What Sylva Foundation does

Sylva Foundation is a UK-registered charity (England & Wales 1128516, Scotland SC041892) and non-profit company limited by guarantee, founded in 2009 and headquartered at the Sylva Wood Centre in Long Wittenham, Oxfordshire. It operates a national programme to support stewardship of private woodlands and the home-grown timber sector, combining digital tools, research, training and physical workspace. Its core product is myForest, a cloud-based mapping and data platform designed by foresters for foresters that integrates historic environment datasets (including the Forestry Commission's Historic Environment Opportunity Map and ALGAO SHINE data) with mapping, drawing, reporting and regulatory-compliance workflows; the platform's user base has collectively mapped more than 210,000 hectares of UK woodland. Nested within myForest is Forest Lab, a citizen-science module run with Forest Research and funded by Defra that hosts projects such as the Ips typographus pest-monitoring network (~50 volunteer sites in 2024) and the Oak Health Project. Alongside the digital stack, Sylva operates NatureBid (a land-based matchmaking platform that has supported delivery of more than £35M of environmental funding over eight years), the Sylva Wood School (Professional and short courses in furniture making and wood machining), and the Sylva Wood Centre, which leases Start-Up bench space, Incubation Units and commercial workshops to wood-based businesses and runs Mary's Workshop for women, trans and non-binary makers.

Sylva's revenue model is hybrid and grant-led: primary income derives from charitable grants and donations from Defra, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, BBSRC/NERC, the Conran Foundation and The Mila Charitable Trust, supplemented by myForest subscription revenue (governed by dedicated Paid Accounts Terms of Supply), Wood School course fees, Mary's Workshop memberships (£80 per person per calendar month), and Sylva Wood Centre workspace rentals. The charity runs a recurring national research programme — the British Woodlands Survey (2012, 2015, 2020, 2025) — and collaborates on Defra-funded consortia such as the Living Ash Project (~£1.2M over six years) and FUTURE OAK (£1.3M). Customers span private woodland owners, community woodland groups, forestry professionals, wood-based businesses, marginalised-gender makers and regulators (Forestry Commission, Forest Research, Defra, Natural England), served through a self-serve online channel for myForest and direct/in-person delivery for Wood School and Wood Centre services.

The organisation is led by CEO Dr Gabriel Hemery, with a small team including Director of Operations Paul Orsi, Head of Forestry Andrew Clark, Head of Sylva Wood School Joe Bray, and Programme Manager for the Woodworking & Gender Project Cathrin Poppensieker. Sylva holds Cyber Essentials certification and is accredited by the Fundraising Regulator, and it has no parent company, external equity investors, or subsidiaries in the corporate sense — its initiatives (myForest, NatureBid, Forest Lab, Wood School, Sylva Wood Centre, Woodworking & Gender Project) operate as branded programmes within the charity.

Name

Sylva Foundation

Legal name

Sylva Foundation

Website

https://sylva.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sylva Foundation is a UK charity that operates the myForest mapping platform, Forest Lab citizen-science projects, NatureBid environmental funding marketplace, Sylva Wood School training and a makerspace hub, serving private woodland owners, forestry professionals and wood-based businesses across Britain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Management Software

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Forestry and Logging (113)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Silviculture & Reforestation Services (Nurseries, Planting, Tending) (IMAMAJAC), Sustainable Forest Certification & Chain-of-Custody Services (FSC/PEFC/SFI) (IMAMAJAJ)

Keywords

• Forest management software
• Woodland mapping platform
• Environmental funding marketplace
• Citizen science forestry
• Woodworking training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Wittenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable grants and donations: Primary funding model: as a registered charity in England & Wales (1128516) and Scotland (SC041892), Sylva Foundation raises income through grants (e.g., National Lottery Heritage Fund, Defra, BBSRC/NERC, Conran Foundation, The Mila Charitable Trust), donations and corporate support for its programmes (Woodworking & Gender Project, Future Oak, Living Ash Project, Forest Lab, British Woodlands Survey).
2. myForest paid subscriptions: Paid online service plans for the myForest mapping and management platform, governed by the 'myForest Paid Accounts Terms of Supply'. Provides advanced features on top of the free tier.
3. NatureBid transaction/matchmaking fees: Marketplace-style matchmaking that connects land managers with environmental funding opportunities; has supported more than £35M of environmental funding delivery over the last eight years, generating revenue from facilitating these transactions.
4. Wood School course fees and workshop space hire: Paid courses (short courses and Professional courses in furniture making and wood machining) at Sylva Wood School; rental income from community workshop spaces such as Mary's Workshop (£80 per person per calendar month for machine shop access) and the Teaching Barn community space.
5. Sylva Wood Centre workspace rentals: Commercial income from leasing Start-Up bench space, Incubation Units and commercial workshops at the Sylva Wood Centre to wood-based businesses and makers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sylva Foundation is a UK national charity that delivers an integrated portfolio of digital forestry tools (myForest mapping and management platform, NatureBid environmental funding marketplace, Forest Lab citizen-science module), training services (Sylva Wood School, Mary's Workshop), physical workspace (Sylva Wood Centre) and research programmes (British Woodlands Survey, FUTURE OAK, Living Ash Project) for woodland stewardship and the home-grown timber sector. Its myForest users have collectively mapped more than 210,000 hectares of UK woodland and NatureBid has supported delivery of more than £35 million of environmental funding over eight years.

