Closed programmes

Since the Trust began in April 2018, we’ve delivered a variety of programmes and continue to manage historical grants that have all benefited the Armed Forces community.

Browse our closed programmes below to learn more about their impact…

Closed Programmes funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Programmes listed in alphabetical order.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Armistice and Armed Forces Communities programme

The programme has made awards to community groups, places of worship, charities and schools to give them up to 10 silhouettes to support events in their local area. We have made Awards to over 2,600 organisations.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Continuation and sustainability grants for projects supporting ex-Forces in the Criminal Justice System programme

In 2015, 14 grants worth £4.6M were awarded to support projects working with ex-Forces with the aim of reducing re-offending. Seven continuation grants worth £1,101,308 were subsequently awarded to some existing grant holders.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Ex-Forces in the Criminal Justice System programme

In 2015, 14 grants worth £4.6 million were awarded to support projects working with ex-Forces with the aim of reducing re-offending.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Families in Stress programme

The Trust made 24 grants of up to £300,000 for projects supporting the families of serving personnel facing stressful circumstances, requiring immediate short-term intervention.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Forces Communities Together programme

The Forces Communities Together programme will award small grants of up to £10,000 towards creative and engaging projects, that can be delivered under social restrictions, for people from Armed Forces communities who are isolated as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Closing date: 13 Dec 2023

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Force for Change programme

This programme will award grants of up to £15,000 for community projects that reduce isolation and promote integration in local Armed Forces communities.

Open to: Armed Forces communities locally

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Local Grants Programme

Between 2015 and 2020, the Trust awarded grants of up to £20,000 under the Armed Forces Covenant Fund: Local Grants programme. Funding was awarded to local projects that supported community integration or local delivery of services.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Armed Forces Covenant Fund: Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme

The Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme will award grants of up to £100,000 over a period of up to three years.

Open to: Charities and CICs can apply for a grant. There is more information in the programme guidance.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Removing Barriers to Family Life programme

This family-focused programme supports Armed Forces families facing challenges. In all, £7.5 million was available to projects that reduce isolation and loneliness.

Funded by

Strengthening Delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant programme

Programme overview Under the Strengthening Delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant Programme The Covenant Fund awarded £6.6M through two rounds of funding to clusters of Local Authorities (LAs), enabling them to deliver projects linked to needs identified by their Local…

Funded by

Supporting Armed Forces in Acute Hospital Settings programme

This programme supports a small number of pilot projects that will try better ways of supporting veterans and their families when they are in a hospital setting.

The programme is jointly funded by the Covenant Fund (through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust) and NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Sustaining Delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant programme

The Sustaining Delivery programme provides funding to enable local authority clusters funded under the Strengthening Delivery of the Covenant programme to conclude their work; delivering longer term changes that enable people from Armed Forces communities to be able to better access services and support in their local areas.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Sustaining Support for Armed Forces Communities programme

This programme will award grants of up to £100,000 for existing charitable projects to help charities to sustain activities and services that people from Armed Forces communities use and value.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant

Tackling Loneliness programme

The Tackling Loneliness programme will address social isolation by targeting specific groups within the Armed Forces community who are traditionally harder to reach.

Funded by Armed Forces Covenant Fund

Tackling Serious Stress in Veterans, Carers and Families programme

This programme was designed to provide funding for innovative and new ways of working to reduce serious stress in veterans, their carers and families.

Funded by Covenant Fund

Transformational Grants programme

This highly specialised programme will make a small number of grants to create systemic change for Armed Forces communities. Grants of up to £300,000 are available.

Open to: Charities


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Programmes Funded through the Armed Forces Families Fund

Funded by MOD

MOD Education Support Fund (ESF)

The Trust has partnered with the MOD to administer the MOD Education Support Fund (ESF). This programme provides funding to schools to help mitigate the effects of exceptional mobility and/or separation faced by Service children.

Funded by Armed Forces Families Fund

Armed Forces Families Fund: Research Grants programme

This programme will award grants of up to £60,000 for research projects that explore particular challenges faced by Armed Forces families.

Open to: UK charities and universities

Closing date: 05 Dec 2022

Funded by MOD

Armed Forces Families Fund: Early Years programme

Under the Early Years programme the Trust will award grants of between £20,000 and £80,000 to nurseries on or near Armed Forces bases or units on behalf of the MOD’s Armed Forces Families Fund.

