Turning SuDS Funding Into Lasting Value

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01 October 2026 | Updated 30 September 2026

Applications are now open for the latest Department for Education (DfE) SuDS in Schools grant scheme. Choosing the right supplier can help ensure such projects meet funding requirements, writes Lorna Davis, Director at Sudsplanter Ltd.

Increasing investment in climate resilience is creating new opportunities for organisations to secure grants for environmental improvement projects, including sustainable drainage. Across the UK, a growing number of grant schemes are supporting initiatives that reduce flood risk, improve biodiversity, enhance public spaces and help communities adapt to climate change.

The application window for the Department for Education (DfE) latest SuDS in Schools¹ scheme opened in August and closes on 2 November 2026. Aiming to reduce surface water flood risk in the school estate, the programme can fund up to 50% of the total project cost. Those invited to apply for a grant include state-funded and voluntary-aided schools in England, lead local flood authorities, water companies and non-profit organisations.

Eligible organisations for other grants – such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund's Nature Towns and Cities partnership and water company schemes - can include community groups, healthcare facilities, housing associations and parish councils, as well as some businesses.

Many funding providers favour projects that deliver multiple environmental and social benefits rather than addressing a single issue - and successful applications often demonstrate how one investment can provide a range of positive outcomes.

A well-designed sustainable drainage system (SuDS) project can help reduce surface water flooding, create a wildlife habitat, improve the appearance of a site, enhance wellbeing and provide opportunities for education and engagement. This makes SuDS a suitable option for a range of funding programmes.

With the right design, even relatively modest grants can fund SuDS that deliver significant and measurable environmental and community benefits.

For organisations applying for funding, it is important to demonstrate how the project – whatever size - will deliver the greatest possible impact. This may include showing how surface water runoff would be reduced, how biodiversity would be enhanced, how equipment would be maintained and how the applicant would engage local communities. 

Small, specialist suppliers are often best placed to support grant-funded SuDS projects. By working closely with project teams from the earliest stages, they can help shape schemes and provide technical data that aligns with funding criteria

Having worked on a wide range of grant-funded SuDS schemes, Sudsplanter has supported organisations through every stage of the process, from feasibility studies, hydraulic modelling and site surveys to detailed design, construction, technical compliance, maintenance planning and educational engagement.

This includes working with many local authorities and hundreds of schools, such as in the London Borough of Merton, where we installed SuDSPlanter rain gardens in seven schools to help manage surface water runoff. Between three and six bespoke units were installed at each site, with plant varieties selected by our horticulturalists, along with colourful information boards.

SuDSPlanter’s education specialists ran sessions with pupils to teach them about the water cycle and how to care for the plants and the new habitats. Long-term maintenance of the systems will be led by each school.

Projects like this demonstrate how a single scheme can deliver multiple benefits to maximise the value of every investment, supported by robust performance data and post-installation reporting where required.

1. SuDS in Schools scheme application – see here.

Picture: An image of a SuDSPlanter outside a school building in the London Borough of Merton.

Article written by Lorna Davis | Published 01 October 2026

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