Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Local Grants Programme

Overview

Under the Armed Forces Covenant Local Grants programme, they make grants of up to £20,000 for local projects that support community integration or local delivery of services.

They want to fund projects that:

• Help integrate Armed Forces and civilian communities across the UK, and/or
• Deliver valuable local services to the Armed Forces Community.

Community Integration

Community Integration projects should create strong local links between the Armed Forces community, who are current and former members of their armed forces and their families) and civilian communities; and be able to clearly demonstrate how they will have impact in overcoming barriers to better integration; and improving perceptions, attitudes and understanding. For the project to be truly effective in achieving community integration there should be shared development, delivery and benefits for both communities.

They want to see projects which are rooted in their communities and which have grown out of a specific local need. It is important too that the project is not just the Armed Forces delivering something for the civilian community or vice-versa. For the project to be truly effective in achieving community integration there should be shared development, delivery and benefits for both communities.

Delivery of Local Services

Delivery of Local Services projects should be local projects which offer financial advice, housing, mental and physical health, employability or social support for serving armed forces personnel, veterans, and their families. Projects must be well connected, both to their beneficiaries and to other relevant organisations, and be able to demonstrate how the services they provide will be well-publicised, accessible and joined up.

NB. Your project may be both Community Integration and Delivery of Local Services – the application form will allow you to tick both of these categories – but you will not be disadvantaged if this is not the case.

Who can apply?

The application must be from either:

• a registered charity
• a local authority
• a school or other statutory organisation
• a Community Interest Company
• or an armed forces unit with a UIN.

Key Criteria

• How well the project addresses the priority and how it will meet the specific requirements of that priority
• Evidence of the need for the project
• Engagement, partnership working and collaboration
• How well the project is likely to be delivered
• To what extent the project represents value for money
• To what extent we can have confidence that the project will have lasting impact, delivering changes that last beyond the funding period.

For information on projects they have funded, visit the website here