GrantRadar

Forces in Mind Trust

FiMT Challenges

Grants of up to £250,000 for evidence-led projects that help ex-Service personnel and their families move successfully into civilian life. The Trust wants work that changes policy, practice, systems or services, rather than ordinary service delivery. For 2027-2031 it names four 'FiMT Challenges': spotting unmet need earlier, earlier and more tailored transition support, lasting cross-sector collaboration, and building Armed Forces awareness into mainstream services. Applicants range from small not-for-profits to universities and think tanks.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £250,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Organisations of many kinds, 'from small not-for-profit groups and charities to larger institutions such as universities and established policy think tanks'
  • Work must directly benefit serving personnel, veterans or their families in the UK
  • Projects supporting Foreign and Commonwealth personnel who served in the UK Armed Forces are allowed
  • The Trust weighs whether an organisation has the skills, experience and partnerships to deliver, and how the proposal fits its existing portfolio
  • No income limit is stated
  • Individuals are not eligible

What it funds

Projects whose outcomes meet an identified need within FiMT's priority areas or help achieve a FiMT Challenge:

  • Identifying and responding earlier to unmet need
  • Better transition through earlier, more tailored support
  • Sustainable cross-sector collaboration
  • Embedding Armed Forces awareness in mainstream public and charitable services

Projects should be able to make a difference beyond their first scope (scaling, replicating across areas or devolved nations, or testing approaches others could adopt) and bring about sustainable change.

The Trust also considers exceptional applications outside its priorities that contribute to its seven outcome areas: Housing, Employment, Wellbeing and Health, Finance, Criminal Justice, Relationships and Enabler.

There is no minimum grant or minimum term.

Most grants last up to two years.

What it will not fund

  • Projects that do not benefit serving personnel, veterans or their families
  • Projects with no direct benefit in the UK
  • Activities that are mainly the responsibility of central or local government or other statutory providers, or that replace statutory funding
  • Service delivery, unless it is part of a wider project whose main purpose is a FiMT Challenge or priority
  • General fundraising appeals or circulars
  • Capital costs, including building work and renovations
  • Ongoing costs of existing or established projects
  • Retrospective funding
  • Grants to individuals, including individual researchers such as PhD students
  • Profit-making organisations, unless the project is part of a corporate social responsibility programme that directly benefits the Armed Forces community
  • Churches or other religious organisations where the grant would be used for religious purposes

How to apply

  • The process has two stages
  • Stage 1: submit an initial application through the online form on the website, choosing an outcome area and giving project duration, total cost and the amount requested
  • If invited, Stage 2 is a full application form, reviewed by the Grants Team, an independent grants assessor and subject experts where needed
  • The Trust asks applicants who are unsure about eligibility to contact it before applying
  • Applicants to the Challenges should read the full specification for their chosen Challenge

Have ready

  • Stage 1: a cover letter describing your organisation, with enough information for FiMT to verify you and your organisation; a project outline of no more than two sides of A4, in at least 11pt font
  • Stage 2: the full application form
  • FiMT also publishes an overheads policy and a position statement on using AI in applications

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.