Our Collaboration Lab is now open!
We’re building the next chapter of funding for the armed forces community in conversation with the people who understand the challenges, see the gaps, and know what needs to change.
Welcome to the Collaboration Lab!
Right now, we’re shaping what Armed Forces Covenant funding will look like between 2027-2023 and where we can make the biggest difference.
We need insight from across the armed forces community – from organisations, practitioners, partners, and people with lived experience – as well as those supporting people in the armed forces community.
People who see where support is working, where people are still falling through the gaps and where we need to think differently.
This is your chance to shape what comes next.
A space to explore, challenge and build together
Our Collaboration Lab is a place to explore evidence, test ideas, ask difficult questions and learn from each other.
By bringing different perspectives into the process, we can make better, more informed decisions about where funding can have the greatest impact.
Start with the evidence, then go further
To help open the conversation, we’ve worked with RAND Europe [opens external web page] to review the evidence on need, challenge and support across the armed forces community.
The research looks at:
- where disadvantage is most complex
- which groups face the greatest unmet need
- where the biggest gaps in understanding still exist.
On our Collaboration Lab page, you can explore this evidence, see where knowledge is strong, and where gaps remain.
But we know that evidence alone isn’t enough. It doesn’t always show the full picture or reflect what’s happening right now.
And that’s where you come in!
We want to hear what the data can’t tell us
What’s missing? What’s changing? Who’s not being heard?
We’ve made a space for you to share this with us by running your own Collaboration Lab with your colleagues, partners or service users.
You don’t need a big event or a formal set-up, and we’ve created a practical, flexible toolkit to make it easy to get started.
From short online sessions to deeper, face-to-face discussions, everything is adaptable to your needs to allow you to have the best conversations and share those insights with us.
Share your views
If running a session isn’t right for you, there are other ways to get involved.
You can:
- take part in a Collaboration Lab run by an organisation you’re familiar with
- respond to our online survey
Every contribution helps build a clearer picture of future funding needs.
Why it matters
The armed forces community is not one homogenous group!
We’ve all had different journeys, faced different challenges and have different needs.
What’s more, disadvantage isn’t always visible and support doesn’t always reach the people who need it most.
That’s why this work matters.
Everything we hear through the Collaboration Lab will help shape where Covenant funding goes. what we prioritise and how we work with the armed forces community in the future.
Be part of something important!
This is your moment to step in and be counted.
We know the strongest ideas won’t all come from one place. They’ll come from communities across the UK, including those who are more hidden or less heard.
So come into the Lab! All are welcome to get involved and help shape the future of the Covenant Fund’s support for the armed forces community.