GrantRadar

Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust

Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust Grants

Grants to individuals, organisations and institutions for horticultural projects of public benefit, mostly in the UK: creating, developing and restoring gardens, plant study trips and expeditions, publications, exhibitions, and horticultural research and conservation. Grants range from a few hundred pounds to £5,000 and are typically £3,000-£4,000. There are two deadlines a year, 15 February and 15 August; because the August 2026 round was oversubscribed, applications for the 15 February 2027 round are not accepted until after 1 January 2027, and the Trust may refine its criteria during December.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£3 – £5,000
Deadline
120 days left
15 February
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Individuals, organisations and institutions carrying out horticultural, gardening or botanical projects for public benefit, mostly in the UK (overseas plant study trips and conservation projects have been funded)
  • Applicants must demonstrate horticultural competence and ability, for example through staff qualifications, detailed plant lists, garden plans, images of high quality gardening and descriptions of aftercare and maintenance; places where horticulture is only a minor part of the operation are not supported
  • Individuals cannot apply for training or tuition
  • Organisations must show evidence of financial viability such as recently audited accounts

What it funds

Projects of significance to horticulture, gardening, or botany with a strong horticultural element, including:

  • Restoring gardens of historic interest
  • Developing new gardens, or new garden areas within existing gardens, for public access and enjoyment
  • Exhibitions, book publications, research and educational programmes relating to horticulture
  • Expeditions and travel to study, collect and protect plants of scientific and horticultural value
  • Study-visits by horticulturists or botanists with strong horticultural links
  • Repair or conservation of physical structures related to historic landscapes, such as pergolas or conservatories, but only as part of a wider garden restoration project
  • Legitimate horticultural therapy projects with a strong, defined horticultural purpose and qualified horticultural therapists

gardens accessible to the public are normally, but not exclusively, preferred. Subsequent grants can be made to the same applicant for a new project or an additional component of the original project over two or three years.

What it will not fund

  • Commercial agriculture initiatives or commercial crop production
  • Forestry
  • Payment of wages or salaries
  • Tuition fees for students taking academic or diploma courses
  • Pure 'gap year' travel
  • Grants to individuals for training, traineeships or tuition fees (training is funded only through two traineeships the Trust invites providers to bid for)
  • Repair of a structure on its own, outside a wider garden restoration
  • Modern 'slabbing', construction materials or equipment
  • Applications primarily for social welfare, socio-economic development or physical or mental welfare (legitimate horticultural therapy excepted)
  • Places or individuals where horticulture is only a minor part of their operation

How to apply

  1. Check your project against the Trust's objectives and the list of what it does not support (re-read the criteria, which may be refined in December 2026)
  2. Download the guidance and the one-page Application Summary Sheet (PDF or Word)
  3. Write a project description: a short introduction to your organisation or garden; why the project is necessary; its aims and objectives; how it will be undertaken and maintained; project personnel; an itemised budget with finance from all sources and the specific sum requested; and long-term plans once the grant is used
  4. After 1 January 2027, email the summary sheet, project description and accounts to d.rae@rbge.org.uk, ideally well before the 15 February deadline (hard copies by post only if email is not possible)

receipt is acknowledged by email. Grants are normally awarded in April (February deadline) and September (August deadline). The Director can advise if in doubt about eligibility.

Have ready

  • Application Summary Sheet (one page)
  • Project description, which can include plans, images, drawings, planting plans and plant lists, and brief CVs of project personnel
  • Project budget with itemised expenditure and income from all sources
  • Recently audited statement of your organisation's accounts (not required for individuals)

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