How our tree-planting partnerships work and how your organization can become a partner

We carefully choose the planting partners we work with to ensure that our trees are not just planted but will survive long term.

What type of projects we work with

We partner with established tree-planting organizations across the globe. We assess each organization across a range of criteria including:

• the size of the project in terms of number of trees 
• diversity of tree species 
• the impact on the local community, environment and wildlife

We generally focus our tree planting efforts in biodiversity hotspots, as these are locations with particularly high numbers of unique and sometimes endangered species. But we support projects all over the world and plant trees where we know they will have a positive environmental and social impact.

What contracts we offer our partners

When we decide to finance a new tree-planting project, a contract is drawn between the two parties. We have two types of contract: service contracts and investment contracts.

• Service contracts are an agreement between Ecosia and the partner in which both parties agree on how many trees the partner will plant and at what price. We pay the partner for their tree-planting services in intervals and closely monitor progress throughout the different stages of the project. Ecosia does not own the planted trees, but in return we own the claim to have planted the trees that  have been financed by us. 
• Investment contracts are projects that aim to conserve or increase tree cover and where we can expect a financial return.The aim is to set up a revolving fund system in which we invest in tree-related projects,  which produce a certain product, get a return on investment, and with this return we can further finance new projects.

With new partners we begin by investing small sums to ensure that they meet our standards of reporting. However, it is always the aim to scale every project if this is what will benefit the local people. 

Application process for planting partners

Do you work at a tree-planting organization and want to work with us? We would love to hear from you! 

Once you've submitted your details to this form, your project will enter our database for our tree-planting officers to review. If your idea matches our objectives and needs, we will contact you to set up a 30-minute call. Unfortunately, due to a high volume of requests, we cannot reach out to every applicant with individual feedback. If you don't hear from us, unfortunately this means your project proposal may not meet our criteria.

FAQs for tree-planting organizations

What kind of organizations does Ecosia partner with?

We usually work with partners that have at least three years of tree-planting experience. Since transparency is key we only partner with organizations that can commit to providing sufficient proof of their activities and meet our monitoring requirements.

What kinds of trees should Ecosia’s partners plant?

Native trees are strongly preferred; exotic species (that are not invasive) are only applied in agroforestry systems when they do not create monocultures and should always remain below 10% of the total amount of trees planted. 

What’s the size of projects Ecosia normally works with?

Ideally, our project partners have the capacity to plant over 500,000 trees per year (although it does not have to be in the first year).

How should I submit a project proposal?

If you’d like to work with us, please use this link to fill out our project proposal form. It should only take a few minutes. You can include an optional proposal or concept project idea to compliment your application but this is not necessarily required.