Whitley Awards 2027

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.

HOW MUCH FUNDING CAN I APPLY FOR?

Each Whitley Award is worth £50,000 in project funding over one year.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Whitley Awards are for dynamic, mid-career conservationists who are leading vital conservation projects. To apply, follow the steps below.

Check your eligibility

Winners are nationals of the country in which they are working who are seeking to scale up proven work, that is embedded in the local community and would benefit from further funding, a profile boost and international support.

To be eligible, projects must involve communities at the grassroots level and deliver practical action that is founded on science. You do not need to be invited or nominated to apply for a Whitley Award.

Please read our eligibility criteria to find out what WFN do and do not fund.

Register for our application portal

To begin your application, register for a WFN account through our online application portal. Once registered, you will receive your login details and can access the application form at any time before the deadline.

To register for our application portal, click here. Please get in touch if you have any questions about the application portal.

Complete your application online

Complete your application online after registering on the application portal. Once registered, you will be able to log in and complete the form at your convenience. Remember to save as you go! If you close the portal without saving your progress, you will lose your information.

Please ensure you read and follow our application guidelines.

As part of the application process, you will need to download two documents from the portal: a Microsoft Word template for your logical framework/timeline, and a Microsoft Excel template for your budget. Once you have saved these to your computer, you can work on them in your own time and then upload your completed versions to the portal.

Please note that templates are updated annually. Applications made on out-of-date forms from previous years will not be considered.

Please refer to our FAQs for further information.

Contact three referees

You must nominate three referees to support your application. Check who is eligible to be a referee in our FAQs.

Please remember it is your responsibility to ensure your referees submit their references by the deadline.

WHY SHOULD I APPLY?

Winning a Whitley Award can be a transformative moment in a conservation leader’s career.

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.

Most importantly, winners become part of a growing global community of more than 230 committed conservation leaders working across over 80 countries to address the biodiversity crisis through solutions rooted in local knowledge, community engagement and long-term commitment.