In short
The PTES Conservation Insight Grants Guidance for Applicants (March 2026), section 5, strongly discourages using AI to design a project or complete the application form. It allows AI for some tasks, such as translation and summarising text already written to fit a word count. Applicants stay responsible for accuracy. PTES says it does not use AI to assess applications, so the pages give no rules for reviewers.
Limits AI. Applicants may use AI for some tasks, and the funder restricts how much of an application AI may write.
For applicants
- PTES strongly discourages using AI to design a project and complete the application form. The project should be designed by the applicant and their team without using AI. [1]
- PTES says AI can support some elements, such as translation if English is not your first language. It still recommends a colleague or friend who speaks English checks the result. [1]
- AI tools can also be used to summarise text that has already been written to fit a set word count. [1]
- If you use AI, you are responsible for making sure all information is accurate and honest and that the proposed actions are realistic. [1]
- PTES says AI can make applications generic and can produce inaccurate or misleading content that is often obvious to reviewers. The pages set no disclosure rule. [1]
For reviewers
- PTES says it does not use AI to assess grant applications or for decision making. The pages give no other rules for reviewers. [1]
Sources
PTES Conservation Insight Grants Guidance for Applicants (opens in a new tab)
For the above reasons, we strongly discourage using AI to design a project and complete our application form.
This specific information is unlikely to be successfully produced by AI and therefore the project should be designed by you and your team without using AI.
However, we recognise that AI tools can support some elements of the grant application process, such as if English is not your first language, however, we would still recommend asking a colleague or friend who speaks English to check that nothing has been lost in translation after you have used the translation tool.
AI tools can also be used to summarise text that has already been written to fit a set word count.
If you do use AI, it is your responsibility to ensure that all information provided is accurate and honest and that the actions proposed are realistic.
We do not use AI to assess grant applications or for decision making.
AI tools can also generate inaccurate or misleading content and these are often obvious when reviewing applications.
See People's Trust for Endangered Species's programs
This page summarizes what the funder has published and is not legal advice. Policies change, and one solicitation can add its own rules. Confirm against the funding announcement before you apply.