We offer up to £1,500 to individual applicants to assist with worldwide travel projects. Applications can be submitted allowing recipients to carry out garden tours, undertake work experience and internships in gardens or other horticulturally-related areas, pursue research projects, visit conservation programmes, attend a conference or take part in horticultural skill-based short courses. Special recognition will be given to exciting or innovative projects. OPEN for applications: please read the guidance for applicants below.

Potential projects might involve:

• Travel to visit gardens and plants growing in the wild. Also includes conferences, study fees (short skill courses only), and purely conservation-based projects. We strongly encourage applicants considering internships and work experience placements.
• A special award for a heather-related project or internship is available. Thanks to a generous donation by The Heather Society,  projects that involve heather in cultivation or conservation projects of heather and heath habitats in the UK or Europe will be given special consideration. The project might be a study tour of heather collections at gardens, work experience in a specialist heather nursery, or contributing to a moorland or heathland restoration or research project.
• A focus on green recovery that will be of interest to young horticulturists interested in growing their practical experience in sustainable horticulture and conservation horticulture, including the role of horticulture in habitat restoration. This award will support travel to and support at gardens and plant-related environmental projects with a sustainable or conservation focus. We would like to hear from you if you have a study tour or internship/work experience placement planned which looks at sustainability in horticulture – from improving the sustainability of public gardens to sustainable growing practices, or if you are planning research as part of a plant conservation or habitat restoration project. Special recognition will be given to exciting or innovative projects. Internships and work experience placements strongly encouraged.
• A focus on health & wellbeing to explore the impact of horticulture on society, particularly the links between gardening and health. Examples could be work experience/internship with an horticultural therapy organisation or a study tour examining the role that gardens and contact with plants can play in improving health and wellbeing. There are many gardens and organisations who have created health and wellbeing gardens or are involved in horticultural therapy. Potential examples of organisations and gardens include Thrive, Trellis, Eden Project, Horatio’s Gardens and many other social prescribing sites in community and public gardens. Special recognition will be given to exciting or innovative projects. Internships and work experience placements strongly encouraged.

The Merlin Trust is keen to support internships at gardens or other horticultural organisations. This could include work experience of a few days to longer periods that allow applicants to more fully explore new areas of horticulture, work closely with particular plants or plant collections, experience different gardens and their microclimates and growing conditions, or work alongside a specialist to develop new skills. Please do contact the Merlin Trust Secretary if you have an idea you would like to discuss or for advice on gardens or organisations to approach for your area of interest.

There is no deadline for this award. Apply when you are ready but do ensure a minimum of SIX weeks between application and intended date of travel.

All application forms are available as Word documents. If you would like to receive a different format, please contact the Secretary.

Please read the application guidance notes below before downloading and completing an application form.

The Merlin Trust has long supported young horticulturists to explore plants growing in the wild through Alpine Garden Society tours. In 2026, the Merlin Trust will fund one young horticulturist to take part in the AGS tour to the French Alps from 29th June 2026 (https://www.alpinegardensociety.net/tours/val-disere-mt-cenis-french-alps-with-vira-natura). This is a competitive scheme and will provide one person with an opportunity to explore alpine flora. All applications will be reviewed against the standard Merlin Trust criteria with an emphasis on how the tour will benefit current and future horticultural careers. Applicants should read the Merlin Trust guidance for applications before submitting an application form. Deadline for applications is 2nd February 2026.

Please note that the award will cover the cost of the tour and a contribution to flights only. The applicant will need to meet all other costs associated with the tour including meals, transfers and insurance. Contact tour organiser/s for details of additional costs.

All application forms are available as Word documents. If you would like to receive a different format, please contact the Secretary.

Please read the application guidance notes below before downloading and completing an application form.