Race Organisers

Grants

The Association offers an annual grant scheme for organisers that use our race licensing system. Since this scheme starting in 2013 we have paid out over £140,000 which has gone directly to supporting and maintaining trail running events up and down the country.

Grant Details and Eligibility

• Maximum Award: Organisers may apply for an individual grant of up to £750.
• Purpose: The funds must be used to reimburse purchase of equipment that will help deliver trail running events year after year.
• Item Criteria: Grants are typically for a single item (e.g. a gazebo) or a single set of related items (e.g. a set of race signage). Applications for a list of several distinct items are generally not accepted and will likely be rejected.
• Excluded Items: Grants are not available for items that could be used for wider purposes beyond race management, such as cameras, tablets, or laptops.
• Part-Purchase: Grants can be used as a part-purchase, meaning the total cost of the item may exceed the £750 limit, though the maximum grant payable remains £750.
• Payment: Funds are normally paid to the promoting club or organisation, not to an individual.
• Frequency: An organisation can be awarded a maximum of one TRA Grant per calendar year.

The Association favours more environmental equipment choices where such alternatives are feasible.  For example, rechargeable power packs are preferred over petrol driven generators.

Application Requirements

Your event must meet two conditions for the grant to be awarded:

1. The event must have received a race licence from the TRA.
2. The event must take place no later than 12 months after the grant application is submitted.

The Race Organiser is not required to be a TRA member, although this may be a factor taken into account during the committee's decision-making process.

Application Process

When your licence application is approved, you will receive an email invitation to apply for a TRA Grant, which includes a link to the online form. The application requires:

• The promoting organisation's name.
• The event's name, date, and TRA licence number.
• The cost and description of the item to be purchased. The cost should include any additions, such as VAT and delivery.
• A weblink to the item, where possible.
• Contact details for a person the TRA can contact for supplemental information.

Payment is made upon sight of the receipted invoice once the grant for a specific, agreed-upon item is approved.

Environmental Preference

The Association favours more environmentally friendly equipment choices where feasible. For example, rechargeable power packs are preferred over petrol-driven generators.

Expectations of Grant Recipients

The TRA expects grant recipients to:

1. Consent to the event being included in the TRA Race Directory and provide all necessary information for this purpose.
2. Acknowledge the grant on the event website and display the TRA logo (available here).
3. For custom-printed equipment (like signage or banners), include the TRA logo in the design and confirm this in your application.
4. Cooperate in setting up a link between the event website and the TRA website.

Grant Committee Decisions

The decision of the TRA on any grant application is final. The TRA is not obligated to enter into correspondence or discussion about the reasons for its decisions.

Promote Your Event and the Scheme

Race Organisers who receive grants are invited to write articles and reports on their event's experience for publication in The Trailrunner. Submissions should be sent to Kathy Tytler, Trailrunner's Editor (editor@tra-uk.org).

The TRA may also publish information about grants awarded to attract more entries to your events and publicise the grant's availability.