About

The Rufford Foundation is accepting applications under its Rufford Small Grants Programme, which provides financial support for small-scale and pilot nature conservation initiatives in eligible countries worldwide. The programme is designed to support early-career conservationists working on projects that contribute to the protection of threatened species, habitats, and biodiversity. Funding is available through a four-stage grant structure, with awards ranging from £7,000 to £18,000, enabling grantees to develop and expand conservation efforts over time. Projects may focus on species conservation, habitat protection, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, community engagement, environmental education, and other practical conservation actions that generate measurable and long-term impacts. Applications are accepted year-round through the Foundation’s online application system.

Eligibility

Applicants should be in the early stages of their conservation careers, with priority given to current MSc or PhD students, or individuals who have completed equivalent postgraduate studies within the past three years. Applicants must not be undergraduate students. Proposed projects must have a clear nature conservation focus and be implemented in an eligible country. Projects should be small-scale or pilot initiatives, with the requested funding representing a significant proportion of the total project budget. For species-focused projects, the target species should be globally threatened or considered at risk of extinction. Applicants may be based in advanced economies; however, the project itself must be conducted in an eligible country and demonstrate significant conservation value while strengthening local conservation capacity. The Foundation supports fieldwork-related costs and may require evidence of co-funding when it is not the sole project donor.

Post Date: June 22, 2026