Status: Closed (30 October 2026, 23:59 GMT) · Official source last checked by us: 28 October 2026 · International conservation award with project funding.
This round has closed. Applications for the Whitley Awards 2027 closed at 23:59 GMT on Friday, 30 October 2026, which was 5:29 AM IST on 31 October. WFN’s application page said the round “will close at 23:59 GMT on Friday, 30 October 2026”. We keep this page as a record of what the round asked for. Check WFN’s official page for any extension or the next round. For calls that are open now, see our funding opportunities page.
The Whitley Awards 2027 offer £50,000 for one year to conservation leaders ready to expand successful work. Indian applicants can participate through an eligible organisation. The award recognises the individual leader; the affiliated organisation receives and manages the money.
This is not a general NGO operating grant. Before preparing an application, check the leader’s experience, the organisation’s eligibility and whether the proposed work delivers measurable biodiversity benefits. The official application announcement gave the dates for this round, which has now closed.
Whitley Awards 2027: funding and deadline
| Funder | Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Funding type | International philanthropic conservation award with project funding; not domestic CSR or a government scheme |
| Award | £50,000 for one year |
| Application opened | 31 July 2026 |
| Official deadline | Closed: 30 October 2026 at 23:59 GMT |
| Deadline in India | Closed: 31 October 2026 at 5:29 AM IST |
| Applicant and recipient | One conservation leader applies; an eligible affiliated organisation receives the grant |
| Application route | WFN online application portal (round closed) |
Sources: 31 July opening announcement and current application page. The IST time above is converted from WFN’s stated GMT deadline. This round has now closed.
Alongside funding, winners receive publicity, communications support and opportunities to learn and collaborate with other conservation leaders. A subsequent funding opportunity is not a guarantee of another award.
Who can apply from India?
WFN seeks mid-career conservation leaders with demonstrated results and a supporting team. Applicants generally need to be nationals working in their own country. They must work for, or have a formal agreement with, a locally incorporated NGO, charity, nonprofit or university with a biodiversity-conservation mission. Check the official eligibility criteria for the full conditions.
The award is not a joint team application or a nomination made on someone else’s behalf. Applicants must communicate verbally in English without a translator; perfect fluency is not required. Exceptional nationality or residency situations should be discussed with WFN rather than assumed eligible.
Which projects fit?
The funder prioritises practical, science-informed work with measurable benefits for threatened ecosystems and biodiversity, alongside meaningful involvement of local communities. Established habitat conservation, landscape restoration or community-based wildlife protection may fit. An agriculture or livelihood project needs direct conservation outcomes, not simply an environmental label.
WFN excludes start-up or pilot projects, purely academic research, degree-related fieldwork, expeditions, land purchases, building-focused projects and ordinary animal-welfare work. Read the full exclusions, including the specific captive-breeding and employment restrictions, before drafting.
A useful first check for your NGO
Ask the programme team to name the conservation result already achieved, the evidence supporting it and the next result the award would enable. If the answer is only “more workshops” or “more beneficiaries,” define the ecological change before writing the application. This is an editorial preparation test, not an additional WFN eligibility rule.
FCRA requirement for Indian organisations
WFN’s application FAQ specifically requests an FCRA registration number for Indian applicants. Check the intended receiving organisation’s details and current validity before investing time in a full submission. Do not assume that another organisation’s number can be used or that award selection resolves foreign-contribution compliance.
For an organisation without the requested registration, obtain clarification from WFN and qualified advice on the proposed receipt arrangement. This guide does not establish an alternative route as acceptable to the funder.
Request exactly £50,000
WFN’s 7 October 2026 application guidance says the request must be exactly £50,000—not an arbitrary amount up to that figure. Use the current-year budget template.
Illustrative calculation: if a project requires £100,000, the award would cover half its costs. Show separately what the award pays for and how the remaining £50,000 would be financed. This is a budgeting illustration, not a required matching-fund ratio or an approved project.
Build a simple cross-check between activities, quantities, unit costs and evidence of completion. Label other funding as confirmed or prospective. Do not fill the budget with unsupported costs just to reach the requested amount.
Documents and three referees to prepare
The official FAQ identifies founding and registration documents, the Indian FCRA number, latest-year financial information and organisational bank details. Follow its instructions for GBP conversions, exchange-rate dates and financial statements. Where the audit wording leaves uncertainty, clarify with WFN rather than omit documents on an assumption.
Three referee statements are required, including a local source and at least one international referee. Choose people who know the work and can assess it without a financial conflict. They must submit through the portal by the deadline.
Keep a small submission register: requirement, responsible person, file name and completion status. For each referee, record whether they have accepted, received the instructions and submitted. Asking for a reference is not the same as receiving one.
How to apply for the Whitley Awards 2027
This round has closed. The steps below are kept as a record of how applications for the 2027 awards were made.
- Check fit. Review the official criteria for the leader, organisation and project.
- Register online. Open the WFN application portal and set up your account.
- Download current templates. Use the portal’s 2027 budget and logical-framework/timeline files. Prior-year templates are not accepted.
- Complete the form. Explain the problem, demonstrated achievements, proposed results, community role and project team. Save your work regularly.
- Arrange references. Ensure all three statements reach the portal before closing.
- Review and submit. Check every section, the £50,000 request and attachments. Save the submitted version and acknowledgement.
The official application instructions explain the portal process. Email is not an alternative application route.
Make the application evidence-based
WFN’s October guidance emphasises baseline data, objectives that can be measured, consistent budgets and genuine team and community participation. It also asks applicants to explain how a higher public profile would help the work. Read the funder’s preparation advice.
For your internal review, make a four-column evidence sheet: claim, supporting record, limitation and next measurement. Keep uncertainty visible. A statement such as “patrol coverage increased” needs an area, period and record; it does not by itself prove that wildlife populations recovered.
WFN warns against applications heavily dependent on AI-generated answers. Project ideas and evidence must come from the applicant, team and stakeholders. Editing assistance should not invent field experience, achievements, partnerships or commitments.
Frequently asked questions
Can an NGO apply without naming a leader?
No. The award recognises one eligible conservation leader supported by an organisation and team. It is not an unrestricted organisational funding request.
Can a newly registered NGO qualify?
Registration alone is insufficient. Test the leader and project against WFN’s requirements for established work and demonstrated results before proceeding.
Is the Indian deadline 30 or 31 October?
The official deadline was 30 October 2026 at 23:59 GMT. In India that was 31 October at 5:29 AM IST. The round has now closed.
Does NGOGrant receive applications or guarantee selection?
No. Apply through WFN’s portal. NGOGrant is an independent information platform; WFN controls eligibility, assessment and selection.
Next step: this round has closed, so watch WFN’s official page for the next round. Compare other routes in the matching Whitley Awards funding entry and explore our funding guides and grant updates.
Editorial note: official sources were checked on 16 October 2026. Later funder amendments control. Examples and preparation methods are editorial guidance, not additional sponsor requirements. No applicant account was accessed or application submitted during this review. Marked closed after the 30 October 2026 (23:59 GMT) deadline; WFN’s application page was last checked by us on 28 October 2026. Read our editorial policy.