AF3: Supporting Partners Programme : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Introduction to the Supporting Partners programme

The Trust has partnered with the MOD to administer the Armed Forces Families Fund. The Supporting Partners programme aims to improve the provision of support available for Service partners and spouses. This includes promoting their skills and experiences in the workplace, enhancing wellbeing, improving access to support services, and addressing the challenges that partners and spouses can sometimes face.

Eligibility

We invite applications from the following types of organisations.

A registered charity
A Community Interest Company (CIC)
An Armed Forces unit or base
A UK university or college.

Full eligibility details are available in the programme guidance below.

What’s available?

Grants of between £10,000 – £60,000 for projects lasting 12-24 months are available.

Themes and priorities

Projects should be focused on supporting the partners or spouses of serving personnel (including Reservists) and should evidence a clear impact for beneficiaries.

Projects should look to address one or more of the following outcomes:

Improve the mental health and wellbeing of spouses and partners of serving personnel.
Raise awareness, including (potential) employers, of the unique challenges spouses and partners can face, and improve access to provision to help overcome these challenges.
Identify and address known and emerging gaps in provision for spouses and partners of serving personnel, including spouses and partners who are non-UK nationals.
Provide opportunities for spouses and partners to explore new ways of working, upskill and/or change careers.

Projects should look to address the current, emerging and immediate need(s) of partners, and spouses of serving personnel and can be regional or national in design. Projects should seek to remove barriers to participation and promote inclusivity.

There is more information on the programme outcomes and examples of the types of projects that could be funded in the programme guidance document.

Deadlines and dates to note

There will be one deadline for applications this financial year:

If you apply by midday on 8 January 2025, you’ll receive a decision before the end of March 2025.

Guidance and resources

We encourage you to take a look at the application questions before beginning your online application to the AF3: Supporting Partners Programme

You can also view the terms and conditions to receiving a grant under this Fund.

Application questions in Word

Supporting Partners programme application questions for reference only

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Frequently asked questions

Please note, we will add to this list if and when we receive queries from applicants.

We are guided by the priorities of the Armed Forces Families Team and the Families Strategy. We do not know at this time what that will look like for 2025/26.

No. Projects must meet one or more of the programme outcomes. We will give equal consideration to applications for projects that take a range of approaches to address the needs of spouses and partners of serving personnel. This includes those with a specific focus on one programme outcome and those with a broader or blended approach.

All the information you need to apply is included in the programme guidance and application resources published on our website. This will help you to decide whether to apply to this programme. To ensure that all applicants are treated fairly, we are unable to provide additional, individualised advice. If there are any aspects of the guidance that are not clear, please contact us at info@covenantfund.org.uk 

A non-UK national is defined as a person who is not a British citizen (a national of any member State other than the United Kingdom). Projects can look to address the needs of spouses or partners of UK serving personnel, where the spouse or partner of the Service person may themselves be a non-UK national.

The Trust defines “Reservists” as those who are part of the Volunteer Reserve Forces. These people are volunteers who accept an annual training commitment and a liability for call out for permanent service. The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), the Royal Marines Reserve (RMR), the Army Reserve and the Royal Air Force Reserves fall under the Volunteer Reserve Forces.

The Trust’s definition also covers people who are in a Full Time Reserve Service post.

The Trust’s definition does not include recent service leavers, or veterans, who upon leaving Regular Service who may retain a liability for call out.

Ready to apply?

If you’ve read the guidance and are ready to begin your application, please click below.

Apply now

Get the latest news, opportunities and updates relating to the Armed Forces Families Fund

Programme news

April 23, 2024

New grants awarded to support Service spouses and partners