Deadline : 31-Jan-23

The Next Challenge Grant is now open for applications. It's open to anyone, anywhere in the world and you don't need any expedition experience to apply.

It was started in 2015 and has funded more than 70 different adventures. The money comes from (Tim Moss), small crowdfunding donations and contributions from other adventurers.

Financing information

• This is a small concession. The prizes were between £60 and £800, but usually £100 or £200.
• Expeditions over £5,000 are unlikely to receive funding. If the high costs include flights, several team members or equipment, it is very unlikely that they will get funding.
• Expeditions under £500 are much more likely to get funding.

Eligibility criteria

• The scholarship is open to everyone, of any age and any nationality.
• It's mainly aimed at beginners and those who haven't done many expeditions before.
• The following are the basic rules that need to be followed. To be eligible for the subsidy, all journeys must:
  • Happening in 2022
    • If your trip starts after 2022, you can apply next year. It doesn't fund trips that have already taken place.
  • Be independently organised
    • Your trip cannot be part of an organised trip, race or event.
    • This includes volunteering through an organisation. The trip must be organised by you and your teammates without anyone else taking part. This is an absolute.
  • Whether for adventure or science
    • This grant is for adventure, not science.
    • Doctoral research, scientific studies, field trips, volunteering abroad and the like are not eligible. It's fine if your adventure includes a bit of science on the side, but it can't be the focus of your trip.
    • (There are many other grants available for scientific expeditions. Try the Royal Geographical Society or James Borrell's website)
  • Involve physical effort
    • Trips must involve some kind of physical effort, for example walking, cycling, climbing, swimming, running, camping.
  • They usually involve camping
    • Unless your trip only lasts one day, it should probably involve sleeping outside at some point.
    • That's not absolute. There have been a few exceptions, such as swimming off the Yorkshire coast and cycling the Alpe d'Huez eight times. But it's a good rule.
• Be original
  • It is difficult to define what is original and what is not. But the most common applications that fail at this are:
    • Mountaineering trips particularly on well-known peaks. Climbing is great, but it's often difficult for others to relate to and there are also many other grants available for climbing trips (e.g. BMC/MEF).
    • Tours by bike Tim Moss has funded many cycle tours, but they tend to be a bit different from cycling from A to B. He loves cycle touring, but you're unlikely to get a grant.
    • Popular routes Applications for walking trails, cycle paths and the like are unlikely to get funding without an original angle.

For more information, visit https://thenextchallenge.org/next-challenge-grant-2023-open-for-applications/