A list of organisations, Trusts, commercial companies and charities that are able to provide funding support for trips. Be sure to check out each organisation's awarding criteria carefully before making an application to avoid disappointment and also wasting your time.
Alpkit Foundation
Cash support to help individuals, schools and organisations overcome obstacles that prevent them from Going Nice Places and Doing Good Things.
Check out details here.
Alpine Club
The Montane Alpine Club grants are available twice a year for both official Alpine Club expeditions and independent expeditions with one or more aspirant/full AC members taking part. Grants range from £575 to £1725 per expeditions.
Preference is given to expeditions by students and younger members, and to those who have not previously received a grant.Grants are usually given to expeditions attempting new routes in high and/or hard to reach mountain ranges e.g. the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges. Grants will now not typically be given for the more well- travelled mountain areas in Central Alaska, Patagonia, or Greenland (unless the applicants are young members who are new to expeditionary climbing). First ski ascents or descents are not usually supported.A new feature of the grants is that they may now be awarded to teams attempting early repeats of technical routes, especially on 7000m and 8000m mountains, and/or if they aim to improve on the style of earlier ascents.It should be noted that the amount awarded will be reduced pro-rata for each non-member in the expedition team e.g. A four person team awarded £800 will have £200 deducted for each non-member (or member who has received a grant in the last 2 years) in the party.
Check out details here
Alpine Ski Club
There are two awards here:
The Kenneth Smith scholarship and the Memorial Adventure Fund
Available to ski mountaineers in support of exploratory expeditions, attending advanced courses or conducting related research. Average grant: up to £600.
Full details, application form and contact details are here:
alpineskiclub.org.uk/grants.
American Alpine Club
There are a range of different grants set out on the American Alpine Club grants page. Check them out here
Andrew Croft Memorial Fund
The Fund's objectives are:
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Supporting the advancement and education of young people by the provision of grants in support of Arctic expeditions.
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Assisting Her Majesty's Constabulary with grants towards the cost of further education and training aimed at enhancing their effectiveness in the community.
Check them out here
Andy Fanshawe Memorial Trust
If you are under 26 and lack funding for a climbing expedition or other outdoor initiative, then you could qualify for a grant from the Andy Fanshawe Memorial Trust. The Trust could also help fund your place on a training course provided your primary reason for attending it is for personal development rather than professional qualifications. Maximum grant of £500.
www.andyfanshawe.org
The Adventure Fund
An annual grant established to support individuals or groups who display a creative and innovative approach towards adventurous travel and expeditioning.
www.theadventurefund.com
Des Rubens and Bill Wallace Grant
BMC
177-179 Burton Road
Manchester M20 2BB
Tel: 0161 445 6111
Cam and Bear Fund for Adventure
In memory of the ultimate outdoorsman, Andrew Foster, our aim is to provide disadvantaged young people more opportunities to experience the types of outdoor activities that Andrew loved. The Fund provides grants to young people from England and Wales between age 12 and 18. Grants are awarded to individuals to help them undertake courses, qualifications, go on expeditions and buy equipment needed to participate in an adventure sport. The Fund supports a range of adventure activities including (but not limited to!) climbing, mountaineering, skiing and hiking. The Fund aims to help people who may not be in a financial situation to participate in these activities otherwise. For more details and to apply visit our website https://www.camandbearfund.com/
Captain Scott Society
The Captain Scott Society Awards are granted to assist individuals or groups to undertake adventurous expeditions and endeavours. There are two awards. One is for people attempting adventourous "firsts". The other is specifically for young people age 11 to 19.
Check out their webpage here.
The Crux Expedition Award
An opportunity for today’s young climbers to win £1000 in cash and £2000 worth of crux equipment for use on an outstanding mountaineering objective. Deadline for applications is 31 January.
Check out the Crux website here
DMM
DMM can support trips with equipment rather than money.
Check out their requirements here.
Eagle Ski Club
A range of grants available with the focus being ski touring and ski mountaineering, often for younger people. Full information and application procedures are here eagleskiclub.org.uk.
Grit and Rock
The award funds projects of female-led expedition teams and aims to promote and encourage female participation in pioneering alpine ascents.
There are several categories of awards. Find out more here
Horizon Lectures Adventure Fund
To encourage and enable people to undertake their own adventurous trips, ideas and expeditions. Applications are welcomed from all walks of life and all sorts of ideas will be considered - from expeditions in far-flung destinations to local adventures in the UK.
More details here
Janapar Grant
The aim of the grant is to promote journeys that involve immersion in unfamiliar places, cultures and ideas. Available to UK residents between the ages of 18-25 who intend to spend a minimum of 6 months travelling abroad. Website: janapar-grant.org.uk.
Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust (JWCT)
The charity helps people and projects that reflect Jeremy’s passions in life: athletics, geology, adventure and the environment. The trust also provides one or more mountaineering grants on an annual basis to those applying for expedition grants from the BMC.
Further information on the Jeremy Willson Mountain Exploration Grant.
Website: www.jwct.org.uk.
Jack Bloor Fund
Set up by the Jack Bloor Trustees in memory of Jack Bloor, who was a former member of the BMC from Yorkshire and who made many first ascents in Yorkshire and the Lake District.
Grants are available to young people under 26, who want to improve their skills in the outdoors or to help with training for rock climbing competitions. Grants are available all year round to people who live in Yorkshire and belong to the BMC. Up to 50% of the total cost is available up to a maximum of £300.
Further information about the Jack Bloor Fund.
Journey of a Lifetime Award
The award offers a £5,000 grant for an original and inspiring journey anywhere in the world.The award is a collaboration between the RGS and the BBC to support informed travel and learning, through experience rather than scientific research, and to discover new radio talent. The outcome of each of journey is a BBC Radio 4 travel documentary. The recipient will receive training in radio broadcasting from the BBC and will record their experiences for a BBC Radio 4 documentary. Deadline: 10 November. Find out more here
Julie Tullis Memorial Award
A small grant to assist deserving female mountaineers or any disabled climbers or mountaineers, both male and female, to achieve their climbing or mountaineering ambitions.
Applications for the Julie Tullis Memorial Award can be made via the BMC Expedition Grant form, and should include a short covering note explaining how the project fits the award criteria. The BMC will consider applications from individual British females, or a female expedition, with an interesting mountaineering goal. Also welcomed are applications from male or female disabled climbers with a specific climbing or mountaineering goal for the year in question.
Further information about the Julie Tullis Memorial Award.
Female First Ascent Award
An award set up by GRIT&ROCK to promote female first ascents. The award will fund a female-led expedition team up to the amount of GBP5,000. The aims of the annually awarded FIRST ASCENT EXPEDITION GRANT is to promote and encourage female participation in pioneering alpine ascents. The Award is open to individuals and climbing teams with majority female participation and is meant to provide funding for those who need it most.
Further information about the First Ascent Award.
Alison Chadwick Award for Women
The Alison Chadwick Memorial Award is a financial award made to either a female mountaineer or an all female expedition.
Further information about the Alison Chadwick Award.
Martin Moran Foundation
Supporting young people aged 16 - 18, from across the UK from varied and diverse backgrounds. The foundation provides fully funded - including travel, food and accommodation - 7-day programmes of instruction in climbing, mountain adventure and skill building in the Highlands of Scotland.
Further information about the Martin Moran Foundation
Now On Earth: Youth Adventure Grant
Grants of between £100-£500 for young adults aged 18-24 based in the UK undertaking an adventurous, physically challenging, self organised expedition and to help develop self-confidence, resilience and mental wellbeing. More details here
Roger Chorley Memorial Grant for University Mountaineering Expeditions
Following the death of Roger Chorley in 2016 a fund was established offering grants to university mountaineering expeditions.
The fund is administered by the Mount Everest Foundation, and these grants will be in addition to the normal MEF grant. Applicants should use the standard MEF grant application form, and their eligibility will be considered automatically during the MEF screening process.
Mount Everest Foundation
The MEF encourages mountaineering expeditions to unexplored mountain regions, as well as education and research projects in a wide range of subjects, including geography, geology, medical research and biology. Expeditions must have a strong exploratory element to be deemed eligible for support. Expeditions planning geographical exploration, first ascent, or major new routes on high and remote mountains are likely to qualify. Normally the MEF will only support expeditions where the majority of members are from the UK or New Zealand. Grants will be given on a basis of proven need, and range from £1500 to many tens of thousands for expeditions to extremely remote and logistically expensive areas. The deadlines for receipt of completed applications are bi-annually on the 30th September and 31st January.
The MEF also administer the Alison Chadwick Memorial Grant "to further British and Polish women’s mountaineering in the greater ranges"; and The Roger Chorley Memorial Grant for University Mountaineering Expeditions.
Or email:
Next Challenge Expedition Grant
Small grants for independent trips. Website: thenextchallenge.org.
Nick Estcourt Award
Expeditions attempting an objective of mountaineering significance. This might be a previously unclimbed face, ridge or summit or a repeat of an existing route in more challenging style or conditions. Applications are considered solely in terms of their mountaineering merit; other objectives are not taken into account. Average grant: £1,000.
Plas y Brenin awards
There are a wide range of award and bursaries available through Plas y Brenin. You will need to read each one to see whether you meet the criteria or not.
Check them out here.
