The Service Pupil Support programme

Following the launch of the Families Strategy in January 2022, the MOD created a dedicated fund, ‘The Armed Forces Families Fund’ (AF3). This programme sits within the AF3 Fund. The MOD has partnered with the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to administer the AF3 Fund.

Under this programme, the Trust will award grants for projects which support service children along their educational pathway.

Applications can only address the needs of children aged 4-18 in full-time statutory education, who are from currently serving armed forces families. This includes pupils whose parents are on full commitment as part of the full-time reserve service.

This funding is for stand-alone projects lasting up to two years.

Eligibility

We invite applications from local authorities, and schools in the UK which have children of currently serving armed forces personnel on roll. Service refers to regular forces or reserves (full-time reserve service).

We can accept applications from:

maintained schools
academies
free schools
sixth form and FE colleges
local authorities
multi-academy Trusts

Specialist educational organisations can be involved in a bid; however, the lead applicant will need to be one of the above. There is more information about this in the Programme Guidance document.

There are two ways to apply for a grant under this programme.

Schools with more than 10 service pupils, and local authorities can make a single application for form a cluster. Whichever best suits the needs of the service pupils.
Schools with 10 or fewer service pupils should look to form a cluster. There is more detail about this in the Programme Guidance document below.

In the context of this programme, we consider a cluster to be a group of three or more schools.

Full eligibility criteria is available in the guidance documents below.

What’s available

You can apply for a grant of between £5,000 and £150,000 towards a standalone project being delivered over a period of up to two years.

Themes and priorities

Through this programme, we would like to support projects that ensure the needs of service pupils are met through effective interventions in response to an evidence base that clearly defines need.

Your project will need to clearly address one or more of the following outcomes:

Closing the gap.
Support for service pupils with SEN/D, ASN, ALN.
Mobility, deployment and separation.
Low numbers of service pupils.

There is more detail on these themes in the Programme Guidance document.

Deadlines and dates to note

If you apply by the application deadline of midday on Wednesday 30 April 2025, you will receive a decision before the end of June 2025.

Please read our late application policy.

Guidance and resources

No. Your project only needs to address one of the themes. You can, however, address more than one theme within your project if that is appropriate to the challenges that you are seeking to address.

Specialist educational organisations can be involved in a bid; however, the lead applicant will need to be one of the organisations listed in our programme guidance.

You can work with external organisations to deliver your project. If you would like to do this, then you will need to include this information in your application. If any of the requested funding will be allocated to another organisation, a partnership agreement is required. For more details, refer to the ‘working with others’ section of our guidance.

No. This would duplicate NHS statutory provision.

No. MOD schools are not eligible to apply under this programme.

Those with less than ten service children are encouraged to apply as a cluster. Further information can be found in the guidance.

This funding is exclusively for service children, provided by the Ministry of Defence. The Trust collects impact data to share with the MOD.

As DCS are ran by MOD and the service support programme funding is MOD, we are not able to accept applications from these facilities.

We encourage you to take a look at the application questions before beginning your online application to the Service Pupil Support Programme.

Please note, this is for reference only and applications can only be made via our online application portal.

You can also view sample terms and conditions of grant here.

Application questions

Service Pupil Support Programme – application questions (for reference only before filling using the application portal)

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Ready to apply?

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