Product overview

Sylva Foundation delivers an integrated portfolio of digital tools, training services and research programmes for woodland stewardship and home-grown timber, structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture with a strong physical community hub at its core. The digital backbone is myForest, a mapping and data platform for forest creation and management used by private woodland owners, community groups and forestry professionals; nested inside myForest is Forest Lab, a citizen-science module run with Forest Research that lets land managers share monitoring data for projects such as Oak Health and the Ips typographus pest network. Alongside this, Sylva operates standalone products including the NatureBid matchmaking platform for environmental funding, the Woodland Wildlife Toolkit, and the Woodland Condition Assessment (WCA) app developed for the Forestry Commission. Education and community services are delivered through the Sylva Wood School (Professional and short courses in furniture making and wood machining) and the Sylva Wood Centre, which hosts co-located wood-based businesses and community initiatives such as the Woodworking & Gender Project and Mary's Workshop. Research is channelled through the British Woodlands Survey series and collaborations such as FUTURE OAK and the Living Ash Project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myForest: Innovative digital tools for forest creation and management; mapping and data solution used by private woodland owners, community groups and forestry professionals across the UK.
• Wood School (Sylva Wood School)
• NatureBid
• Forest Lab
• Sylva Wood Centre
• Woodworking and Gender Project

Products and services

• myForest Online mapping and data solution for forest creation and management, integrating UK Forestry Commission and SHINE historic environment data layers. Used by private woodland owners, community groups and forestry professionals to produce UK Forestry Standard-compliant management plans, felling licence support and woodland creation planning. Free tier and paid subscription tiers are governed by dedicated 'myForest Paid Accounts Terms of Supply'.
• NatureBid Marketplace platform that connects land managers with environmental funding opportunities (e.g., Countryside Stewardship, woodland creation grants). Operates as a land-based matchmaking service that has supported delivery of more than £35 million of environmental funding over the past eight years and earns revenue via matchmaking/transaction fees.
• Forest Lab Citizen-science / stewardship-science module within the myForest platform, delivered in partnership with Forest Research. Enables land managers to collect and share woodland monitoring data with researchers, including the Ips typographus pest monitoring network and the Oak Health Project. Funded by Defra's Future Proofing Plant Health programme.
• Woodland Wildlife Toolkit Biodiversity decision-support toolkit developed by Sylva Foundation in collaboration with partners to help woodland owners and managers plan biodiversity-focused management actions on their woodlands.
• Woodland Condition Assessment (WCA) App Mobile/web field application being developed for the Forestry Commission to support field assessment of woodland condition, providing a structured data capture and reporting workflow for forestry professionals.
• Sylva Wood School Training and education programme offering Professional courses in furniture making and wood machining and a range of short courses, delivered at the Sylva Wood Centre in south Oxfordshire. Focused on inspiring excellence in craft, design and education using home-grown timber; courses generate fee income.
• Sylva Wood Centre workspace rentals Workspace rental offering at the Sylva Wood Centre in Long Wittenham, Oxfordshire, comprising Start-Up bench space, Incubation Units and a commercial workshop leased directly to wood-based businesses, makers and small enterprises. Generates recurring lease income.
• Mary's Workshop Dedicated woodworking unit for women, trans and non-binary makers within the Sylva Wood Centre community making space, offering workbenches, hand tools and machine-shop access (£80 per person per calendar month after induction). Operated as part of the Woodworking & Gender Project and National Lottery Heritage Fund–funded inclusive heritage woodworking programme.
• Woodworking & Gender Project training programme Training and exhibition programme (Summer Schools, 6-Week Workshop Experience Course, sector surveys, Carving Change seminar, Skilled. Seen. exhibition) tackling gender inequality in heritage woodworking and furniture making. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund with match funding from Conran Foundation, The Mila Charitable Trust, Benchmark Furniture Ltd and Vastern Timber Ltd.