The RDC Foundation
The RDC Foundation was set up in 2019 in the memory of Richard D Crabtree who passed way after an illness in 2018. Richard was heavily involved in the development of young people through activities notably (but not exclusively) over 30 years as a geography teacher, Scout Leader and Expedition leader for British Schools Exploring Society. The purpose of the foundation is to advance young people under the age of 21 in life for the public benefit. through recreational and leisure time activities so as to develop their mental, physical and moral capabilities.
The RDC Foundation will consider applications from individuals under 21 years of age, for up to £1,000, so they can contribute to life-changing adventurous activities for which they have been heavily involved in planning. Grants of up to £1,000 are also available to charitable organisations for the provision of relevant equipment to support adventurous activities of young people. For example (not exhaustive) the purchase of tents for camping, climbing equipment and backwoods equipment. Apply by email here
Ron Pickering Memorial Fund
Grant are available to both able and disability athletes between the ages of 15 and 23. Grants to athletes over 23 may be made in exceptional circumstances.
Details and how to apply are here
rpmf.org.uk.
Royal Geographical Society
Funding has been allocated to support research and school fieldwork projects. Topics range from investigating the socio-spatial impact of mining waste deposits on urban areas in Chile to reconstructing monsoon dynamics in the Eastern Himalayas from glacial and ecological change.
Grants are available for desk-based research, fieldwork and expeditions, research into teaching and learning, developing teaching resources, and for international conference attendance. Website here
Shipton/Tilman Grant
For endeavors that demonstrate the exploration philosophy of Shipton and Tilman - small, lighweight and innovative. Website:
www.gore-tex.com.
Postal address:
W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
295 Blueball Road
Elkton
MD 21921
USA
The Rob George Foundation
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To provide practical and/or financial support to young people with life threatening or terminal illnesses
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To provide financial support to young people who demonstrate exceptional commitment and/or ability in the worlds of sport or the performing arts but may be held back by their financial situation from pursuing their goals
Website: therobgeorgefoundation.co.uk.
Timmissartok Foundation
The Foundation will partially support projects that involve “travel with a purpose” in which a particular passion is to be explored. Open to individuals seeking adventure in foreign lands. Open to all nationalities and all ages. Website:
timmissartok.com.
The Chris Walker Memorial Trust
Welcomes applications from aspiring Greater Ranges climbers who need help to fund expeditions with the objective of establishing new routes, repeating rarely attempted lines, or visiting unexplored areas. The Trust will also provide assistance to candidates who are undertaking the British Mountain Guide scheme. Website:
www.chriswalkertrust.co.uk.
The Gino Watkins Memorial Fund
Gives grants towards expeditions, including mountaineering expeditions, that meet its objectives of guiding and inspiring enterprising young people towards scientific research and exploration in the polar regions.
Website here.
Postal address:
c/o Scott Polar Research Institute,
Lensfield Road,
Cambridge
CB2 1ER
Arctic Club Awards
The Arctic Club seeks to promote and support interesting, innovative and adventurous expeditions in the Arctic, particularly for young people. Grants are awarded annually from the Arctic Club Award Fund, held within the Gino Watkins Memorial Fund (see above).
Applications for an Arctic Club award must be made to the Gino Watkins Memorial Fund by 31 January each year. Each year, one or more expeditions are given an Arctic Club Award and receive a combined grant from both the Gino Watkins Memorial Fund and the Arctic Club Award Fund. Website here
The Ulysses Trust
The trust provides financial support to members of the Volunteer Military Reserve, Cadet Forces, or University Officer Training of the UK, and to units organising an expedition or adventurous training activity.
Website here
Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships
Every year the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust awards some 100 Travelling Fellowships to British Citizens from all walks of life and from all over the United Kingdom. The Fellowships are open to men and women from all walks of life and one category that may be of particular interest is Adventure and Leaders of Expeditions. Website:
www.wcmt.org.uk.
Young Explorers Trust
Expeditions with most members below 20 years old (not usually undergraduate expeditions) involved in discovery and exploration in remote areas. Aims can include community projects, fieldwork and/or physical adventure (climbing/sailing etc.). New groups and ones with disadvantaged members are encouraged to apply. Average grant: £100 - £500 or equipment bursaries. Website:
www.theyet.org.
Postal address:
Ted Grey
Stretton Cottage
Wellow Road
Ollerton
Newark
Notts NG22 9AX
Tel: 01623 861027
Wilderness Award
The Wilderness Award is a cash award made to a UK resident over the age of 18 who intends to travel overseas, returning before 31st January of the following year, to undertake an unusual and adventurous objective in a geographically remote wilderness area.
More info here.
Residents of Australia and New Zealand
Amending this page
If you are aware of any other sources of funding for trips and expeditions that could be added to this page, or if you know any of the links above no longer work, please email Nick Colton at
nick@thebmc.co.uk.
General Grants
For a very detailed list of expedition grants available, see
www.rgs.org.
This list is based on the list produced by the RGS.
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