Support for projects which help Armed Forces families access good quality early years childcare
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The
Trust) are delighted to announce the latest round of The Armed Forces Families
Fund: Early Years Programme.
Under this programme the Trust will award grants of between £5,000 and £80,000
for projects which help enhance early childhood education and childcare
settings to ensure they meet the needs of young children from Armed Forces
families.
What’s the aim of the programme?
The Trust want to help Armed Forces families
access good quality early childhood education and childcare provision that is
located close to where they live or serve.
The Early Years Programme aims to
address specific needs that early childhood educators have identified, such as
funding to increase capacity for settings or funding to support training and
development of staff so that more Armed Forces families have access to high
quality childcare.
Who can apply?
Applications
are invited from early childhood education and childcare providers which
operate either on Defence Estate (armed forces base, station unit or within the
Patch) OR within 5 miles of where Armed forces families live or work.
Local
Authorities who provide training to early childhood education and childcare
providers or organisations who provide childminder training for those working
with Service Children are also eligible to apply.
Grants of between £5,000 and £80,000 are available for projects lasting up to
two years.
What type of projects can be supported?
Projects must clearly benefit Armed Forces
families with a child under 5 by enhancing their access to high quality
childcare.
Projects need to deliver sustainable change, fill a current gap in
support and have been developed with help from people in Armed Forces
Communities.
Early childhood education and childcare
providers based on Defence Estates can apply for a grant to create and/or
improve their outdoor learning facilities.
Early childhood education and
childcare providers on, or within 5 miles of an Armed Forces base (where
children from Armed Forces families make up a minimum of 40% of children on
roll) can apply for a grant to enable them to boost capacity.
This programme
can also fund additional training and development for early years professionals
working with Armed Forces children.
There will be two application deadlines this
year: 5pm on 11 October 2023 and 5pm on 12 January 2024.
Find out more about eligibility and how to apply with the programme guidance
Download the guidance document here
Early Years Combined Guidance Doc
Funding available for nurseries on or within a 5 mile radius of an Armed Forces base or unit, supporting Service children
Applications in by midday Monday 5 December 2022
Grants of £20,000 to £80,000 available
For the latest updates and announcements on Covenant Fund programme's and any other funding opportunities the Trust has available throughout the year, sign up to their e-newsletter via their website www.covenantfund.org.uk
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust is a charity and
an MOD sponsored NDPB that manages the grant programme's funded by the
Covenant Fund. They also run wider funding programme's that support
the Armed Forces community.
The Trust makes grants
that have an impact on the lives of Armed Forces communities, including serving
personnel, Armed Forces families, the bereaved, veterans, and their families.
The Armed Forces
Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have
served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
All the grants that we award support
the values of the Covenant.
For more information
on the Armed Forces Covenant, visit the Covenant website www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk
