Below is general guidance including where you should put item costs in your application and expenditure reports. If, after checking this list, you are still unsure if an item is eligible, contact [email protected]
As general guidance, your grant must be spent on a project that:
- transforms a grey space to a green space, or that
- builds or improves a pond, or that
- creates or improves a grassland.
Please carefully read the guidance on grey to green to make sure you understand this requirement.
Biodiversity enhancements
In your application form and the expenditure reports at the end of the grant period, items that directly add to your site’s biodiversity should come in the section ‘Biodiversity enhancements’. These items are all eligible in this section (in alphabetical order):
- Green roofs
- Irrigation for your plants e.g. water butts
- Plants/trees/shrubs/seeds
- Planting matter e.g. compost and mulch
- Planters including seating with integrated planters
- Ponds
- Trellises and other structures to be used to support climbing plants
The items below may be eligible depending on the situation.
- Fencing: Fencing can only be purchased using the grant for safety around ponds. The grant can also be used for trellises for vertical growing as part of a grey to green enhancement – see ‘cascades of green walls’ guidance.
The items below are NOT eligible and if you spend part of your grant on them the Department for Education may require you to return the grant.
- Animals for pond: Fish should not be added as they predate on amphibians and insects. Ponds will attract their own wildlife very quickly.
- Artificial grass: This does not enhance your site’s biodiversity.
- Forest school: The grant can’t be used on the costs of setting up a forest school or improving a current forest school site other than by installing or improving a pond or grassland.
- Paving: This does not enhance your site’s biodiversity. Paving slabs / stones to go around the edge of a pond as part of its design, or as part of creating access to the pond for pond dipping or maintenance is allowed. In this case, put under Biodiversity enhancements in the relevant line for the type of enhancement that will be accessed e.g. flowers or pond.
- Vouchers: You can’t use any of the grant to buy e.g. garden centre vouchers for later expenditure, because all expenditure has to be accounted for during the grant period and during a particular financial year. This is a a requirement of the Department for Education. You can ask your plant suppliers to deliver plants at the optimum time for planting them. This is a common practice for plant suppliers.
- Water pumps for ponds: These are not needed in wildlife ponds, and aerosols of stagnant water may increase the risk of legionella. Water pumps for irrigation purposes are fine and should go under Biodiversity enhancements.
Fieldwork resources
In your application form and the expenditure reports at the end of the grant period, items that are used to measure, monitor or record your site’s biodiversity should come in the section ‘Fieldwork resources’. These items are all eligible in this section (in alphabetical order):
- Bird feeder: Make sure the feeders are regularly cleaned to avoid spreading diseases. See advice here
- Birdbox with camera
- Bird hide/birdwatching screen
- Camera trap
- Pond-dipping equipment
- Pond-dipping platforms
- Stationery
- Tablets/iPad and protective covers and/or insurance for these
- Weather station
The items below may be eligible depending on the situation.
- Interpretive signage: You can spend part of the grant on this if it is relevant to managing your new green space e.g. to explain why grass is being left long and to remind grounds staff not to mow it. We suggest signs be designed by your pupils.
The items below are NOT eligible and if you spend part of your grant on them the Department for Education may require you to return the grant.
- Beehives: Beehives only support a single species of domesticated bee, and take a lot of maintenance. It is far better for biodiversity to plant nectar-rich plants and install bee hotels to support a wide range of insects.
- Drone.
- Squirrel feeder/food: Although the squirrels are often a beloved feature of our parks and gardens, unfortunately we do not recommend feeding grey squirrels and can’t support this use of the grant. Feeding them can spread diseases that can transmit to our already threatened native red squirrel. Squirrel digging can also damage any planting you do in your green space.
Gardening resources
In your application form and the expenditure reports at the end of the grant period, items that are used to maintain your site’s biodiversity or involve young people in your funded project should come in the section ‘Garden resources’. These items are all eligible in this section:
- Compost bin/wormery
- Gardening tools
- Gardening gear e.g. gloves
- Equipment storage/shed
- Wet weather gear
The items below may be eligible depending on the situation.
- Bug hotels: You can use part of the grant on materials to make your own habitats for invertebrates.
- Greenhouse/polytunnel/potting shed: If you are considering a greenhouse or potting shed, consider first how will it benefit nature? Remember also that all your pupils should be able to benefit from the project and not e.g. just your gardening club. You can use part of the grant for a greenhouse or potting shed only as part of a grey to green project and only if the plants grown will then be planted outside.
- Outside tap: You should harvest rainwater for your green space. If you need additional irrigation e.g. during the holidays, contact the grants team and we may be able to approve this on a case-by-case basis. Make sure any tap you installed can be securely turned off so it can’t be accidentally left on. Put the cost under Biodiversity interventions - Adding rainwater storage/irrigation.
- SEND outdoor learning activity resources: You can spend part of your grant on making your new green space more accessible, but only for resources directly connected to your funded project e.g. putting down surfaces that are suitable for wheelchairs. The types of items that are eligible will be decided on a case-by-case basis, so please email us to check. The grant can’t be used for outdoor SEND activities generally, but only for adding and enabling the measuring of biodiversity improvements. Put under ‘Gardening resources’ in your application and reporting.
The items below are NOT eligible and if you spend part of your grant on them the Department for Education may require you to return the grant.
- Building or repairing an outdoor classroom. The only structures the grant can be used for are vertical planters, green roofs, sheds for storing gardening resources for your project and greenhouses/potting sheds that will be used to grow plants that will be planted outside. Planters should come under ‘Biodiversity interventions’. The other structures come under ‘Gardening resources’.
- Forest school: The grant can’t be used on the costs of setting up a forest school or improving a current forest school site other than by installing or improving a pond or grassland.
- Gazebo: This does not enhance your site’s biodiversity. The only exception is if the structure is used as a support for vertical planting. In this case, put the cost under ‘Biodiversity enhancements - Adding climbing plants to walls or fences’. If you need shade, we suggest planting trees.
- Installing electricity: The only exception is if you need it for a drying room for your wet weather gear.
- Seating/picnic tables: This does not enhance your site’s biodiversity unless the seating is made of e.g. logs or gabions or incorporates a planter. The only exception is if the seating is needed for accessibility reasons.
- Vouchers: You can’t use any of the grant to buy e.g. garden centre vouchers for later expenditure, because all expenditure has to be accounted for during the grant period and during a particular financial year. This is a a requirement of the Department for Education. You can ask your plant suppliers to deliver plants at the optimum time for planting them. This is a common practice for plant suppliers.
- Water feature/fountain: This does not enhance your site’s biodiversity.
- Weed killer/herbicide/insecticide: Managing your site without chemicals is the best way to support a wide variety of wildlife. Embrace ‘weeds’ (plants growing where you don’t want them) as many are valuable for wildlife, or remove them by hand.
Specialist support
You can use up to 50% of your grant on support from specialists such as contractors, biodiversity experts or other specialist project support. This is separate from the cost of materials and your contractors should separate out labour costs from material costs in their invoices. These items are eligible in this section:
- Biodiversity experts
- Contractors to support the creation of new habitats
The items below may be eligible depending on the situation.
- Skip hire: If you need to hire a skip e.g. to remove rubble as part of a grey to green project, you should use no more than 10% of your grant amount.
- Training: The grant is for capital costs and can’t be used for staff, volunteers or young people to receive training or CPD.
You might also be interested in...
