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Veterans' Foundation Major Grants Programme 2025

The Veterans' Foundation has established a Major Grants programme to support charities and eligible organisations that provide support to those in need among serving armed forces personnel, veterans, operationally qualified seafarers and their immediate families. The grants are designed to enable major change or progress in the organisation, with priority given to charities and organisations directly involved in provision of support to those in need. Major Grants range between £100,000 and £200,000 and can be for one year or a multi-year grant for up to three years. The programme prioritises applications that deliver meaningful impact and outcomes for the Armed Forces Community in need across areas including health and wellbeing, mental health support, unemployment and education support, homelessness and housing assistance, and tackling disadvantage and other aspects of service life. Successful organisations must demonstrate proven track records and that funding will deliver clear beneficial impact, such as expanding services, increasing regional footprint, or growing the number of beneficiaries served.

Veterans' Foundation Grants Programme

The Veterans' Foundation (VF) has established a substantial grants programme to support charities and organisations that provide support to those in need among serving armed forces personnel, veterans, operationally qualified seafarers and their immediate families. The VF gives priority to charities and organisations who can demonstrate that they are directly involved in the provision of support to those in need, with preference for organisations with low to medium income. The range of charities and organisations supported by VF is extensive and includes areas such as homelessness, employability, financial disadvantage, disability, welfare issues, mental health, support for families and children and assistance during older age. Applications are assessed by the Grants Team and considered by the CEO and/or the Grants Committee, with typically four funding rounds per year. The Foundation encourages applications from under-represented groups including people with additional support needs, ethnic minorities, LGBT+ community, and female groups.

Veterans' Foundation Small Grants Programme 2025

The Veterans' Foundation Small Grants programme was established to support charities and groups that provide assistance to those in need among serving armed forces personnel, veterans, operationally qualified seafarers and their immediate families. The programme gives priority to charities and organisations who are directly involved in the provision of support to those in need, with a focus on low to medium income organisations. Grants are available for between £500 and £5,000 and must be spent within 12 months. The Small Grants programme was designed to support primarily small, grassroots groups to flourish in the Armed Forces Community and to deliver impactful community-based activities. The eligibility, application and monitoring requirements are simpler than other VF grants programmes, targeting harder to reach groups that have not received funding from the VF in the past, such as breakfast clubs, drop-in centres, and groups that support underrepresented individuals. The programme operates on a rolling basis, allowing applications to be submitted at any time.

International Fund for Fishing Safety

The International Fund for Fishing Safety is an initiative of Lloyd's Register Foundation designed to improve safety and health for people working in fisheries throughout the world. The Fund supports the delivery of fishing safety projects which are compliant with, or working towards compliance with, international maritime standards. The Fund is managed by The Seafarers' Charity in partnership with FISH Platform, who provide subject matter expertise in respect of fishing safety and have an international network. The Fund aims to support projects which will deliver behavioural and cultural change, introduction or enhancement of safety management practices, auditing of safety management systems, and training in safety management and risk mitigation. Grants awarded will primarily benefit seafarers who are working in commercial fishing. Joint applications to support partnership working are encouraged and will be prioritised, particularly in respect of utilising local networks to increase outreach and awareness of safety and welfare initiatives.

Merchant Navy Fund Grants Programme

The Merchant Navy Fund provides grant funding to registered charities that support UK Merchant Navy seafarers in need and their families. The Fund works with organizations to deliver support to three key beneficiary groups: older seafarers and their dependants (partners and children), working-age seafarers, and families and dependants of working-age seafarers. Organizations must be registered charities with appropriate banking arrangements requiring two unrelated signatories. Since 2012, the Fund has awarded over £700,000 in grants to organizations supporting UK Merchant Navy seafarers in need and their families. The Merchant Navy Fund does not give grants directly to individuals but works through partner organizations who can provide assistance. Applicants must demonstrate that beneficiaries hold UK passports and have seafarer eligibility through documentation such as logbooks showing more than one day's service.