Apply to the Scottish Veterans Fund

Aim of the fund

Veterans of the UK Armed Forces and their families resident in Scotland are the intended beneficiaries of this SVF and the panel’s assessments will consider how well the application meets the criteria outlined below and in its enduring value to the veterans community. The Scottish Government applies the existing Ministry of Defence definition of a veteran which is:

This definition of veterans specifically includes Early Service Leavers, which are defined as being those that leave the Armed Forces within four years of joining.

The SVF is aimed at projects that are attempting to deliver a new or innovative approach to veterans’ issues, or that seek to develop areas and activities not currently funded by either the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Defence. This includes new ways of delivering existing outcomes to reflect changes in circumstance or technology. The benefit the project brings to ex-Service personnel and their families will be the primary measure of its value, not the scale of the project.

The Scottish Government recognises that, in many cases, veterans’ spouses, partners and families provide valuable support to aid veterans’ transition. Projects that help meet these wider family needs are therefore welcomed.

All applications must set out who will benefit from any project supported by a SVF grant, state clearly what the defined outcomes, outputs and measurable impact will be (such as number of beneficiaries or similar) and provide timescales in which they will be achieved. Paragraph 38 of this guidance below provides further information on Impact, Inputs, Outcomes and Outputs.

As outlined in the Scottish Government’s’ response to the Strategy for our Veterans in January 2020, the SG are committed to supporting projects which will support the delivery against the principles outlined in the Strategy, which are:

1. veterans are first and foremost civilians and continue to be of benefit to wider society
2. veterans are encouraged and enabled to maximise their potential as civilians
3. veterans are able to access support that meets their needs when necessary through public and voluntary sectors

In line with these principles, projects must include the sustainable delivery of one or more of the following aims:

• to fund projects that support access for veterans and their families to health and social care; housing; employment, skills and education; financial advice; or any other services provided by the public or third sector; as well as those going through the justice system
• to fund projects that support veterans and their families in their meaningful inclusion in civilian life, including those that promote positive health and wellbeing and those that aid social integration, with an emphasis on inclusion amongst civilian / non-military communities
• to support successful transition to civilian life following service for the service person and their family
• to fund projects that raise awareness of veterans and their families amongst the general public, emphasising their positive contribution to society and local communities

There is a range of well-established support for remembrance activities provided through local authorities and other bodies. The SVF is therefore not typically intended to fund these type of events; however consideration will be given to exceptional events of a commemorative nature.