the wider environment, and cost effectiveness of different approaches.
  • Challenge 5: Sustainability  
    • They are interested in proposals that aim to increase the economic or environmental sustainability of tree production practices. Projects might explore means to enhance the efficiency of production by developing new ways to reduce or manage inputs, such as water, peat or single use plastics.
    • Applicants looking to develop alternatives to inputs should clearly outline in their application how their project is specifically tailored for domestic tree production and consider the scalability of raw materials used.
  • Challenge 6: Weather  
    • The UK is experiencing changes to its climate, which are expected to intensify in future years. This includes warmer temperatures and more extreme weather events, such as flooding and drought.
    • These changes and extremes in weather pose a risk to tree production, which can be difficult for growers to manage and mitigate. To address this challenge, they welcome projects exploring solutions to ensure tree production is resilient to changes in climate, for example, by developing tools that reduce the susceptibility of growers to drought and extreme weather events.
  • Challenge 7: Biosecurity   
    • Biosecurity and implementation of the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme underpin the production of high-quality tree planting stock.  Plant Healthy certification will increasingly be a requirement of planting stock used in government-funded tree planting schemes.
    • Projects might explore the use of novel technologies or processes that help growers to achieve biosecurity standards or encourage wider uptake of best practice.
  • Challenge 8: Tree establishment  
    • They are interested to hear from applicants looking to develop innovative approaches that improve establishment and survival rates of nursery stock at the point of planting in the wider environment.
    • To reach maturity, trees in both forestry and urban contexts are required to withstand pressures including climatic stresses, pests and disease. They welcome proposals that aim to enhance the resilience of newly planted trees and saplings. For example, projects may seek to enhance the understanding of the role of soil health, nutrition or mycorrhiza in tree growth and establishment.

Funding Information

• You can apply for up to £200,000 per financial year to develop new technologies or techniques that enhance UK tree production methods.

Duration

• You can apply for proposals spanning up to 3 financial years (to March 2028), but you must clearly define which outputs will be delivered by March 2026.

Eligible Project

• To be eligible for funding, your project must:
  • contribute to enhancing quantity, quality and/or diversity of trees produced for planting in England by meeting one of the challenges
  • be environmentally sustainable
  • not pose a risk to biosecurity
  • be led by a UK based business, sole trader or organisation
  • have intended outcomes applicable to tree production in England (but not necessarily exclusively so)
  • be relevant to species with forestry potential (but not necessarily exclusively so)
  • not have started before funding is approved

Eligibility Criteria

• They welcome TPIF applications from a wide range of applicants, including:
  • private sector nurseries, organisations, and seed suppliers
  • public bodies partnered with private sector third party organisations
  • research institutes
  • universities and colleges
  • horticultural and agricultural growers
  • private sector research and technology suppliers
  • consortia
  • new entrants to the sector
• The ‘lead applicant’ must be a UK based business, sole trader or organisation.

For more information, visit Gov.UK.