Armed Forces Covenant Fund: Apart Not Alone: Support for Serving Families programme 2025-26

Overview

This page provides information about the Apart, not Alone: Impact Grants programme.

This is one of two, complementary 2025-26 programmes which aim to address the unique needs of armed forces families facing service-related separation.

Eligibility

If you are a charity registered in the UK for at least three years, or a local authority, and you wish to provide targeted support for serving families facing challenges in specific locations in the UK due to service-related separation, you may wish to apply to the Apart, not Alone: Local impact grants programme. There is more detailed information about eligibility in the programme guidelines.

What’s available

You can apply for a portfolio grant of up to £300,000 towards a project delivered in a specific location over a period of up to three years. They may make more than one award in different locations under this programme.

Themes and priorities

They are looking for projects that benefit armed forces families impacted by service-related separation. This programme aims to mitigate the impact of separation for families of serving personnel and reservists through a place-based (location focused) portfolio project.

By ‘place-based’, they mean “targeted investment in defined geographic areas, that is, a package of support that may comprise: multiple grants; particularly large investments; grants and additional activity (capacity building, networking, influencing work) – within a defined place.” ~ Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR), Working in Place, Collaborative Funding in Practice

You will need to tell them how you will deliver a targeted package of support, delivered through extensive collaboration with the community, in UK locations where serving families experience particular challenges.

Projects will be expected to meet all of the following outcomes:

• Families feel more able to manage the impact of loneliness or isolation during periods of separation.
• Improved mental health and wellbeing for serving families.
• Improved understanding of effective models of support for serving families.
• Families experience fewer challenges during reintegration after deployment or extended separation
• Enhanced collaboration and streamlined support pathways for the serving community through stronger partnerships and improved service integration.