SEF Announces the Natural Gardens Call: Schools and Kindergartens Can Apply for Support

The State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic has allocated EUR 4.52 million for this call, with maximum support per project reaching EUR 20,500 and a co‑financing rate of 50–60%.

The support is intended to help primary and nursery schools establish or adapt gardens, outdoor areas, and grounds in a natural style. These interventions aim to make it easier for children to learn outdoors, connect with nature, and adapt the gardens to climate change.

Forest kindergartens can also use the funds to cover hygiene, catering, and rest facilities essential for outdoor education.

The KKFF has long been engaged in the topic of outdoor learning and its wide‑ranging benefits – for school climate as well as the wellbeing of pupils and teachers. We develop this theme through our Transformations of Gardens programme, which supports not only the physical transformation of school gardens but also their use for learning and community activities.

The transformation of kindergarten gardens is designed to create inspiring environments that naturally foster children’s holistic development. We encourage schools to move both structured and unstructured activities outside and promote the motto A Garden Is Also a Classroom. We also share the experience of our partner kindergartens, including examples of multi‑source funding.

Finally, we have practical experience with garden evaluation, teacher training, and implementing adaptation measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change on kindergarten grounds.

The SEF announced the call on 12 September 2025. Applicants can submit proposals from 13 November to 19 December 2025. More information about the call is available on the official website of the National Environment Programme.

The conditions of this call were developed in cooperation with a multidisciplinary working group, including our foundation, which contributes a broad range of expert perspectives to the process. One of the requirements for applicants is the implementation of climate adaptation measures. The accompanying materials will direct you to our publication Brochure on Adaptation Measures, which offers practical examples of adaptation features directly from kindergarten gardens.

If you are considering submitting an application, we encourage you to visit the foundation’s educational centre gardens or other partner schools for inspiration. You can find a list of these here.