Whitley Awards 2027 for Grassroots Conservation Leaders (£50,000 prize)

Deadline: October 30, 2026

Applications are open for the Whitley Awards 2027 for Grassroots Conservation Leaders. Awarded annually, Whitley Awards recognise grassroots conservation leaders, providing funding to support and scale up proven, science-based solutions that deliver lasting impact for both people and nature.

Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a fundraising and grant-giving nature conservation charity. Established in 1993, it has channeled £23 million to 200 conservation leaders in 80 countries across the Global South, benefitting wildlife, landscapes, and people. They offer long term, laddered support to courageous changemakers leading local solutions to the global biodiversity and climate crises; they are acting on the latest science and igniting projects with passion. Through these award winners they support work rooted in communities that creates lasting benefits for wildlife, landscapes and people.

Award

• Whitley Awards are worth £50,000 GBP in project funding over one year.

In addition to £50,000 in project funding, winners receive:

• International recognition and profile-raising opportunities.
• Professional communications and media support.
• Peer learning, training and collaboration opportunities.
• Eligibility for future Continuation Funding and the Whitley Gold Award.

Eligibility

• Open to grassroots conservation leaders who are nationals of the country where they work (i.e. you were born there or have lived there long term and obtained national status) and are embedded in local communities.
• Work based in at least one eligible country. Eligible countries are those not classified as a High-Income Economy by the World Bank.
• Wildlife conservation projects that are delivering measurable positive impacts for threatened ecosystems and biodiversity at the landscape or seascape level, while providing tangible benefits to Indigenous peoples and local communities.
• Applicants who work for a locally incorporated NGO, charity, not for profit, or university.

WFN will fund:

• Strong communicators and passionate people who inspire others and importantly, collaborate effectively and share their learnings and results. Note that applicants must be able to communicate in English. Whilst total fluency is not required, applicants must be able to communicate verbally in English without a translator. This ensures winners can benefit fully from the Whitley Awards week which involves interviews, networking events, training, and media opportunities.
• Leadership and teamwork. Whitley Awards recognise individuals backed by an experienced team or organisation that can demonstrate past success and an evidence-based approach. Individuals working in isolation, as well as team or joint entries, are not eligible.
• Ecosystem level projects are preferred. Genuine flagship species projects are accepted, but not if results are purely species-specific.
• Community-led conservation projects are encouraged, and all projects must demonstrate how they empower, engage and benefit the Indigenous peoples and communities with which they work.
• Grassroots, pragmatic conservation work that is realistic, but ambitious too. They look for applicants on the cusp of achieving significant impact, with projects that are replicable or scalable.
• Actions that will have clear, measurable outcomes. They look for applications that have given careful consideration to the indicators that will be used to evidence impact.
• Sustainable projects that will continue well beyond the Whitley Award. Successful proposals will demonstrate long-term planning.
• Projects that demonstrate value for money and ability to manage funding at the Whitley Award level (£50,000).
• Projects for which a Whitley Award will make a significant difference. Priority will be given to applicants that can clearly demonstrate need.
• Work that would benefit from greater visibility, particularly projects that could gain momentum through media exposure and wider recognition.

Application

Applications for the 2027 Whitley Awards are currently open and close at midnight GMT on 30 October 2026.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Whitley Awards.