What Veteran Force funds
We fund projects where the primary beneficiary is a community — not a single business or founder.
Veteran Force backs veteran-led groups already delivering — or piloting — work that builds resilience in a UK community. Use this page before you apply to check whether your idea fits, see worked examples, and understand where business start-ups stand.
Prefer to read offline? Download the full guide as a PDF.
The fit test
Three quick questions. If you can answer yes to all three, your project is in the zone Veteran Force funds. If any answer is no, read the start-ups section below before applying.
- 1
Is your project veteran-led?
A veteran (or veterans) sits at the heart of running and shaping the work — not just as a beneficiary.
- 2
Does the benefit land on a community — not just you or your business?
We look for outcomes felt by groups of people, neighbourhoods, or under-served populations.
- 3
Can you describe the social value, even roughly?
You don't need a polished impact report — just a clear sense of who benefits and how you'd know it worked.
Funded vs not funded
Same beneficiary type, different framing. The distinction is usually about who the project exists to serve.
Veteran-led CIC running a weekly peer-support hub for 30+ veterans
Recurring, open-access, measurable community outcome.
Veteran opening a private counselling practice for paying clients
Primary beneficiary is the founder's business, not a community.
Veteran-led group delivering free trades taster days for at-risk youth
Free at point of use, targets a defined community need.
Veteran funding their own Level 3 electrician course
Personal qualification — better suited to X-Forces Enterprise or Heropreneurs.
Veterans restoring a disused allotment as a community food + respite space
Shared public good with ongoing community access.
Veteran launching a barbershop on the high street
Private commercial venture — try Help for Heroes Quick Reaction Fund or Heropreneurs.
Where business start-ups stand
Start-ups aren't off the table — but they're not where Veteran Force grants typically sit. Here's the honest position:
Community Grant (typically £500–£2,500)
Not for personal business start-up costs — training fees, kit, premises, marketing for a commercial venture. The Community Grant funds veteran-led community delivery.
Larger requests (case-by-case)
May consider a start-up only if community benefit is the primary purpose and outcomes are measurable — e.g. a trading CIC whose surplus and activity directly serve a defined community. Considered case by case.
Better-fit funders for pure start-up costs
How we measure community benefit
Every application is scored against the UK National TOMs social value framework. Our free Social Value Calculator gives you a Net Social Value (£) and SROI ratio in about five minutes — use it before you apply to sharpen your narrative.
Open the calculator