Open to: Armed Forces bases, stations, units that provide onsite childcare and nurseries who meet the eligibility criteria

Closing date: 12 Jan 2024

Funded by MOD

Armed Forces Families Fund: Early Years programme 2023-24

This programme will award grants of between £5,000 and £80,000 on behalf of the MOD’s Armed Forces Families Fund Early Years Programme for projects which help enhance early childhood education and childcare settings of young children from Armed Forces families.

Closing date: 12 Dec 2022

Funded by MOD: Armed Forces Families Fund

Supporting Partners: Innovation Grants

*Important update to programme eligibility* We’ve reviewed our guidance and removed the requirement for charities and CICs to have been registered for 2 years prior to application. There are no further amendments to the programme guidance. Please scroll down for…

Closing date: 25 Jan 2024

Funded by MOD

AF3: Supporting Partners Programme

The Supporting Partners programme provides funding to projects that will improve support for Service partners and spouses regarding the skills and experiences they bring to the workplace.


Programmes funded by Office for Veterans’ Affairs

Closing date: 17 Jan 2022

Funded by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs

Afghanistan Veterans Fund

Afghanistan Veterans Fund

Closing date: 08 Jan 2024

Funded by Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund

Development Grants Programme

This programme will award grants of up to £25,000 to assist in the development of new build projects that will offer high quality support for veterans with a housing need.

Closing date: 22 May 2023

Funded by Office for Veterans’ Affairs

Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme

Under this programme, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust will award grants on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), towards projects that contribute to the aims of the government’s ambition to reduce veteran homelessness and end rough sleeping.

Closing date: 08 Jan 2024

Funded by Office for Veterans’ Affairs

Veterans’ Career Development Fund

The Trust will award grants on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, to projects that will enable Veterans and their families to enter stable long-term employment, by delivering qualifications and training.

Closing date: 14 Aug 2023

Funded by Office for Veterans Affairs

Veterans’ Mobility Fund

Under the Veterans’ Mobility Fund, we will award a single grant of up to £2.52 million towards a project that will deliver high quality support to veterans with physical disabilities, through grants to enable them to access mobility equipment that meets their needs and improves their quality of life. 

Open to: Registered Charities


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Programmes funded by HM Treasury

Programmes listed in alphabetical order.

Funded by MOD

Covid-19 Impact Programme

The Covid-19 Impact Programme will ensure that people from Armed Forces communities can keep accessing important services, where resources for these services have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Funded by HM Treasury

One is Too Many

Part of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, the One is Too Many programme awarded grants of up to £300,000 to two-year projects that aim to reduce suicide risks within vulnerable veterans in a co-ordinated and targeted way.

Funded by HM Treasury

Positive Pathways programme

Part of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, the Positive Pathways programme funded projects that develop and run activities supporting the mental health and wellbeing of ex-Forces.

Funded by HM Treasury

Strategic Pathways programme

Part of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, the Strategic Pathways programme funded a small number of national organisations to provide support and mentoring to organisations delivering activities and opportunities under the Positive Pathways programme over a two-year period.

Funded by HM Treasury

Veterans’ Community Centres programme

This £3 million funding programme funded renovations and improvements to veterans’ community centres. The programme was a specialist pot of funding and applicants must have been from Armed Forces charities with an existing building that required refurbishment.

Funded by HM Treasury

Veterans Should Not Be Forgotten

In the March 2020 budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer awarded additional funding for veterans’ mental health. Some of this funding was made available to provide immediate support for vulnerable veterans with reduced social contact via grants to members of ASDIC, Age UK branches and eligible and invited Cobseo members.

Funded by HM Treasury

Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People programme

This programme will award 10 grants of up to £800,000 to portfolios of projects, which will work regionally to develop better, more joined up lasting support for local veterans with mental health needs.


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The Aged Veterans’ Fund

Funded by LIBOR

Aged Veterans’ Fund

The Aged Veterans Fund awarded £30M of LIBOR funding to improve support and introduce new services to help older veterans.


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The NAAFI Fund

Funded by Royal NAAFI

The NAAFI Fund

The NAAFI Fund makes grants to UK Armed Forces bases, located in the UK or overseas, for projects that improve the quality of life for serving personnel and serving families living on or near a Forces base or station.

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