Green Community Grants 2026: Funding for Ponds, Wetlands and Community Nature Projects

The final 2026 round of the Green Community Grants Programme is now open, with grants of up to £25,000 available to eligible charities and not-for-profit organisations working to help nature and communities.

For community groups considering a wildlife pond, wetland, habitat restoration or wider nature-recovery project, this could be a useful opportunity to turn an idea into a practical, deliverable scheme.

Round 3 opened on 30 September and applications close on 21 October 2026, so groups interested in applying should check their eligibility and the full funding guidance promptly.

What is the Green Community Grants Programme?

The programme is managed by The Wildlife Trusts on behalf of Postcode Green Trust, with funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. It provides one-year flexible funding to eligible not-for-profit organisations in England, Scotland and Wales.

The two principal funding themes are:

• contributing to nature recovery and responding to the climate emergency; and
• improving nature-rich spaces and access to them.

The fund is aimed at organisations whose core purpose and main activities closely fit these themes, rather than an unrelated organisation adding a one-off environmental project.

How much funding is available?

Eligible organisations can apply for up to £25,000. However, the amount requested must not be more than 25% of the organisation’s annual income shown in its most recent signed accounts.

For example, an organisation with annual income of £40,000 could apply for a maximum of £10,000 under that rule.

Who can apply?

The programme is open to eligible registered charities and not-for-profit groups with annual income between £10,000 and £1 million. Organisations must have been operating for more than 12 months and have signed accounts.

The fund’s guidance contains additional eligibility requirements, so groups should complete the official eligibility checks before developing an application around a proposed project.

Local authorities, including parish and town councils, and schools and colleges are among the organisations that are not eligible to apply directly. That distinction is important for community pond projects, where the land or idea may be associated with a school or council.

Could a pond or wetland project fit the fund?

Potentially, yes — where the applicant itself is eligible and the proposed work genuinely contributes to the fund’s nature-recovery or nature-rich-space objectives.

A well-designed project might include a combination of:

• wildlife pond creation or restoration;
• wetland and damp-habitat creation;
• seasonal ponds, scrapes and other suitable water features;
• native aquatic and marginal planting;
• restoration of an existing degraded pond;
• habitat connections between water, grassland, hedges and other existing features;
• practical improvements that help a community engage with and access a nature-rich space, where appropriate.

These are examples of the kinds of habitat work that may align with the programme’s themes; they are not a statement that any particular project or cost will be funded. The Wildlife Trusts’ current guidance should always be used when deciding what to include in an application.

Start with the site, not the grant amount

A £25,000 maximum grant does not mean every site needs a £25,000 project. The better starting point is to understand what is already there, what the site needs and what can realistically be delivered and maintained.

For a pond or wetland project, that can mean looking at water sources, levels, ground conditions, existing habitats, access, spoil management, planting and how the proposed feature connects with the surrounding landscape.

It is also worth identifying valuable existing habitat before deciding where to excavate. Creating a new pond should not come at the expense of an existing species-rich or otherwise valuable area that would have been better retained.

Make the project deliverable

The 2026 funding guidance warns that applications are likely to be unsuccessful where the activities being funded depend on external factors that could cause delays, such as land purchase or planning permission.

That makes early project scoping particularly useful. Before an application is submitted, it can help to establish whether the proposed work is realistic, whether permissions or specialist input may be needed, and what a sensible scope and budget look like.

How SAS Aquatics can help

SAS Aquatics works across Devon and Cornwall on wildlife ponds, wetlands, pond restoration, aquatic planting and wider habitat projects.

For suitable community projects, we can help turn an initial idea into a practical scope of works, consider the site and water-management constraints, develop habitat proposals and provide information that can support budgeting and funding applications. We can also deliver appropriate pond, wetland and habitat works once a project is ready to proceed.

Our role is to help with the practical project rather than promise that an application will be successful. Funding decisions and eligibility remain with the grant provider.

Planning a funded pond, wetland or habitat project?

If your charity or not-for-profit organisation is considering a pond, wetland or wider habitat project in Devon or Cornwall, use our dedicated Planning, Grants & Environmental Support enquiry form.

The form is designed for projects that may need a site assessment, practical scope, budget information, supporting documents or other environmental project support before work begins.

Green Community Grants 2026: key details

• Maximum grant: £25,000, subject to the organisation’s income and the 25% limit.
• Round 3: 30 September to 21 October 2026.
• Geographical coverage: England, Scotland and Wales.
• Applicant income: £10,000 to £1 million in the most recent financial year.
• Organisation age: more than 12 months, with signed accounts.
• Main themes: nature recovery and climate action; nature-rich spaces and access.

Before applying: read the current Green Community Grants Programme guidance and eligibility requirements on The Wildlife Trusts website. Criteria can change, and the funder’s current guidance takes precedence over this article.

Information checked on 1 October 2026. SAS Aquatics is not affiliated with The Wildlife Trusts, Postcode Green Trust or People’s Postcode Lottery.