Urban Forest Fund

About the program

The City of Melbourne offers an annual, matched-funding grants program through the Urban Forest Fund, to support new greening projects on private property in the city.  

A range of projects may be funded including new green open spaces, tree planting, biodiversity projects, green roofs and vertical greening, and water sensitive urban design projects. Grant applications are assessed by a panel of greening experts and community members who prioritise projects that will provide the most benefit to the community and environment.  

Each round of funding differs in scope due to factors such as available funds, City priorities, and joint-funding arrangements. When applying for an Urban Forest Fund grant it is important to refer to the current round guidelines.

Applications are currently closed. Successful grant applications will be notified in June 2024.

Register your interest for the next round

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Key dates

• Applications closed: 31 January 2024
• Assessment period: February to June 2024
• Successful grant applicants announced: June 2024
• Successful projects must be completed by 31 May 2025

Grant application guidelines

The grant guidelines provide important information on eligibility, assessment criteria and process, required documentation, useful resources to guide your application, and frequently asked questions. The guidelines are updated each time a new round of grants is offered.

View the most recent guidelines for the Urban Forest Fund 2023 grants program.

Previous Urban Forest Fund projects  

There have been four rounds of grants offered since the Urban Forest Fund was established in 2017, totalling over $1.7 ​million in funding. Take a look at some of the projects supported by the Urban Forest Fund so far. 

Why do we need the Urban Forest Fund?

Trees, plants and green open spaces are essential infrastructure in our city. They help to cool the environment, reduce pollution, support biodiversity, improve both mental and physical health and wellbeing, and create a welcoming city for residents, workers and visitors. Additionally, green spaces support a thriving economy in a range of ways, such as boosting pedestrian traffic, improving productivity and increasing tourism.

At a time when Melbourne is experiencing rapid population growth and increasing impacts of climate change, the green elements of our city are more important than ever.

Approximately 75 per cent of the land within the City of Melbourne municipal area is privately owned or managed, so there is huge potential for the private realm to contribute towards greening our city.

City of Melbourne created the Urban Forest Fund to accelerate greening across our city. The Urban Forest Fund aims to build partnerships between government and the private sector to deliver additional greening above and beyond existing Council capital works investment. Melbourne is a truly liveable city, and we want to collaborate with the community to make our city even better.

Support the Urban Forest Fund

City of Melbourne has a range of programs delivering greening in the city, but we can do so much more if we partner with others.

We’re seeking corporate organisations, charities and NGOs to help us deliver a great green legacy for Melbourne.

Got an idea to partner with the Urban Forest Fund, or want to make a financial contribution? Get in touch at urbanforestfund@melbourne.vic.gov.au.