About this opportunity
Conservation funded from the top often stalls before it reaches the people who actually hold the landscape. The Whitley Awards take the opposite route. Awarded annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature, they back mid-career conservationists who are already leading proven, science-based projects on the ground, and who need money, visibility and international support to scale the work that is already working.
Each award is worth 50,000 pounds in project funding over one year. The money comes with more than a cheque. Winners receive international recognition and profile-raising opportunities, professional communications and media support, peer learning, training and collaboration, and
Eligibility
for future Continuation Funding and the Whitley Gold Award. They also join a growing global community of more than 230 conservation leaders working across over 80 countries.
The
Eligibility
bar is specific, and it is worth reading before you invest time. Winners are nationals of the country where they work, meaning they were born there or have lived there long term and obtained national status, and their work is based in at least one eligible country, which the fund defines as a country not classified as a High-Income Economy by the World Bank, with some exceptions based on WFN's funding history. Projects must involve communities at grassroots level, deliver practical action founded on science, and show measurable positive impact for threatened ecosystems and biodiversity at landscape or seascape level while giving tangible benefits to Indigenous peoples and local communities. Applicants must work for a locally incorporated NGO, charity, not-for-profit or university, must be able to communicate verbally in English without a translator, and must be an individual backed by an experienced team rather than a solo operator or a joint entry.
Applications for the 2027 round close at 23:59 GMT on Friday, 30 October 2026, and winners are announced at the annual Whitley Awards Ceremony in London in Spring 2027. You do not need an invitation or a nomination to apply.
What you receive
- 50,000 pounds in project funding over one year
- 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
- Membership of a global community of more than 230 conservation leaders working across over 80 countries
Who can apply
- Dynamic, mid-career conservationists leading vital conservation projects
- Winners must be nationals of the country in which they work, meaning born there or resident long term with national status obtained, and embedded in local communities
- Work must be based in at least one eligible country. Eligible countries are those not classified as a High-Income Economy by the World Bank, with some exceptions based on WFN's funding history, so check the full list of eligible countries on the Whitley Fund for Nature site. If your country of work is not on that list you are not eligible at this time
- Projects must involve communities at the grassroots level and deliver practical action founded on science
- Wildlife conservation projects delivering measurable positive impact for threatened ecosystems and biodiversity at landscape or seascape level, with tangible benefits for Indigenous peoples and local communities
- Applicants must work for a locally incorporated NGO, charity, not-for-profit or university
- Applicants must be able to communicate verbally in English without a translator, so they can take part in the Awards week interviews, networking, training and media opportunities. Total fluency is not required
- Individuals must be backed by an experienced team or organisation that can demonstrate past success and an evidence-based approach
- Ecosystem-level projects are preferred. Genuine flagship species projects are accepted only where results are not purely species-specific
- Projects should be replicable or scalable, realistic but ambitious, cost-conscious at the 50,000 pound level, and planned to continue well beyond the award
- No invitation or nomination is needed to apply
Who should not apply
- Expatriate leaders, since the scheme specifically champions local leaders
- Pure academic research, and any research that is not applied
- MSc or PhD fieldwork undertaken primarily to fulfil degree requirements
- Start-up or pilot projects, because evidence of prior success is very important
- Absentee leaders, including those mid-PhD or based abroad for long periods
- One-person bands, and those who do not nurture emerging leadership, train team members or collaborate
- Joint applications, and nominations submitted on behalf of someone else
- Purely rural, economic or sustainable development projects where direct conservation benefits are hard to quantify
- Land purchases and projects focused on the construction of buildings
- Animal welfare and rehabilitation of captive animals
- Captive breeding, except where the underlying causes of species decline in the wild have already been fully addressed
- Government employees, although applicants employed by government-funded universities are typically eligible
Documents to prepare
- A completed online application form on the WFN application portal
- A logical framework and timeline, prepared on the Microsoft Word template downloaded from the portal
- A project budget, prepared on the Microsoft Excel template downloaded from the portal
- Three referees, nominated in the portal. Templates are updated annually and applications on out-of-date forms from previous years are not considered
How to apply
- Check your eligibility against the criteria at https://whitleyaward.org/eligibility/, including the full list of eligible countries and what WFN will not fund.
- Register for a WFN account through the online application portal at https://wfn.eformsolutions.com/. You receive your login details by email and can return to the form at any time before the deadline.
- Read the application guidelines before you start writing.
- Download the two templates from the portal: the Microsoft Word logical framework and timeline, and the Microsoft Excel budget. Work on them offline and upload the completed versions.
- Complete the application online and save as you go. If you close the portal without saving, your information is lost.
- Contact three referees and make sure they submit their references by the deadline. Chasing referees is your responsibility, not the fund's.
- Submit before 23:59 GMT on Friday, 30 October 2026.
Selection process
- Applications are assessed against the published eligibility criteria and what WFN looks for: strong communicators, leadership and teamwork, ecosystem-level impact, community-led design, measurable outcomes, sustainability beyond the award, value for money, demonstrated need, and work that would benefit from greater visibility.
- Priority is given to applicants who can clearly demonstrate need, and to projects that would gain momentum through media exposure and wider recognition.
- Winners are announced during the annual Whitley Awards Ceremony in London in Spring 2027.
Sources and verification
Questions applicants ask
How much funding can I apply for?
Each Whitley Award is worth 50,000 pounds in project funding over one year.
Do I need to be invited or nominated?
No. You do not need to be invited or nominated to apply for a Whitley Award.
When does the 2027 round close?
Applications for the 2027 Whitley Awards close at 23:59 GMT on Friday, 30 October 2026.
When are winners announced?
Winners are announced during the annual Whitley Awards Ceremony in London in Spring 2027.
Which countries are eligible?
Eligible countries are those not classified as a High-Income Economy by the World Bank, with some exceptions based on WFN's funding history. The fund publishes a full list of eligible countries, and if your country of work does not appear on it you are not eligible to apply at this time.
Can my team or I apply jointly?
No. Whitley Awards recognise individuals backed by an experienced team or organisation. Individuals working in isolation, team entries and joint applications are not eligible.
What happens if I use last year's templates?
Templates are updated annually, and applications made on out-of-date forms from previous years will not be considered. Download the current Word and Excel templates from the portal.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
