Each year we invite the military and wider forces community to apply for funded entertainment and event services to raise morale and improve wellbeing.
While our core priority is to deliver to service personnel on operations, we also recognise the importance of supporting families, rear parties and veterans, particularly where the need is greatest. As a small team with limited capacity, there may be occasions where we are regrettably unable to approve eligible bids.
Routine family day events typically do not meet our funding criteria.
We are unable to support events where the primary purpose is fundraising for other charities.
We generally do not support events recurring on an annual basis.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Short-notice applications may not be successful, we’d recommend submitting your application at least 3 months in advance to increase your chances.
We will consider bids to part-fund or fully fund an event for a unit or welfare organisation, where the event meets at least one of the eligibility criteria. In some instances, you may have a better chance of approval if you are also booking customer event services with us, as we can share resources across both, making your application more viable.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must satisfy at least one of the criteria outlined below and provide clear demonstration of eligibility by thoroughly responding to all questions on the application form - simply stating you meet the criteria is not sufficient; you must clearly explain how you meet them through your answers. Responses should be comprehensive, well-reasoned and articulate the necessity for support. Incomplete applications or those failing to address all questions will not be considered.
Is your event solely for:
1. Serving personnel deployed on operations for 4 months or more;
- What is your Operation name?
- How will your event benefit serving personnel on deployed operations?
- Why do/will they need a morale boost?
- Give details of the deployment where possible, including what SP will be doing and the affect the deployment has had on SP (or is expected to have)?
- How many British SP will attend the event?
- If you will have other guests, please indicate how many, who they are and why they are being invited?
Note, the main focus of your event should be to benefit deployed personnel. We do not usually support routine exercises; however larger exercises may be considered in some circumstances. Stating you have SP deployed while holding an event in the UK will not fulfil the criteria.
2. Families of Deployed Personnel and Rear Parties
- How does your event benefit the families of deployed personnel and/or Rear Party the event is for?
- Where have the unit/loved ones been deployed to and what is the Op name/s?
- Why do these families of deployed SP/Rear Party need a morale boost?
- If other people are attending, how many families of deployed personnel and/or Rear Party will make up your total audience?
- Who are the other people attending and why are they invited?
Note, this criteria is intended to support events specifically targeting families of deployed SP and/or Rear Parties. If you are planning a families’ day where only a portion of your guests make up this group, it is unlikely you bid will be approved, unless you have a specific initiative designed to benefit said group, e.g. a designated deployed families’ area.
3. Organisations supporting Veterans, bereaved families, or wounded, injured and sick service personnel (such as veteran communities, retirement and care homes, Personnel Recovery Centres, Battle Back Centres, etc);
- How does your event benefit veterans or bereaved families or WIS personnel?
- Why do they need a morale boost?
- If other people are attending, how many veterans or bereaved families or WIS personnel will make up your total audience?
- Who are the other people attending and why are they invited?
Note, this criteria is intended for events within organisations supporting veterans, bereaved families or WIS personnel to specifically benefit these groups. If, for example, you are inviting individuals from these groups to an anniversary event you are planning, your bid would not be approved, unless there was a specific initiative in place to directly benefit said group.
4. Units in isolated or remote locations with limited access to other community welfare activities;
- How are you isolated?
- What, if any community welfare can be accessed?
- Who are your guests?
- Why are they in need of a morale boost?
- How are they affected by being isolated or in a remote location with limited access to other community welfare activities?
5. Personnel deployed, or returning from deployment, on humanitarian or emergency relief projects e.g. natural disasters;
- How does your event benefit SP deployed or returning from deployment on humanitarian or emergency relief projects?
- Give details of where they've been, what they’ve been doing/will do and the Op Name?
- How has the deployment impacted them and why do/will they need a morale boost?
- If other people are attending, how many SP deployed or returning from deployment will make up your total audience?
- Who are the other people attending and why are they invited?
6. Personnel on duty in support of national events or emergencies;
- How does your event benefit SP on duty in support of national events or emergencies?
- Why do they need a morale boost?
- If other people are attending, how many SP on duty in support of national events or emergencies will make up your total audience?
- Who are the other people attending and why are they invited?
7. Activities in military schools or state schools which are attended by a significant proportion of ‘forces children’;
- How does your event benefit the Forces children at your school?
- How has being a service child impacted them and why do they need a morale boost?
- If others are attending, how many of your guests are Forces children?
- Who are the other people attending and why are they invited?
- Are you a Military School or a State School?
8. Units drawing down or moving;
- Who are your guests?
- Why are they in need of a morale boost and how are they affected by draw down/the move?
- If other people are attending, how many SP affected by drawing down or moving will make up your total audience?
- Who are the other people attending and why are they invited?
9. Events which promote and support equality and diversity in the military community.
- Does your event exclusively support/celebrate equality and diversity in the military community?
- Explain how?
- If your event doesn't exclusively do this, but has some activity to support equality and diversity in the military community as a part of the event, please explain what you are doing and how you will achieve this?
- Who are your guests?
- Why is it important for your guests to support/celebrate equality and diversity in the military community and how will your event make a difference?
Note, your event needs to have a primary focus or specific element/s targeting this to be considered. Having attendees from different cultures alone does not fulfil the criteria.
While priority will be given to bids that align with the criteria, applications that do not meet this may still be considered, although unless there is a very compelling reason for needing our support, your bid is unlikely to be approved.
If your event Falls outside of the eligibility criteria, but benefits the welfare, morale or team-building of a military community. Please explain more about your event and why it should be considered for beneficiary assistance. Include details on who your intended audience is and why they need a morale boost. Explain the difference a successful application will make to your event.
Competition for the fund is high, and unfortunately not everyone will succeed.
We encourage you to apply again for future opportunities if your bid is not successful this time.