Minister announces opening of the Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group Scheme 2026

The Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme 2026 has new focus areas and the option to nominate someone to attend meetings or outdoor events on your behalf

The Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group Scheme aims to promote active, sustainable forest management by building forest owners’ knowledge, awareness and decision-making capacity to support the management of their forests. 

The opening of the Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme 2026 was recently announced.

The announcement was made by minister of state with responsibility for forestry, Michael Healy-Rae, continuing the Government’s strong investment in practical training, peer learning and active forest management for Ireland’s private forest owners.

Announcing the scheme, the minister said: “The Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group Scheme continues to be a very successful and sought-after initiative. It gives forest owners practical, hands-on knowledge and the confidence to make informed decisions about their forests. I am very pleased to reopen the scheme for a seventh year.” 

The KTG Scheme aims to promote active, sustainable forest management by building forest owners’ knowledge, awareness and decision-making capacity to support the management of their forests.

Since its introduction in 2018, the scheme has become a cornerstone of knowledge transfer within the sector, supporting almost 3,000 forest owners. The scheme helps forest owners participate in locally based groups, helping them build the skills and confidence to actively manage their forests and maximise their long-term value.

The minister continued: “Groups are led by professional foresters and operate through field visits, demonstrations and peer-to-peer discussion, enabling participants to learn from both experts and fellow forest owners. 

"These groups are about practical learning and real-world experience. They help owners to take a more active role in managing their forests.” 

Each KTG can have a maximum of 20 participants, and each participant will need to attend seven meetings or outdoor events in order to complete the programme. 

A key enhancement to the 2026 scheme is the introduction of two dedicated Focus Areas, allowing organisers and participants to tailor learning to their specific needs.

• Focus Area A – Sustainable Forest Management (SFM): Covering core silviculture, thinning, forest operations, forest health and resilience.
• Focus Area B – Forest Management Plans (FMPs) and Forest Certification (FC): Supporting owners to prepare management plans and take practical steps towards certification and higher management standards.

As Focus Area B is a new addition to the scheme, all forest owners will be eligible to join a Focus Area B group, irrespective of whether they have participated in a Forestry KTG in previous years.

Each KTG must be assigned to only one focus area, either Focus Area A or Focus Area B. Participants and nominees can only join one KTG, either Focus Group A (SFM) or Focus Group B (FMP & FC). 

Where participants are unable to attend KTG meetings, they can nominate a family member or joint owner. Other nominee types will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The minister concluded: “The new focus areas and the option to nominate someone to attend on your behalf ensure that nobody misses out on the opportunity to build skills and knowledge on managing your forests.” 

An evaluation process will be applied to ensure that only applications to organise a KTG that reach a minimum standard are considered. Applications will also be ranked if the scheme is oversubscribed.