Request for Proposals: Family Focus Programme (UK)

Deadline: 04-Nov-2026

The Family Focus programme provides grants for projects that support armed forces families with care needs, helping them access appropriate services, improve wellbeing and resilience, and prepare for future transitions. Grants range from £100,000 to £200,000 for projects lasting two to three years. The programme has two funding pathways: one for in-service support for families of serving personnel and another for families transitioning from service life to civilian life. Both innovative projects and proven approaches with evidence of success can be considered. The Family Focus programme was developed in response to the particular challenges experienced by armed forces families who have care needs.

The programme has evolved using:

Feedback from previous funding rounds. Input from stakeholders. Relevant research. Lessons from previous pilot projects. Evidence about the needs of armed forces families. The current funding round provides longer-term funding and expands the range of organizations and beneficiaries that can be supported.

Eligible applicants include:

Registered charities. Community Interest Companies (CICs). Local authorities. NHS organizations. Organizations do not need previous experience working specifically with armed forces communities to apply. However, applicants must demonstrate that they: Understand the needs of armed forces families with care needs. Have a credible approach for reaching and engaging beneficiaries. Can deliver the proposed project effectively. Have relevant expertise within their organization or through suitable partners. Organizations without direct armed forces experience can therefore apply if they can demonstrate a strong understanding of the target population and appropriate delivery arrangements. The programme focuses on armed forces families with care needs.

Support can be relevant to families:

During active service. While a family member is serving. During the transition away from service life. As families prepare for longer-term civilian life. The programme recognizes that care needs can create challenges both during military service and during the transition to civilian services and support systems. The current programme is divided into two distinct project pathways. This pathway is for projects supporting families of serving armed forces personnel.

Projects can focus on helping families:

Access appropriate care and support. Improve wellbeing. Build resilience. Address challenges associated with care needs during active service. Strengthen access to relevant services and resources. The second pathway focuses on families as they move on from service life. Projects can help families prepare for and manage the transition to civilian life, including access to appropriate support and services.

Relevant work may include:

Preparing families for transition. Connecting families with civilian services. Supporting wellbeing and resilience. Helping families navigate changing care arrangements. Building longer-term independence and support networks. The programme encourages both innovative approaches and proven interventions.

Applicants can propose:

New solutions responding to unmet needs. Approaches that have already demonstrated success. Models tested through previous pilots. Projects designed to improve access to care. Wellbeing and resilience initiatives. Transition-support programmes.

Partnership-based services

Projects that improve engagement between families and relevant support systems. The proposed approach should be clearly connected to the needs of armed forces families with care needs. Armed forces families with care needs can face challenges that differ from those experienced by other families because of military service, mobility, deployment, changing locations, and eventual transition to civilian life. The Family Focus programme aims to support families through these circumstances by funding projects that can provide: Better access to support. Improved wellbeing. Greater resilience. More effective care pathways. Better preparation for future needs. Support during the transition from military to civilian life. The programme’s two pathways recognize that families may require different forms of support depending on whether a family member is still serving or has left service.

Successful projects can receive between:

£100,000 minimum. £200,000 maximum. Projects must run for two to three years. The relatively long funding period is intended to enable organizations to provide sustained support rather than short-term interventions. Applicants should therefore develop realistic delivery plans that demonstrate how activities will operate over the full project period. The programme can be understood through the following stages: Identify the target population. Define the armed forces families with care needs the project will support. Choose the appropriate pathway. Determine whether the project provides in-service support or focuses on transition from service life. Define the need. Demonstrate an understanding of the specific challenges faced by the intended beneficiaries. Develop the intervention. Propose either an innovative solution or an approach with evidence of effectiveness. Plan beneficiary engagement. Explain how families will be identified, reached, and involved. Establish expertise. Demonstrate that the organization has the required capabilities or will work with appropriate specialist partners. Develop a long-term delivery plan. Ensure activities can be delivered effectively over two to three years. Set measurable outcomes. Explain how the project will improve access to support, wellbeing, resilience, or future preparedness. Applicants should build their proposal around a clear understanding of the needs of armed forces families with care needs.

A practical application process is:

Confirm organizational eligibility. Check that the applicant is a registered charity, CIC, local authority, or NHS organization. Identify