The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme

Overview

• Application deadline 31 March 2025
• Charities, local authorities and housing associations
• up to £300K available for projects lasting 9 months

Under the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust will award grants on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), towards projects that contribute to the aims of the government’s ambition to reduce veteran homelessness and end rough sleeping.

This new round of the programme will provide funds to further improve the capacity of services in supported housing to meet the needs of vulnerable veterans.

Eligibility

They invite applications from the following types of organisation:

• A registered charity which can demonstrate relevant experience and engagement in the direct provision of housing for veterans
• A registered social housing provider or registered social landlord in Scotland
• A local authority

A full list of eligibility is available in the programme guidance.

What’s available

You can apply for up to £300,000 per organisation towards a project being delivered over a period of up to nine months.

They would expect high-complex need projects to have a higher cost per head and low-to-medium complex need projects to have a lower cost per head. Where an organisation is bidding for multiple schemes (locations), you should cost each scheme separately, but combined as a single application. 

You can also apply for an Enhanced Award of up to an additional £200,000, if you can show them that extending your project will fill a significant level of currently unmet need. See the guidance document below for further details of Enhanced Awards.

If you are already in receipt of an RVH grant then you will be expected to confirm the end date for your current funding in the application form and plan to start your new project after this date.

All projects must complete by 31 March 2026.

Themes and priorities

They want to support projects that improve the capacity of services in supported housing to be better able to help Veterans with a range of needs.

Your application will need to show them how you will meet this aim. They’ve provided a comprehensive list of details you will need to provide, in their Programme Guidance document, on page 6.

You can access their ethics resources here.

Costs

Your project might include the following costs. 

• Staff time 
  • Staff time for this fixed-term project. 
  • Direct project work or for admin or to manage volunteers that may be involved in your project. 
  • Sessional staff or freelancers that you may need to run your project. 
  • Appropriate clinical supervision for workers who are supporting vulnerable individuals.
• Travel costs 
  • Reasonable travel costs 
  • Fares or mileage for project staff, volunteers or beneficiaries to enable participation in the project.
• Items to support your project 
  • Purchasing items that enable activities to take place. 
  • Art materials; sports/games/outdoor equipment; supplies for breakfast or social hubs. 
  • Purchasing items that will help you to deliver your project, such as additional telephones or laptops or IT equipment. 
• Reasonable overheads 
  • Reasonable costs for storing and transporting items, including wear and tear on private vehicles. 
  • Reasonable overheads, which reflect the cost to your organisation of delivering this project, taking account of recent cost increases.