Quantifiable outcome

• myForest users have mapped more than 210,000 hectares of UK woodland
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Forest ResearchflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research partner on the British Woodlands Survey time series (2015, 2020, 2025), Forest Lab citizen-science projects (Ips typographus, oak health), and Living Ash Project. Jointly publishes reports and hosts research volunteers.
• Forestry CommissionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration supporting woodland creation across England via the 'Historic Environment Opportunity Map for New Woodland' integrated into myForest; co-funds and co-delivers the Forest Lab Pest monitoring network for Ips typographus and the Woodland Condition Assessment app.
• ercolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing British furniture manufacturer partner; co-developed design briefs and a furniture collection with the Wood School using Grown in Britain home-grown timber; hosted Summer School 2024.
• Bangor UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead academic partner on the FUTURE OAK project studying oak microbiomes, alongside Aberystwyth University, Forest Research and Sylva Foundation.
• Aberystwyth UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner on FUTURE OAK (oak microbiomes) and 2025 oak-health volunteer monitoring project led with Forest Research.
• The James Hutton InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration via Britain's Future Forests conference panel on species, genetic and epigenetic diversity for forest resilience (Stuart Smith).
• Liverpool John Moores UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration via Britain's Future Forests conference panel on Natural Capital Indicators Development and Outcomes (Colm Bowe).
• Earth TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner on the Living Ash Project (Defra-funded), led by Dr Jo Clark from Earth Trust; screens ash trees for Chalara tolerance.
• Future Trees TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner on the Living Ash Project; contributes ash genetic resource and breeding expertise.
• Action OakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partnership for the FUTURE OAK research project, raising funds for oak research.
• University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-delivered woodland day courses in 2011, 2013 and 2015, including 'The New Sylva' lectures and a British Woodlands Conference hosted at the Department of Plant Sciences.
• CloudForestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReleased a 2024 report on challenges in the UK's small-scale timber supply chain ('Homeward bound?'); Sylva Foundation co-promoted the findings via a blog and joint content.
• Fusion ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the 'Skilled. Seen.' exhibition (13–18 July 2026) at Fusion Arts' Depot in Oxford, organised as part of the Woodworking & Gender Project.
• Grown in BritainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided certified home-grown timber used in Woodworking & Gender Project Summer School design briefs with ercol.
• Robert PennminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAuthor, journalist and TV presenter who spoke at Sylva's Oxford University 'An Extraordinary Year for England's Woodlands' day course and WoodWords literary evenings; promoted Sylva's wood-culture agenda.
• Kent High Weald PartnershipminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvided advisor Ian Johnstone for Good Woods advisory visits to private woodland owners, including the Combwell Wood SSSI site.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Earth Trust: An Oxfordshire-based environmental charity that manages green spaces and runs conservation, access and education programmes. Comparable to Sylva Foundation as a small UK land-and-environment charity and as a named consortium partner on the Living Ash Project.
• Woodland Trust: The UK's largest woodland conservation charity, with more than 1,000 sites and ~500,000 members. Directly comparable to Sylva Foundation in mission (private woodland stewardship, home-grown timber advocacy) and UK nonprofit/grant-funded operating model.
• The Wildlife Trusts: A federation of 46 UK wildlife trusts managing nature reserves and running conservation, education and citizen-science programmes. Comparable to Sylva Foundation in charity structure, reliance on grants and members, and breadth of UK environmental programming.
• TCV (The Conservation Volunteers): A UK charity connecting volunteers with practical conservation work. Comparable to Sylva Foundation in volunteer-led delivery model (Forest Lab), UK geographic reach and grant-funded programme structure.
• Future Trees Trust: A UK charity focused on genetic improvement and resilience of British trees. Directly comparable as a small UK forestry research charity and Sylva's consortium partner on the Defra-funded Living Ash Project.
• Trees for Cities: A UK charity focused on urban tree planting and greening cities. Comparable to Sylva Foundation as a UK tree-focused charity combining planting projects, community engagement and employer-grade partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: A UK-based botanical science and conservation institution. Comparable to Sylva Foundation as a national-scale forestry/plant science body that combines research outputs, citizen science and grant-funded programmes.
• RSPB: The UK's largest nature conservation charity with more than 1 million members. Comparable as a broad UK conservation incumbent with significant land holdings, citizen-science platforms and government grant relationships similar to those Sylva depends on.
• Forest Research: The UK's principal forestry and tree-health research agency. Comparable to Sylva Foundation as Sylva's long-standing research partner on the British Woodlands Survey, Forest Lab and Living Ash Project, and as the dominant public-sector generator of UK forestry datasets.
• Forestry Commission (Forestry England / Forestry and Land Scotland): The UK government body responsible for forestry policy, regulation and the public forest estate. Comparable as a flagship partner, regulator and broader incumbent whose workflows Sylva's myForest tools are designed to plug into.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SylvaFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/sylvafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sylva-foundation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Sylva Foundation