These guidelines are the result of the chess support group. Contributors of this first version are Yves Moreels, Wessel van Kessel, Keano De Baets, Ben Dardha, Laurent Wery and Steven Bellens. Comments or remarks to this version can be addressed to info@frbe-kbsb-ksb.be.
Objectives
Define objective criteria for granting financial support to chess activities organized in Belgium and/or by Belgian players and organizations, in order to support activities that align with the goals of the Royal Belgian Chess Federation (RBCF).
Type of support
Financial support in the form of reimbursement of various costs related to the chess activity. The approved budget for 2026 is € 5000.
Eligible parties
- Chess clubs officially registered with the RBCF.
- Any organization actively involved in the chess community and collaborating with at least one player and/or club affiliated with the RBCF.
Applicants must have legal personality in the form of a non-profit association (vzw/asbl). Applications by natural persons are generally not accepted.
The RBCF reserves the right to conduct a preliminary assessment of the applicant (individual or organization) to evaluate experience, reliability, and organizational capacity.
Application procedure
Eligible parties must submit a dossier to the RBCF (info@frbe-kbsb-ksb.be).
Required elements of the dossier
- Legal information of the applicant
- Requested amount
- Target audience – estimated number of participants
- Proof of expenses (such as invoices or payment receipts) demonstrating that the total proven costs are at least equal to the amount of support received
- Concise financial overview showing the impact of RBCF support
- Relevant information (target group, volunteers, scale, location, etc.)
- Experience of the organization
- Publicity value (media exposure, social media reach, etc.)
If it becomes clear that legislation regarding safety, insurance, supervision of minors, behavioural rules, or substance use was not respected, the right to support lapses.
Additional conditions (signed declaration required)
Organizers must sign an attestation guaranteeing the following conditions:
- The supported activities must be accessible to all interested participants.
Restrictions based on skill level (e.g. beginner, advanced) or age category (e.g. youth, seniors) are permitted if functionally relevant to the concept. Exclusion on irrelevant criteria such as residence, membership of a specific club, or similar limitations is not allowed.
- Chess must represent the main part of the daily activities.
- Reports must be published on the RBCF website.
- Publicity for RBCF sponsors must be allowed during the activity.
- Visibility of RBCF support must be included in all mailings, invitations, and promotions.
- The RBCF reserves the right to verify whether the activity is conducted in accordance with these conditions.
- Additional opportunities for the RBCF must be allowed when relevant.
Allocation of funds
Activities are evaluated in order of receipt and approved in two cycles per year (submission deadlines: March 31st and September 30th) until the available budget is exhausted.
Thus, 50% of the annual budget is allocated per six-month cycle, taking into account the limitations below and based on the submitted proof of expenses.
Objective evaluation criteria
- Number of participants (50%): This concerns the total number of participants actively taking part in the activity. Each participant counts for 0.5 points, up to a maximum of 50 points (100 participants).
- Visibility of the activity (20%): Assessed based on public relations and media attention:
- Local publicity (e.g. local newspapers, social media with local reach, RBCF website): 5 points
- Regional publicity (e.g. regional TV, radio, social media with larger reach): 10 points
- National publicity (e.g. national TV, radio, major news sites, chess media): 15 points
- International publicity (e.g. international chess websites, international media): 20 points
- Objective / purpose of the activity (30%): Assesses the role of chess within the activity and its contribution to chess development in Belgium:
- Small chess activity within a larger event (e.g. a chess session during a school day): 6 points
- Full chess activity with a local character (e.g. village or club chess introduction): 15 points
- Chess activity that transcends provincial level (e.g. an open, publicly accessible training series): 30 points
Total score
The total score is the sum of: [participants score] + [visibility score] + [objective score]
- Only projects scoring at least 60/100 are eligible.
- The value number of participants × number of sessions (morning/afternoon) is used as the distribution key for dividing the budget.
The RBCF may choose to combine similar applications from the same organization into a single request.
Evaluation
Support is only paid after the project has ended and the actual results have been evaluated. If the final number of participants, visibility, or achievement of objectives differs from the original estimate:
- The financial support will be adjusted downward in proportion (e.g. if fewer participants attended).
- Support may be cancelled entirely if the minimum total score is no longer reached.
This means the final support amount may be lower than the initially approved amount if the project does not meet the expected impact.
Obligations of the beneficiary
The beneficiary grants the RBCF permission to use the activity and its publications for promotional purposes.
Payment terms
- Proof of expenses must be submitted to the RBCF.
- Payment will be made after the RBCF has received and approved the supporting documents.
