Horticultural bursaries

Our bursaries scheme supports a passion for horticulture by providing financial support for a wide range of projects

As part of our RHS Sustainability Strategy, we request that bursary applicants record the carbon impact of travel contained within their project.

For the next Bursaries application deadline (30 June 2026), please be aware there are limited funds available, and the RHS Bursaries Group will be limited in which projects they can award. If you would like advice on your project, you must contact [email protected] before 1 June 2026.

Important notice

All individual applicants must be aged 18 and over.


Applications involving international travel must take place at least 3 months after the application closing date for which the application is being submitted. Application deadlines are set out below:

Application deadline
 
31 December
31 March
30 June
30 September

Results


The result of your application will be sent via email 
six weeks after the application deadline.

Which projects can receive funding?

Projects with a very clear relevance to horticulture. They include, but are not limited to:

  • Study tours, which may include seeing plants in their native habitat, visits to gardens, plant nurseries and horticultural institutions
  • Voluntary work placements (short-term or spread over a longer period) in leading botanic and historic gardens
  • Conference attendance and participation

  • Taxonomy where this has direct relevance to horticultural nomenclature 
  • Research where the project involves gathering data that are of direct relevance to an important horticultural question (funding to cover travel and consumables only, excluding course fees, equipment and publication costs)

Applying for an RHS Bursary

Download and complete one of the application forms below:

Who assesses a bursary application?

Each bursary application is reviewed independently by the 12 members of the Bursaries Group prior to them meeting together to discuss all applications.

Meet the group members

Mick Crawley, Imperial College, London
Darren Share, The Royal Parks
James Douglass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Alison Foster, Plant Heritage
Pippa Greenwood, Horticultural Trade Association
Owen Hayman, Pictorial Meadows
Ed Ikin, Ernest Cook Trust
Bente Klitgaard, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Laura McArthur, Pershore College
Lilidh Matthews, Commercial Horticulture
Ruth Lin Wong Holmes, Royal Parks
Wes Olliffe, Commonwealth Graves Commission
Pam Smith, National Trust
(Emma Allen, RHS Head of Horticultural Relations)

If you have any queries regarding your bursary application, please contact the RHS Bursaries Co-ordinator [email protected]

Please note: If you are a learner or member of staff working in an organisation which has a representative on the RHS Bursaries Group, it would be advisable to discuss your bursary application with them prior to submission. For RHS learners and staff, it would be advisable to discuss your application with Emma Allen prior to submission.

Submitting applications

  • Completed application forms must be submitted by email with required accompanying documents to [email protected] taking account of the deadlines mentioned above
  • If your application is successful, you will be allocated funding from one of the many bursary funds that have been kindly donated to the RHS

What can a bursary be used for?

Funding can be used to cover, or contribute towards the costs of:

  • Travel, including visas and insurance
  • Accommodation
  • Food
  • Conference fees
  • High quality plant labelling and recording collections
Funding cannot be given for the following:
  • To cover salaries 
  • Paying of household expenses (e.g. utility bills)
  • Infrastructure (e.g. polytunnels, pergolas, buildings)
  • Commercial enterprises
  • Course fees 
  • Costs related to undertaking a course (e.g. purchasing of books and materials)
Who can apply?
  • Professional and student gardeners/horticulturists
  • Plant and soil scientists
  • Botanists
  • Arboriculturists
  • Growers/Nurseries
  • Landscapers
  • Botanical artists
  • Other related professionals
  • Serious amateur gardeners
  • Higher/further education establishments, British and Irish institutions, charities and gardens open to the public 
Please note: you must be over 18 years old to apply as an individual for a bursary. Those under 18 can be included in an Organisation application where the organisation applying is responsible for their safeguarding.
Where can the project take place?

Anywhere in the world if you are:

  • A British or Irish citizen (i.e. holder of either a British or Irish passport)
  • Other passport holder resident or in employment in Britain or Ireland for minimum of 2 years
  • Students enrolled on a British horticulture course of a minimum 2-year duration
  • A British or Irish institution, charity or garden open to the public
UK or Ireland only if you do not meet the criteria above.


Please note: The reference to Britain/British encompasses: England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and the British Overseas Territories.

Bursary Reports
Once you have completed your bursary supported project we would love to hear how things went and so ask you to send us a short feedback report. 

See some examples of previous reports:
  • Voluntary Work Placement & Study Tour of Chilean Lake District
  • Trees and Shrubs from the Republic of Georgia
Previous bursary reports are a great source of information and could help you in planning your own project. Past reports are available through RHS Libraries and downloadable PDF copies of previous reports can be requested by emailing an RHS Libraries Bursary Report scan request form (112kB pdf) to the Wisley library at [email protected].

Please note: Some bursary reports are kept in off-site storage and it may take up to two weeks to fulfil a request.
 
How are RHS Bursaries funded?
Our bursaries are possible thanks to charitable donations and bequests from benefactors wishing to further the interests of horticultural education.
How do I donate to the RHS Bursaries fund?
If you would like to support these funds please contact:

Write: RHS Bursaries Co-ordinator, RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB 
Telephone: 01483 479719 
Email: [email protected]
Use of the RHS Bursaries Logo
Recipients of an RHS Bursary are permitted to use the RHS Bursaries Logo in materials related to their RHS Bursaries supported project.  The Logo is provided to the RHS Bursary recipient at the time of their bursary being approved.  Please see the current Terms of Use of the RHS Bursaries Logo. 


Got a question for the Bursaries team?

Get in touch with our dedicated team and they’ll help get you started:
Call: 01483 479719
Email: [email protected]
 

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