Chess Trust

The Chess Trust funds activities in sport and recreation, and education and skills, with a primary focus on chess. They support structured junior development, youth and women's chess initiatives including women-only tournaments, FIDE-rated norm tournaments, events for seniors, and novel community projects that make a tangible difference. Their grants cover project costs, events, coaching, and specialist programmes for amateur players. The largest expenditure is on the Accelerator Programme for elite junior individuals. All funded activities must primarily benefit England.

The Chess Trust welcomes applications from individuals, grassroots groups, clubs, and organisations, including registered charities and community groups. They prioritise initiatives that support youth, women, seniors, and novel community projects. The Accelerator Programme is by invitation only for elite junior players. Schools are not eligible for grant applications. There are no income thresholds or geographic base requirements for applicants, but activities must primarily benefit England.

The Chess Trust does not fund schools, professional players, routine club equipment, new club setups, core funding, or initiatives that duplicate existing provision. Equipment costs are also excluded from grant applications.

The Chess Trust offers two funding streams: an invitation-only Accelerator Programme that provides multi-year support for elite junior players, and an open grants programme for project costs, events, coaching, and specialist programmes. They act as a sector-shaping partner, prioritising high-impact developmental pathways and complementing existing chess bodies. They welcome unsolicited applications for the grants programme. Core costs are not funded.