What 9Trees CIC does

9Trees Nature Based Solutions CIC is a Community Interest Company (CIC No. 11982503) limited by guarantee in England and Wales, founded in 2018 by Michael Cunningham and joined by co-founder Ash Kent in 2019. The company plants and manages UK native species trees on behalf of individual consumers and businesses, anchored by the thesis that planting nine trees per person per year offsets an average UK individual's annual carbon footprint. Operations are based in Powys, Wales, with team members in Bristol and Lancashire and 10+ active planting sites across Wales, England, and (via a Carbon Link partnership) Coast Province, Kenya.

The core product is a subscription and one-time purchase e-commerce platform at 9trees.org, ranging from a £9.99/month '9 Trees a Year' individual subscription to Diamond corporate partnerships starting at £30,000/year, with each tree geolocated and stewarded for up to 50 years through landowner stewardship agreements. Supporting technology includes a geolocation tracking system enabling subscribers to visit their trees and a UK Carbon Footprint Calculator for transportation emissions built on UK government data. Revenue streams also include biodiversity/hedgerow funds, agroforestry subscriptions for farmers, gift and memorial tree purchases, and one-off donations.

Go-to-market is multi-channel: direct e-commerce subscriptions, event presence at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, How The Light Gets In Festival, and Purposefest Bristol, plus earned media (BBC Radio, The Independent, Forestry Journal) and referral partnerships with Booker Premier Stores, CBRE, Harrison Ovens, and Michelmores LLP. Customer segments span individual consumers and businesses as primary, with landowners/farmers (tertiary, providing land in exchange for 9Trees covering all planting costs) and schools/community groups as secondary. The company is founder-controlled with no external venture backing, and all income is reinvested into training, education, and woodland management.

Name

9Trees CIC

Legal name

9Trees Carbon Offsetting CIC

Website

https://9trees.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

9Trees CIC is a UK Community Interest Company that plants and manages UK native species trees via subscriptions and one-time purchases for individuals and businesses, with each tree geolocated and stewarded for up to 50 years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reforestation and Carbon Offsetting Services

NAICS

Forestry and Logging (113), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland Carbon & Natural Capital Project Development (Offsets/REDD+) (AFAMAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Ecosystem Carbon Removal (Afforestation/Reforestation, Improved Forest Management) (EUABAFAH), Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ), Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Carbon offsetting services
• Tree planting subscriptions
• Woodland management
• Biodiversity restoration
• Corporate sustainability partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Powys

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Subscriptions: Monthly and annual subscription plans where customers pay recurring fees to have trees planted on their behalf. The core '9 Trees a Year' subscription at £9.99/month plants 9 trees to balance an individual's carbon footprint.
2. One-time Tree Purchases: Single tree purchases and gift trees available for one-time payment. Christmas gift trees at £17 include planting in UK plus Kenya.
3. Business Subscriptions: Corporate subscription tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) ranging from £135 to custom quotes for enterprise, providing tree planting, team visits, and branding benefits.
4. Nature/Biodiversity Fund: Monthly contributions starting from £2 to support hedgerows, upland bird species restoration, and general biodiversity projects.
5. Donations: One-off donations where 100% goes to support woodland projects and develop new planting sites.
6. Agroforestry Fund: Monthly subscriptions (£4+) to fund tree planting on farmland, supporting farmers with agroforestry integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

9Trees CIC plants UK native broadleaf trees on behalf of individual and business subscribers through recurring subscriptions and one-time purchases to balance carbon footprints. Each tree is geolocated for subscriber tracking and the woodland is actively managed for up to 50 years under landowner stewardship agreements, with biodiversity enhancement and habitat restoration as secondary outcomes.

Product overview

9Trees CIC operates as a Community Interest Company offering a portfolio of tree-planting subscriptions and one-time purchase options for carbon balancing. The core offering consists of individual subscriptions (9 Trees a Year at £9.99/month, 36 Trees a Year at £119.88/quarter, and annual/lifetime options) and one-time tree purchases (£15.00 per tree). Business clients are served through tiered subscriptions ranging from Bronze (9 trees/year) to Diamond (100-999 trees/year with land ownership), plus the Ruby Habitat Connector with customizable amounts. Supplementary offerings include the Nature Fund for biodiversity support, agroforestry projects for agricultural integration, travel and pet carbon-offset subscriptions, and the UK Carbon Footprint Calculator tool. Gift options include Christmas trees, digital gift cards, and family subscriptions. All trees are geolocated, planted as UK native species, and managed for up to 50 years with aftercare included.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Tree Subscription Recurring subscription product line for individuals and families planting 9 to 90 UK native trees per year for personal carbon footprint balancing, available monthly, quarterly, annually, or as a lifetime balance (£9,000 one-off). Core entry tier is '9 Trees a Year' at £9.99/month; higher tiers include 36 Trees a Year (£119.88/quarter), 90 Trees Every Year (£900/year), Annual Subscription (from £99), Family Subscription (£280/year), and Lifetime Balance.
• Single Tree Purchase and Gift Trees One-time tree purchases for individuals, including a single UK native tree at £15, Christmas Gift Trees at £17 (one UK plus one Kenya tree), Digital Gift Cards from £30, and a Gift of 4 Trees at £55. Each tree is geolocated with progress updates for the recipient.
• Business Subscription Packages Tiered corporate subscription packages ranging from Bronze (9 trees/year, from £135/year) to Diamond (100-999 trees/year with land ownership, custom quote), plus Purple Biodiversity Booster (9-19 trees/year with optional expense support), Silver (up to 99 trees/year, from £1,500), Gold (100-999 trees/year, from £15,000, 3-year minimum), Platinum (2,000 trees, £30,000, 5-year commitment with exclusive woodland access), and Ruby Habitat Connector (£3,000-£12,000 customizable). Includes geolocated trees, team woodland visits, social media collaboration, branding benefits, and ESG-aligned reporting.
• Nature / Biodiversity Fund Monthly contributions starting from £2 (or annual from £25 / one-off from £5) supporting hedgerow habitats, hedgehog habitats, and upland rare bird species restoration in Mid-Wales. Available to individuals and as a business variant.
• Agroforestry Project Agricultural integration project planting trees within existing farm systems for soil health, biodiversity, and farm diversification. Available as monthly subscription from £4 or annual from £50. Supports farmers integrating trees into farmland with guidance from the Soil Association.
• UK Carbon Footprint Calculator Web-based calculator that estimates carbon emissions from UK transportation modes (car, bus, train, ferry, flights) using UK government data, helping users understand their carbon footprint and balance it through 9Trees tree-planting subscriptions.
• Annual Pass to Visit Selected Woodland Sites Annual pass priced at £50 granting 12-month access to visit selected 9Trees woodland sites for personal woodland walks and tree-progress checks.
• Trees for Your Team / Clients (Business Gifting) Business gifting product allowing companies to plant trees on behalf of employees or clients, including digital gift cards from £30, for use in lieu of traditional corporate gifts (e.g., Christmas gifting).
• Pets Carbon Balancing Subscription Subscription product offsetting pet carbon footprints by planting 1 tree for small pets, 2 for medium, or 3 for large/very large pets, starting at £12.50.
• Travel Carbon Balancing Travel-specific carbon-offsetting subscription covering cars, flights, buses, trains, and ferries with tiered tree quantities of 1-6 trees depending on journey type.
• Team Green Away Day Corporate volunteer experience product offering businesses guided team away days at 9Trees planting sites, including practical conservation activities (e.g., laying eco mats), team-building, and biodiversity education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 trees per person per year balances average UK individual's annual carbon footprint
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Purposefest BristolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2023Joint initiative 'Copse 28' creating new local woodland in Bristol. 9Trees provides ecological restoration expertise while Purposefest coordinates community engagement for the project.
• Booker Premier StorescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2022Major partnership to plant 4,000 trees as part of sustainability initiative. Partnership includes biodiverse nature reserve in Dorset and strengthens 9Trees commitment to supporting local communities.
• Harrison OvensminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 20229Trees featured as guest at Harrison Ovens stand at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Harrison Ovens pledged to plant three trees to balance their carbon footprint and recommended 9Trees to customers.
• The Garden CreativeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2022Award-winning designer Sarah Morgan's garden at Chelsea Flower Show featured 9Trees. Partnership includes planting one tree in UK woodland for every tree planted in customer's garden.
• Carbon LinkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021International partnership for Kenya tree planting. For every tree bought before December 31, 2021, 9Trees planted an additional tree in Coast Province, Kenya through Carbon Link's program providing trees to subsistence farmers and schools.
• Green OverheadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDevon-based partner committed to low-carbon future through sustainable woodland investment. Partnership promotes biodiversity and connects people to nature.
• The GallimaufryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBristol venue partnership contributing to greener and healthier city through tree planting initiatives and community engagement.
• Booker & TescominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with major retailers to create massive impact needed to avert climate and biodiversity crisis through woodland creation.
• Soil AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference partner for agroforestry project with Scottish farmer Johnnie. Soil Association provides farmer ambassador program support and knowledge for integrating trees into farms.
• CBREminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal commercial real estate firm participated in Team Green Away Day volunteer activity, laying eco mats in Brecon Beacons.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Trees for Life (Scotland): Scotland-focused rewilding and tree planting charity with volunteer programs and corporate partnerships. Comparable community-led reforestation mission, but geographically focused on Scottish Highlands.

Broad incumbents

• One Tree Planted: Larger non-profit running global reforestation campaigns with corporate and individual giving. Overlaps with 9Trees on individual tree purchases and corporate partnerships but operates at significantly greater scale.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Large-scale global reforestation NGO with individual and corporate sponsorship models. Comparable in scale ambition and corporate giving channel, but operates globally rather than UK-focused.
• Woodland Trust: UK's largest woodland conservation charity, running tree planting memberships, corporate sponsorships, and woodland creation. Overlaps on UK native species planting, corporate partnerships, and individual memberships.

Direct peers

• TreeApp: UK-based app-led reforestation subscription platform that plants trees daily for subscribers. Directly comparable in subscription model, mobile-first engagement, and corporate partnerships.
• Tentree: Apparel brand that plants trees per product sold and offers subscription tree planting. Comparable consumer-facing carbon-and-trees subscription model with strong brand activity.
• Ecologi: UK-based carbon offset platform offering individual and business subscriptions for tree planting and verified climate projects. Direct competitor with a similar subscription-led carbon balancing model serving UK consumers and corporates.
• Offset Earth: UK subscription service making individuals and businesses carbon neutral through monthly tree planting and carbon credits. Closely comparable product, pricing, and target customer to 9Trees' core monthly subscription.

Emerging players

• Forest Carbon (UK): UK woodland carbon project developer generating verified voluntary carbon credits through afforestation. Comparable UK afforestation and carbon-project focus, but B2B credit issuance rather than consumer subscriptions.

Others

• Carbon Link: International tree-planting partner cited in 9Trees' data for Kenya operations. Directly comparable as a tree-planting delivery partner, with similar afforestation and subsistence-farmer model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/9treesUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/9treesuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9-trees-carbon-offsetting-cic
• Instagraminstagram.com/9treesuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 9Trees CIC