Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust Supporting Partners Programme

The Supporting Partners programme aims to improve the provision of support available for service partners. This includes promoting their skills and experiences in the workplace, enhancing wellbeing, improving access to support services, and addressing the challenges that partners can sometimes face.

Grants of between £10,000 to £150,000 for projects lasting up to three years are available.

Projects should focus on supporting the partners 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:

• Improved mental health and wellbeing of serving personnel’s partners, with consideration to modern family dynamics.
• Service providers and employers have greater awareness and understanding of the unique challenges faced by partners of serving personnel.
• Partners of serving personnel, including non-UK nationals, can access the support they need more easily.
• Partners feel they have increased their skills and confidence through additional opportunities to explore new ways of working and/or to change careers.

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

They welcome applications to this funding programme from the following types of organisations.

• Registered charities
• Armed forces units or bases
• Community Interest Companies (CICs)
• UK universities or colleges

Charities and CICs which do not have substantial recent experience of working with the armed forces community can apply. However, you must be planning to deliver the project in partnership with an organisation or organisations with substantial recent experience of working with armed forces communities or that are armed forces specific. Planned partnerships must be agreed in principle prior to submitting your application and the partner organisation named in the relevant section of the application form.

Who cannot apply for this programme?

• An individual.
• Schools.
• Childcare providers (including early years).
• Newly registered charities or CICs.
• Other public sector organisations – but you could work with one of the types of organisations listed above, as a delivery partner.
• A charity or CIC that is based overseas.
• Community organisations that do not fit any of our eligibility criteria, such as a sports organisation which is not a charity or CIC.
• Not-for-profit organisations that are not registered as either a charity or CIC.
• A private or for-profit company.

• Apply by 12 noon on 23rd September 2026 for a decision by the end of November 2026.