The Family Focus programme is back, with more funding and longer grants. Organisations can apply for £100,000 to £200,000 for projects lasting two to three years.
Projects must help armed forces families with care needs. They may support families during service, while leaving the armed forces or in civilian life.
Family life can change quickly.
Illness, injury or a care need can affect everyone in a family. It can make daily life harder, and it can also make it difficult to find support, stay connected or plan for the future.
Our new round of the Family Focus programme will fund projects that help armed forces families through these changes.
Organisations can apply for a grant of £100,000 to £200,000, for projects lasting two to three years.
Applications close at midday on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
What’s new under Family Focus?
This year, we’ve changed the programme using learning from the first two rounds, feedback from stakeholders and research.
This round offers:
- longer grants, so projects have time to grow and make a difference
- larger grants
- support for a wider group of people
- two clear routes for projects.
Two routes to support
Projects should follow one of these two routes.
1. Support during service
If your project is helping serving people and their families, this is the route for you. Care needs have a big effect on daily family life, and your support should help the serving person and their family manage caring needs while they remain in the armed forces.
This could include:
- a serving person caring for a partner who is ill or disabled
- a family caring for a child with a health condition, disability or neurodiverse condition
- a partner or close family member caring for a serving person.
2. Moving on from service life
If you’re project will help families who are leaving the armed forces, or are within two years of leaving, then this is your route. Projects may also help veteran families where a health condition linked to service appears later and has a serious effect on family life.
This could include:
- families affected by medical discharge
- people leaving service because they care for someone in their family
- families caring for a veteran with a health condition linked to service.
Organisations can apply under both routes, but you must send a separate application for each project, and the two projects must be clearly different.
What difference should projects make?
Projects must aim to achieve at least one of these outcomes:
- armed forces families with care needs report increased knowledge of, and confidence in accessing, information, advice, guidance and services relevant to their circumstances.
- armed forces families with care needs report reduced loneliness and isolation, improved emotional wellbeing and increased resilience.
- armed forces family members in a caregiving role develop skills, knowledge or confidence that improves their readiness to pursue volunteering, training or employment when the time is right for them.
Your project should focus on the needs of family carers – it won’t be eligible if its main focus is the person receiving care.
Who can apply to the Family Focus programme?
The programme is open to:
- UK charities registered for at least three years
- Community Interest Companies set up for at least three years
- local authorities
- NHS bodies.
Start with families
People with lived experience must help to shape your project. You should also explain how you will reach families who may not see themselves as carers, may fear stigma or may find it difficult to ask for help. We’re also keen to receive applications for projects supporting young carers.
How to apply to Family Focus
Please read the full programme guidance on our Family Focus programme page [opens a web page] before starting your application.
Apply by midday on Wednesday 4 November 2026.