Our financial assistance programme exists to support attendees who might otherwise find it difficult to attend the conference. We have a budget set aside for this purpose.
The deadline for applications is 17:00 (Europe/London) on Friday, 14th June 2019. The organisers will not be able to accept applications after that date.
The financial assistance programme prioritises speakers. We also use it to support attendees from groups who are under-represented in our community and at our events, as part of our efforts to make PyCon UK as inclusive and diverse as possible.
Sometimes people feel reluctant to apply, for all kinds of reasons. For example, they feel might embarrassed to ask for help, or they doubt that they are the right kind of person, or they think that they don't deserve it, or that other people are more deserving. We hope that you won't feel like this, and we will be glad to receive your request for support.
Last year, PyCon UK was able to provide over £12000 as direct grants, and thousands more in free tickets, and we aim to do even better this year.
We welcome applications from all attendees, and strongly encourage you to apply if it would make it easier for you to attend. Many of your fellow attendees will be doing the same, including many speakers and even members of the conference organisation team.
Financial assistance includes free or discounted tickets, and funds to cover the costs of travel, accommodation and other expenses.
We'd love to be able to help all those who submit applications, but our funds are not unlimited, so we can't meet all requests. We do our best to maximise the impact of our financial assistance funding.Whoever you are, however, and whatever your needs, please do apply if we might be able to help you attend. Your application will be treated in complete confidence.
Thanks for applying. We hope we'll be able to help.
Apply for financial assistanceAdvice on how to apply
What can I request?
You can request:
- a free ticket only, or
- a grant as well as a free ticket.
Anyone who is allocated a grant will automatically receive a free ticket.
How much should I request?
Our budget is generous but limited, and we will have to make some hard decisions. Generally, it is easier for us to accept smaller requests. The lower your request, the more likely it is that we will be able to accept it - just because we can help more people that way.
You need to consider:
- how much you will need to spend in total in order to attend the conference
- how much of this you can contribute yourself
The difference between these two figures is the amount you should request.
How should I calculate how much I should request?
You will need to budget for:
- travel
- visa, if necessary
- accommodation
- subsistence (evening meals, local transport, etc) while in Cardiff
Travel
Spend a little time researching your options. See our Travel page to help you calculate costs. If you will need to travel by air, use websites such as Skyscanner or Hipmunk to estimate the cost of airfare. Be aware that a little flexibility with dates or routes can make a huge difference to the price of an air ticket.
Accommodation
See our Accommodation page to help you calculate costs. If you know someone else who is also travelling, you can share a room to lower costs. If you are willing to share a room, let us know in your application.
Be reasonable - we want you to stay somewhere clean, safe and comfortable, but we cannot afford to place you in a luxury hotel!
Subsistence
You will have lunch and refreshments each day as part of the conference. In Cardiff, you can get a decent evening meal for about £20.
I’m Chloe. Last year, my financial situation meant that PyCon UK would have been difficult for me to afford considering my other expenses, so I applied for financial assistance.
It was great to have a free ticket provided so I could still attend. It was very easy, and I would highly recommend applying.