Aims/priorities: This is a major grants programme. The funding will support capital projects that support new builds, significant refurbishment, or extension of accommodation for veterans.
The funding is for projects that will:
- Enable major refurbishments of existing social rented or affordable rented homes for veterans.
- Enable extensions of existing buildings to increase the availability of veteran housing.
- Increase the number of new build, homes/housing units available to veterans at affordable or social rents.
- Ensure properties meet decent homes and energy efficiency standards.
Projects need to support veterans at risk and longer-term change that will last beyond the life of the grant.
Priority will be given to:
- Single Veterans
- Veterans and their families, including veterans who have shared custody arrangements for their children.
- Veterans with disabilities or limited long-term health conditions.
- Homeless, including rough sleeping Veterans.
- Female Veterans
- LGBT Veterans
- Veterans leaving prison.
Who can apply? Applications will be accepted from either:
- A registered charity, that has been registered in the UK (with one or more of the charity commissions for England and Wales, or Scotland or Northern Ireland and/or Companies House) for at least three years at the time of their application and be able to provide published accounts for all three years (if requested), with a minimum of three, unrelated trustees that can show it works with Veterans or
- A registered social housing provider or Registered Social Landlord in Scotland that can show it works with Veterans.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have at least five years’ relevant social housing experience.
- Be able to show the majority of their organisation’s work is with veterans or the predominant beneficiaries of this specific project would be veterans.
- Have ownership of the facility or a lease of 10 or more years.
- Have a minimum of three unrelated trustees (for charities) or directors (for CICs).
Grant amount: Grants of between £75,000 and £500,000 are available across four rounds of funding.
Larger grants of between £500,000 and £1 million are available for exceptional projects if they meet additional criteria. Larger grants will require secured match funding of at least 30% at the time of application.
Grant recipients will have two years to complete their project.
Application process: There will be three rounds of funding with a two-stage application process:
The first stage is to submit an Expressions of Interest.
Those who are successful at stage one will be invited to submit a second stage, full application.
The guidance notes, faqs and online application form can be found on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust's website.
Deadline: The deadlines of Expressions of Interest are:
- Monday 17 June 2024, 5pm – Round 2 (notification of decisions by 30 September 2024)
- Friday 3 January 2025, 5pm – Round 3 (notification of decisions by 31 March 2025)
- Monday 16 June 2025, 5pm – Round 4(notification of decisions by 30 September 2025)
Contact information: Email: info@covenantfund.org.uk
Website: Major Capital Grants Programme : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust