Veterans Challenge Fund

Overview

The Veterans Challenge Fund (VCF) supports the Strategy for Veterans, developed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in consultation with other government departments and ex-service organisations representing veterans.

Veterans Challenge Fund

The Veterans Challenge Fund was established on 1 April 2003. Since then it has provided start-up funding for projects that support one of the three pillars of the Veterans Strategy: Transition, Support, and Recognition.

Grant Value - maximum: £ 100,000, Grant value average: £ 17,000

The Fund is credited annually on 1 April with £750,000 for distribution during that financial year. There are no maximum or minimum limits, but past awards have ranged from £400 to £95,000 in value. Awards are restricted to a maximum of £100,000 to ensure fair distribution of funding.

The Fund is particularly aimed at supporting initiatives that would otherwise not be possible as part of currently funded activities, providing capabilities or addressing needs that are not covered by existing services. It is recognised that the output, and not the scale of the project, should be the predominant measure of its value.

Applications for financial support from the VCF must directly address a veterans’ need as defined within one of the three pillars of the Strategy for Veterans, developed by the MOD in consultation with Other Government Departments and ex-Service organisations. The 3 pillars are to ensure that veterans receive:

• Excellent preparation for the Transition to civilian life following their service. Examples of successful VCF bids include funding of a veterans-related Citizens Advice Bureau advice booklet.
• Support in terms of the provision of advice and help from the Government and voluntary sector where needed. Examples of successful VCF bids include funding training courses for trainers in widow’s bereavement issues; funding the first year’s staff costs for a psychiatric nurse to support a new initiative; and funding for research into late-onset Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Recognition of veterans’ contribution to society. Successful bids in this category include funding for an educational display linked to the Far East Prisoner of War memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, funding for educational initiatives aimed at informing young people about veteran’s achievements, and Communication Action Team Raising Awareness information packs.

In the Strategy for Veterans, veterans are defined as:

All those who have served in the UK Armed Forces (whether Regular or Reserve). We also include their widows/widowers and dependants as part of the veterans’ community. Exceptionally, it also includes former members of the Merchant Navy who took a direct part in legally defined UK military operations.

Example Grants

Examples of previous successful bids include:

• a veterans related Citizens Advice Bureau advice booklet and research into mentoring vulnerable service leavers (transition)
• training courses for trainers in widow’s bereavement issues
• research into late onset PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• an educational display linked to the Far East Prisoner of War memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum.

How to Apply

The Veterans Challenge Fund is not currently considering new applications. Please look for further announcements after 1 April 2013. Organisations looking for funding, which are party to an Armed Forces Community Covenant, or operate in an area that has signed a Community Covenant, may wish to look at the Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant scheme pages on the MOD website to see if their projects meet the criteria of that fund.

There is no closure date for applications. The Fund is managed across the financial year based on when an applicant states that they would wish to call on the Fund’s resources.