Aims/priorities: The funding is for projects that help towards enabling serving women to make informed choices and improve their access to services that enhance their wellbeing.
The project should look to address the needs of Service women affected by a range of issues which are particular to (or exacerbated by) serving in the Armed Forces, as well as issues where support may be less readily accessible than it is for women in civilian life.
Projects need to meet one of the following outcomes:
- Enabling Service women to choose activities and/or find advice that improves their wellbeing, either preventatively or at times of crisis.
- Opening up choices for Service women who may not otherwise know where to seek help for issues which specifically affect them.
In addition, projects must meet at least one of the programme themes:
- Work-life balance, enjoying and achieving.
- Mental and physical health and wellbeing.
- Support for marginalised and minority women.
These cohorts could include women who:
- Are neurodiverse
- Have additional educational needs
- Are from Black and Minoritised Ethnic communities.
- Are less able to access services due to lack of confidence using social media or online platforms.
- Age and stage of life impacts their ability to access services, such as very young women, those raising children, older women.
- Need support with their sexuality or gender identity.
- Are from rural or isolated communities.
- Are from low-income backgrounds
Who can apply? Applications will be accepted from:
- Charities registered with one or more of the charity commissions for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland for at least three years at time of application. They must have at least three unrelated trustees.
- Community Interest Companies (CIC) incorporated in the UK for a least three years and submitted three years of accounts to Companies House at time of application. They must have at least three unrelated directors.
- Armed Forces units/bases that have engaged with, and looking to work in partnership with external organisations who can provide specific services to meet the needs of the targeted group. These do not need to be Armed Forces specific organisations.
Charities and CICs which do not have substantial recent experience of working with the Armed Forces community can apply as long as their project is delivered in partnership with another organisation (or organisations) which have substantial recent experience of working with Armed Forces communities or which are Armed Forces-specific.
Grant amount: The following grants are available:
- £25,000 to £50,000 towards a project being delivered over a one-year period
- £25,000 to £100,000 towards a project being delivered over a two-year period.
In exceptional cases, an enhanced grant of up to £50,000 to deliver an additional element can be requested for projects of up to two years duration.
One-year projects are not eligible for an enhanced grant.
Projects to start between December 2024 and March 2025.
Application process: The programme guidance, faqs, application questions and online application portal can be found on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust website.
Deadline: Wednesday 25 September 2024, (12 noon).
Contact information: Email: info@covenantfund.org.uk
Website: Service Women: Seen & Heard programme 2024/25 : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust