Available Grants
Bursary funding is becoming limited due to the success of the scheme this year. Future applicants are welcome to apply up to the maximum available for the International Travel Bursary but should be aware that full awards are unlikely to be made between December 2025 and March 2026.
Global travel impacts due to escalation in the Middle East: While we are still accepting applications, please do note that should the situation continue or further escalate, we may need to cancel some awards so it is imperative that you ensure you have travel insurance in place and that it provides cover for cancelled trips. We will endeavour to keep funding open but might need to restrict travel to certain regions. All applicants will be contacted should the situation change. Do check with the FCDO website for the latest updates: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
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International Travel Bursary
A travel bursary for young horticulturists wishing to pursue a number of different opportunities in the UK, across Europe or further afield. Grants of up to £1,500 are available to support travel, internships, work experience, research and conferences. More information below. There is no deadline – rolling application window so apply when you are ready!
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More details…
International Travel Bursary
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.
Currently Closed Awards
Schachen Alpine Garden Work Experience Grant
An opportunity to spend 2-3 weeks working in this world renowned garden in the mountains close to Munich. The application window closed on 27 January 2025 for travel this year. This award is currently being rested.
AGS Tour Award
A travel bursary for a young horticulturist to join an AGS study tour to the French Alps in 2026. The application window closed in February 2026 and there are no plans to reopen the award. The AGS Young Person’s Activity Weekend Award has replaced this award for 2027.
McGregor Study Award 2025 – Alpine & Rock Gardens
An award aimed at furthering knowledge and experience of growing alpine plants and managing rock gardens. This award has closed for 2025 applications and will no longer be offered to future applicants.
The WRAGs (Work and Retrain as a Gardener scheme) Bursary
This bursary is open to existing WRAGs trainees to support them during their placement by covering travel costs, additional placements, or developing their training. Grants of up to £500 are available. The application window has closed for 2025 but will open again on 1st June 2026.
AGS Young Person’s Activity Weekend Award 2026
Five awards of up to £200 were offered by the Merlin Trust to support attendance at the AGS Activity Weekend 2026. This award closed in March 2026 but will reopen for future AGS Activity Weekends from 2027 onwards.
How To Apply:
- Read the eligibility criteria and guidance notes (see below) carefully to ensure you and your intended project qualify;
- Fill in all parts of the Application Form;
- Email your application to the Secretary with your name as the file name;
- Ensure your two referees email their references as attachments to the Secretary: your application will not be considered until both references have been received.
*You must allow a minimum of six weeks from submission of your application to the start of your project (see Guidance Notes for more detailed information). Please also note that a decision will not be made immediately after submission: there may be a delay of up to three weeks to allow the Trustees to review applications. Submissions will only be considered by the Trustees once both references have been received.
Report Guidelines:
If your grant application has been successful, you will be required to produce a report of your visit. While there is no set template for this, we do offer some advice via the guidance document below. So if you are unsure what is required, read the guidance or get in touch! It is worth noting that all reports are published on our website and hence can be used by AI services.