Veterans' Foundation grants
Veterans' Foundation is a national charity that gave around £5.7m to organisations in its latest year, supporting serving and former armed forces members and their families.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Veterans' Foundation is a national charity that assists people serving or who have served in the British armed forces, including UK merchant seafaring veterans, and their dependants. In its latest year it gave around £5.7m to organisations across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It runs several grant programmes at different sizes: Small Grants of £500 to £5,000, Standard Grants of up to £30,000, and Salary Grants of up to £25,000 a year for up to three years (a maximum of £75,000).
What they fund
Veterans' Foundation supports serving and former members of the British armed forces and merchant seafaring veterans across areas including health, education, disability and poverty relief.
Who and where
It funds other charities and voluntary bodies helping the armed forces community and their families across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Veterans' Foundation says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
What they say they're looking for
“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. We seek to prioritise organisation who have a low to medium income.”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Small Grants programme →
Who they say they'll fund
“The Veterans' Foundation provides grants to eligible organisations that provide assistance to serving and former members of the armed forces community, operational qualified seafarers and their immediate families.”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Apply for a grant | Veterans' Foundation →
What they say they won't fund
“Individuals”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Small Grants programme →
“Retrospective funding respects i.e. for activities that have already taken place or money that has already been spent”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Small Grants programme →
“The repayment of loans or debts”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Small Grants programme →
Grant sizes they mention
“Standard Grants of any sum up to a maximum of £30K may be awarded.”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — FAQs | Veterans' Foundation →
“Grants are available for between £500 and £5,000 and must be spent within 12 months.”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Small Grants programme →
“Salary Grants of any sum up to a maximum of £25K per year for three years (ie maximum £75K)”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — FAQs | Veterans' Foundation →
Income limits they mention
“Groups with an annual income above £100,000”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Small Grants programme →
How they say to apply
“You will be notified of the outcome of your grant request within approximately eight weeks of submitting a grant application.”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Small Grants programme →
“The Small Grants programme will work on a rolling basis, meaning that you can submit an application at any time. You may apply for a Small Grant once per quarter.”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Small Grants programme →
“The Veterans' Foundation is pleased to be extending our rolling grants approach to both Standard and Salary Grants on a trial basis.”
Source: veteransfoundation.org.uk — Apply for a grant | Veterans' Foundation →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £29,732 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £16,874 – £43,121 |
| Grants published openly | 685 |
| Most recent published grant | 2026 |
Recent grants
- Veterans Support ServiceHealth & Wellbeing£30,000June 2026
- The Icarus CharityHealth & Wellbeing£30,000June 2026
- Lynx Workshop (Links)Health & Wellbeing£30,000June 2026
- Mission MotorsportHealth & Wellbeing£30,000June 2026
- The Viking Boat Company CICHealth & Wellbeing£30,000June 2026
- Home-Start Southern OxfordshireCommunity & Relationships£29,460June 2026
From grants Veterans' Foundation publishes openly via 360Giving (the UK open grants-data standard), used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
To assist people who are serving or who have served in the british armed forces, including UK merchant seafaring veterans, and their dependants, by advancing any lawful charitable purpose at the discretion of the trustees and in particular, but not exclusively, to make grants to charities who assist serving and former…
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does Veterans' Foundation typically give?
Across 685 recorded grants (the latest from 2026), the median award was £29,732, with the middle half falling between £16,874 and £43,121. Its Small Grants programme offers £500 to £5,000, its Standard Grants programme up to £30,000, and its Salary Grants programme up to £25,000 a year for up to three years (a maximum of £75,000).
What does Veterans' Foundation fund?
It assists serving and former members of the British armed forces, including UK merchant seafaring veterans, and their dependants, across areas such as armed forces and emergency service efficiency, education and training, disability, health, and poverty relief.
Who can apply to Veterans' Foundation?
It provides grants to organisations that support serving and former members of the armed forces community, qualified seafarers, and their immediate families. Its Small Grants programme prioritises low- to medium-income charities, generally those with an annual income up to £100,000.
What won't Veterans' Foundation fund?
Its Small Grants programme does not fund individuals, the repayment of loans or debts, or retrospective activities — those that have already taken place or for which money has already been spent.
How do I apply to Veterans' Foundation?
Small Grants can be applied for at any time on a rolling basis, up to once per quarter, with a decision within around eight weeks. Standard and Salary Grants are also being trialled on a rolling basis, with a decision expected within 12 to 16 weeks. For current details, check the charity's website (www.veteransfoundation.org.uk) or its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1166953).
Is your charity a fit for Veterans' Foundation?
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Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Veterans' Foundation.