Expeditions can be expensive; especially those to the high peaks of the Himalaya, Karakoram and Antarctica. Fortunately several organisations, including the Alpine Club, can be approached for financial support. There are many organisations who make awards to appropriate groups but some of the more substantial ones are listed below:
The Mount Everest Foundation - The MEF awards more than £100K annually to expeditions and will consider applications from any British, Nepalese or New Zealand party (or team including a member of one of these nationalities). To secure funding, objectives should involve a degree of exploration and novelty. Exploring a new or rarely visited area, attempting an unclimbed mountain or a new route are typical requirements. The MEF also administers the Alison Chadwick Memorial Grant which provides additional funding to female-led expeditions.
The Alpine Club & The Montane Alpine Club Climbing Funds - The AC Climbing Fund will consider applications from any Alpine Club member for expeditions that have objectives similar to those required by the MEF. Grants are generally in the order of £500-1500 but are reduced prorata for participants who are not members of the AC. Additional funding is provided to expeditions with female members. UK outdoor clothing manufacturer Montane select a number of AC expeditions each year to support with clothing and equipment.
The British Mountaineering Council - Grants are provided to British climbers through two funding streams. The first provides funding to those from historically underrepresented groups to enable them to take part in expeditions. The other supports British people going on innovative high-level mountaineering expeditions. Additional funding is also available through the Julie Tullis Memorial Award for female and/or disabled mountaineers.
The Gino Watkins Memorial Fund - Will consider awards for scientific research and exploration in the polar regions.
Grit & Rock focus exclusively on female mountaineers. They offer a number of funding streams, supporting women at all stages of the performance curve, from those on their first expedition to those making cutting-edge ascents.
Additional grants can be found by the BMC's article listing various funding streams.
In addition to the funding bodies listed above, it is sometimes possible to garner expedition support by way of the donation or loan of equipment from key manufacturers and distributors. These need to be applied for individually.