The Ghar Parau Foundation has existed since the 1970s and meets twice a year to donate monies to UK exploratory caving expeditions going abroad. The criteria will be easily met by most caving expeditions with a particular focus on young people. Visit the GPF website for further information.
The Mount Everest Foundation was established following the success of the 1953 Everest Expedition which finally climbed the mountain. Some caving expeditions meet the MEF criteria and these get good support. Similarly to GPF, they meet twice a year. Visit the MEF website for further information.
The British Cave Research Association is affiliated with the International Union of Speleology (UIS) and as such this opens an avenue for further funding. Grants may be awarded for international expeditions or other events focused on the exploration, study, or protection of caves and karst, with emphasis on educational, technical and/or scientific cooperation.
All applications should explicitly demonstrate that the proposed event is in accordance with the Statutes, Internal Regulations and Code of Ethics of the UIS. In addition, the event must involve contributors from at least three different countries. Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. Other requirements and details can be found in the UIS Speleological Event Sponsorship Guidelines. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the UIS Vice President of Administration Zdenek Motycka at z.motycka@mediform.cz
The UIS Bureau has decided to allocate a maximum amount of €5.000 to support all projects for 2023. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2023. Applications must be sent to the UIS Bureau through the General Secretary Johannes Mattes at johannes.mattes@oeaw.ac.at. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their proposal by the end of July 2023.
The British Caving Association is also affiliated with the European Federation of Speleology (FSE)
Support for expeditions, events & projects from the European Federation of Speleology (FSE) can be found via their website.
In 2018, the Ghar Parau Foundation received a substantial donation which had its origin in the Merdeka Award. These funds are now exclusively available to support expeditions to Mulu.