Grants to support creative and engaging projects, that can be delivered under social restrictions, for people from Armed Forces communities in the UK who are isolated as a result of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
Funding body: Ministry of Defence
Maximum value: £ 10,000
Application deadline: 30/06/2020
Background
The Forces Communities Together Programme is part of a package of support the Armed Forces Covenant Trust has put in place to provide support to Armed Forces communities during the Covid-19 pandemic and the social restrictions that are in place.
In total, the package of support has three parts:
- Providing support to all our grant holders to help them continue their work.
- Delivering emergency funding quickly to support veterans who are particularly vulnerable.
- Launching programmes to support the Armed Forces community with funding from the Covenant Fund and from HM Treasury, with special focus on: those who have faced hardships as a result of the pandemic; projects to help isolated people reconnect with wider communities; projects that support improved mental health and encouraging stronger links between Armed Forces charities.
The Forces Communities Together programme is part of a wider group of programmes that will provide support for projects tackling some of the social challenges that have arisen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In August 2020, the Trust will also launch the Armed Forces Covenant Fund: Force for Change programme, which will award grants of up to £20,00 for projects that will aim to reduce isolation or improve engagement in their local areas for people from Armed Forces communities.
Objectives of Fund
The funding is for creative and engaging projects, that can be delivered under social restrictions, for people from Armed Forces communities who are isolated as a result of the coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic.
Value Notes
Grants of up to £10,000 for six-month projects beginning no later than mid-October 2020.
Who Can Apply
To be eligible, organisations must be UK based and:
- A registered charity or Community Interest Company (CIC) and able to show that they have three or more unrelated Trustees/directors
- A school
- An Armed Forces unit or base.
Location
UK
Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Individuals.
- Buying vehicles or equipment. (Small items of equipment that are essential for the project will be considered.)
- Projects with budgets that are dominated by capital costs.
- Local authorities and similar organisations, though they could work with an eligible organisation as a delivery partner.
- Where funding is not benefiting veterans or other people from the Armed Forces community.
- Making grants or donations of money to individuals or families.
- Topping up existing grants and aid from a government department.
- Where money only benefits one person, which means where the whole project would only benefit one person.
- Repeat or regular projects that require a source of uncommitted funding.
- Investments.
- Paying for ongoing costs of existing partnership activity.
- Organisational fundraising activities.
- Endowments (to provide a source of income).
- Projects, activities or services that the state has a legal obligation to provide.
- Retrospective funding for projects that have already started or taken place (before the end of August 2020).
- Excessive management or professional fees or contingency costs.
Eligible Expenditure
The funding is for UK-based projects that directly benefit the following:
- Serving Personnel (including Reservists)
- Serving Families Adults (including Reservists)
- Serving Families Children
- Veterans
- Veterans Families Adults
- Veterans Families Children
To be eligible, projects need to:
- Provide a fun or engaging experience for people from the Armed Forces community or
- Reduce isolation and encourage social interaction between people from Armed Forces communities and
Be delivered successfully while whatever social isolation measures the Government recommends are still in place.
The funding can pay for most things needed by the project, whether it’s people’s time, costs of delivering work online or buying/hiring equipment.
Projects, for example, might include the following costs:
- Staff time for this fixed-term project, including time managing volunteers that may be involved in the project.
- Purchasing items that provide practical support, or that can enable activities to take place.
- Purchasing items that may be needed to provide support, such as additional telephones or laptops.
- Reasonable costs for storing and transporting items, including wear and tear on private vehicles.
- Reasonable overheads that reflect the cost to the organisation of delivering this project.
- The funding would may not cover the cost of purchasing a vehicle; however, it would pay for mileage costs on vehicles used by staff and volunteers.
How To Apply
The deadline to apply is noon on 30 June 2020. Decisions will be conveyed by the end of August and projects should have started by mid-October 2020.
Programme Guidance notes, Frequently Asked Questions, and the application form are available on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s website.
Useful Links
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust