whitley-award-2027 – The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) has opened applications for the 2027 Whitley Awards, an international conservation funding programme supporting grassroots conservation leaders who are working with local communities to protect threatened ecosystems and biodiversity.
Each Whitley Award provides £50,000 in project funding for one year, together with international recognition, communications support, professional development and opportunities to join the global Whitley conservation network.
Applications for the 2027 Whitley Awards are open until 23:59 GMT on 30 October 2026.
About the Whitley Award
The Whitley Awards are the flagship awards of the Whitley Fund for Nature, a UK charity supporting grassroots conservation leaders around the world.
The programme is designed for conservationists who are already leading successful work and are ready to strengthen, expand or scale their conservation impact.
The award supports proven, science-based conservation approaches that involve local communities and provide measurable benefits for biodiversity, ecosystems and people.
The award is not intended for starting a completely new conservation project. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a track record of successful work and show how additional funding can help take that work to the next stage.
Award Amount
Each Whitley Award provides:
£50,000 in project funding
Funding is provided for a one-year project period.
In addition to the project funding, successful awardees receive international recognition, communications and media support, professional development and opportunities for peer learning and collaboration. Awardees also become part of the Whitley Fund for Nature’s international network of conservation leaders.
Who Can Apply?
The Whitley Awards are aimed at individual grassroots conservation leaders rather than organisations applying anonymously.
The applicant should be a conservation leader who:
- Is a national of the country where they work
- Is embedded in the local community
- Is leading an established conservation project
- Has demonstrated previous success
- Is working with an experienced team or local organisation
- Is seeking to scale, strengthen or replicate proven conservation work
Applicants must work for, or have a formal agreement with, the organisation listed in the application. That organisation will receive the funds and be financially responsible for the award if the application is successful.
Eligible organisations can include:
- Locally incorporated NGOs
- Charities
- Not-for-profit organisations
- Universities
The organisation’s mission must include the protection and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems.
Geographic Eligibility
The Whitley Fund for Nature supports conservation work in countries that meet its eligibility requirements.
The current eligibility criteria state that the work must be based in at least one eligible country, generally countries that are not classified as High-Income Economies by the World Bank, subject to WFN’s country eligibility list and exceptions.
Applicants should check the current official country eligibility list before preparing an application.
What Types of Conservation Projects Are Supported?
The Whitley Fund for Nature has a broad conservation scope, but projects must have a clear focus on biodiversity and nature conservation.
Examples of eligible conservation approaches can include:
- Threatened habitat conservation
- Ecosystem conservation
- Biodiversity conservation
- Conservation of threatened species where the work has an ecosystem or community dimension
- Human-wildlife conflict resolution
- Anti-poaching initiatives
- In-situ conservation of endangered species
- Conservation linked to sustainable livelihoods
- Community-based conservation
- Conservation of terrestrial, freshwater or marine ecosystems
Projects should demonstrate measurable biodiversity conservation impact. Ecosystem-level approaches are generally preferred over projects focused exclusively on a single species.
Community Participation
Community involvement is an important requirement.
WFN looks for projects that genuinely engage communities and provide tangible benefits while strengthening local capacity for conservation.
Projects should demonstrate how Indigenous Peoples and local communities participate in and benefit from the conservation work.
Community participation should therefore be an integral part of the project rather than simply an activity added to an otherwise externally managed conservation programme.
Scientific Foundation
Applicants do not need to hold professional scientific qualifications.
However, projects addressing biological or ecological problems must demonstrate that their activities are informed by robust scientific evidence.
Where appropriate, project teams may include scientists or specialists in areas such as:
- Conservation biology
- Ecology
- Livelihoods
- Agriculture
- Education
- Community development
The emphasis is on applying appropriate evidence to practical conservation rather than funding purely academic research.
Previous Success Is Important
The Whitley Award is not intended to fund a completely new or untested project.
