Major Grants

Key Criteria

This Major Grants programme intends to strengthen innovation and sector-wide learning through collaboration.  The funded projects will create opportunities for the foundation to learn and use the insight to help inform their future strategic direction. 

A two-stage application process will be used to identify projects that test, deliver or build key learning across our five thematic priorities:

• Community & relationships - The foundation is looking for projects that help veterans feel they belong, feel secure, and recognise how military life affects those around them. This includes participating in activities that support connections and reduce isolation. They also fund support for carers, bereavement and other family support services. 
• Employment, Education & Skills - Despite the existing support already in place, many ex-service men and women may struggle to find secure work.  The foundation values activities and services that create opportunities and pathways for veterans to achieve their full potential after leaving the military.  This may be through participating in further training, volunteering, entrepreneurial programmes or supported employment. 
• Health & Wellbeing - Sometimes veterans require additional support to maintain their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Through this theme, the foundation funds a diverse range of impactful initiatives, including clinical services such as counselling, non-clinical approaches like befriending programmes and sport-based interventions. These activities provide a positive focus, building community and reducing isolation to aid recovery.
• Tackling Disadvantage - This means overcoming barriers that can hold a veteran back in life. By supporting work that addresses the root causes of the challenges the foundation helps promote equity, recovery and achieve social justice. They fund prevention and treatment approaches to a wide range of issues including addiction, welfare support, disability, criminal justice and access to emergency support (such as food/clothing banks, etc)

All applicants should make clear how Major Grants funding will create opportunities to:

1. Test or trial new or alternative approaches, piloting improved models of delivery or supporting beneficiaries in new or more effective ways. 
2. Generate insights Work that deepens understanding of people, communities, challenges, or systems in order to inform future service design or innovation

To be eligible to apply your partnership should:

• have a collaborative agreement, between two or more organisations, that are joining forces to pursue a common goal or project
• have a nominated lead organisation that is a registered UK charity or CIC Ltd by Guarantee and have a minimum annual income of £100,000
• not include: individuals, CICs Ltd by shares, private companies or cadet groups - unless the purpose is tosupport the activities of veterans’ who are associated with the cadets