Applicants must demonstrate evidence of previous success relevant to the proposed work.
This can include:
- Previous conservation results
- Measurable biodiversity outcomes
- Existing community engagement
- Baseline data
- Previous project experience
- Evidence that the approach works
- Experience managing grants of a similar scale
The proposed project should represent a logical next step from existing work.
Scaling and Replication
The Whitley Fund for Nature is particularly interested in practical conservation initiatives that have the potential to be replicated or scaled.
Applicants should explain:
- What has already worked
- What additional activities are proposed
- Why additional funding is needed
- How the project will increase conservation impact
- Whether the approach can be replicated elsewhere
- How local leadership and capacity will be strengthened
- What longer-term conservation benefits are expected
The objective is not simply to continue an existing project at the same level, but to demonstrate how the award can help the conservation leader take proven work further.
What the Whitley Award Does Not Fund
WFN states that it does not fund several categories of work, including:
- Start-up or pilot projects
- Pure academic research
- MSc or PhD fieldwork
- Expeditions
- Land purchases
- Building construction
- Animal welfare projects
- Captive animal rehabilitation
- Most captive-breeding projects
- Purely rural or economic development projects without clearly measurable conservation benefits
- Applicants working as expatriates in countries other than their own
- Individuals working without an appropriate team or organisation
Government employees are generally not eligible, although conservationists affiliated with government-funded universities may be eligible under certain circumstances. Applicants should consult the official eligibility guidance where their employment status is unclear.
Financial Requirements
The organisation listed in the application must provide financial and organisational information.
Applicants should be prepared to provide:
- Organisation’s founding documents
- Registration certificate
- FCRA registration number for applications from India
- Audited financial statements/accounts from the most recent financial year
- Income and expenditure statement
- Balance sheet
- Audit statement or report
- Organisational bank account information
Financial documents may need to be provided in English, and WFN asks applicants to convert financial values into GBP using the exchange rate and date used.
Important Requirement for Indian Applicants
Indian conservation leaders should pay particular attention to the FCRA requirement.
WFN’s current application guidance specifically states that applicants from India must provide the organisation’s FCRA registration number as part of the financial information.
Therefore, an Indian NGO should verify that it meets this requirement before investing significant time in preparing an application.
Value for Money and Financial Need
The Whitley Fund for Nature assesses whether the proposed project represents good value for money.
Applicants should explain why the requested £50,000 is important to the project and demonstrate the need for WFN support.
WFN states that its funding should form a significant component of the project’s financial requirement, rather than being a minor contribution to a very large programme.
Applicants should also demonstrate that they can manage funding appropriately and have suitable financial systems and experience.
Project Sustainability
Sustainability is an important consideration.
Applicants should explain how conservation results will continue beyond the one-year award period.
This may include:
- Continued community participation
- Institutional partnerships
- Further funding strategies
- Strengthened local conservation capacity
- Replication of successful approaches
- Long-term conservation planning
- Development of sustainable local mechanisms
WFN looks for projects capable of delivering lasting conservation benefits rather than short-term activities that end when the award finishes.
Team and Leadership
The Whitley Award recognises individual conservation leaders who are supported by strong teams or organisations.
Applications should identify a single project leader who would receive the award if selected.
The team should include people with the relevant skills and knowledge required for successful implementation and should include individuals who are local to the country or region where the project takes place.
Applicants working alone without a team or organisational structure are not eligible.
Three Referees Required
Applicants must nominate three referees.
The referees should be able to comment authoritatively on the applicant’s work, including its impact, scientific validity and practicality.
WFN places particular importance on references from people who know the applicant and their work well.
At least one referee should be international, meaning from a different country from where the project is being implemented.
Application Process
Applications are submitted online through the Whitley Fund for Nature application portal.
Applicants should:
- Check their eligibility
- Register for an account on the application portal
- Complete the online application
- Download the current logical framework/timeline template
- Download the current budget template
- Complete and upload the required documents
- Nominate three referees
- Ensure all three references are submitted before the deadline
WFN states that the templates are updated annually. Applicants should use the current 2027 templates rather than forms from a previous application cycle.
Logical Framework and Budget
The application process requires applicants to work with the Whitley Fund for Nature’s own templates.
Applicants will need to download:
- A Microsoft Word template for the logical framework/timeline
- A Microsoft Excel template for the project budget
The completed documents must then be uploaded through the application portal.
Applicants should not substitute their own proposal or budget format where WFN has provided a prescribed template.
Application Deadline
Applications for the 2027 Whitley Awards close at:
30 October 2026 at 23:59 GMT
Applicants should allow sufficient time for completing the application and ensuring that all three referees submit their references before the deadline.
The winners are expected to be announced at the annual Whitley Awards Ceremony in London in Spring 2027.
What Applicants Should Prepare
Potential applicants can begin preparing before completing the online form.
Useful preparation includes:
- A clear description of the conservation problem
- Evidence of previous conservation success
- Baseline information and measurable results
- Details of community involvement
- A strong project leader and team
- Relevant scientific evidence
- A realistic one-year work plan
- Logical framework
- Detailed project budget
- Organisational registration documents
- Financial statements
- Evidence of financial management capacity
- FCRA registration information for Indian applicants
- Three suitable referees
- Evidence of long-term sustainability
- A clear explanation of how the project can be scaled or replicated
Applicants should ensure that the proposed project is a genuine next stage of established conservation work rather than a completely new pilot.
Can NGOs Apply Directly?
The award is applied for by an individual conservation leader, but the applicant must work for or have a formal agreement with an eligible organisation.
The organisation listed in the application will receive the funds and carry financial responsibility for the award if successful.
Can an NGO Apply Without Naming a Conservation Leader?
No.
The Whitley Awards are designed to recognise individual conservation leaders. Applications must specify a single project leader who would receive the award if successful.
Can an Early-Stage Conservation Project Apply?
The programme is not intended for start-up or pilot projects.
Applicants should demonstrate a proven track record and evidence that the proposed approach has already produced results.
Can an Indian NGO Apply?
Indian applicants can apply if they meet the programme’s eligibility requirements, including the requirements concerning the conservation leader, eligible organisation, project location and conservation focus.
For applications from India, WFN specifically requires the organisation’s FCRA registration number.
Can the Award Fund a General Livelihood Project?
Not normally.
WFN requires a clear biodiversity conservation focus and measurable conservation benefits. Livelihood activities may form part of a conservation project where they contribute to reducing pressure on ecosystems or supporting conservation, but a predominantly rural-development or livelihood project without clear conservation outcomes is not eligible.
Can the Award Support Research?
Applied research can form part of a conservation project where it supports practical conservation action.
Pure academic research and projects undertaken primarily for MSc or PhD fieldwork are not eligible.
Official Application
The official Whitley Award application page is:
https://whitleyaward.org/apply-for-conservation-funding/apply-for-a-whitley-award
Applicants should read the current eligibility criteria, FAQs and application guidelines before submitting an application.
Disclaimer:NGOPortal publishes information about funding and award opportunities for informational purposes.
The Whitley Fund for Nature is responsible for the Whitley Awards and for decisions concerning eligibility, assessment and selection. NGOPortal is not the funding agency, award administrator or intermediary.
Applicants should verify all eligibility requirements, country eligibility, organisational requirements, FCRA requirements where applicable, financial documentation, application templates and submission instructions directly with the Whitley Fund for Nature before applying.
Publication of this opportunity on NGOPortal does not guarantee eligibility, selection, funding or an award.
Related Project Development Resources
Steps to Take Before Applying for a Grant
How to Prepare an NGO Letter of Intent: Sample Format
How to Prepare an NGO Concept Note
How to Prepare an NGO Project Budget
How to Prepare an NGO Project Proposal