Up to £10,000 available for purpose-led projects supporting UK armed forces personnel, veterans and their families including service children.
BFBS is proud to announce that 2025 grant applications are now open for the BFBS Big Salute, an annual initiative that offers vital project-based funding to under-resourced military charities.
Charities supporting the armed forces community can apply for grants of up to £10,000. These grants are intended to fund purpose-driven projects that address the unique challenges faced by the military community in the UK and overseas.
This year, the BFBS Big Salute allocated over £25,000 to four remarkable charities, who applied in 2024:
- Veterans into Logistics received £8,394 to fund HGV driver training for veterans
- Little Troopers were awarded £7,810 to expand its educational programme supporting service children in schools
- HorseBack UK received £4,686 to support veterans through its equine-based wellbeing project, which uses horsemanship to aid mental health and personal recovery
- Reading Force were granted £5,000 to support military families with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Danielle Sinclair, General Manager at Veterans into Logistics, said
“Thank you so much for the fabulous news that our application for a BFBS Big Salute grant has been successful. Demand for our support has continued to rise since this application was submitted and presently, we have over 300 veterans on our database at various stages of their training into employment – around half of those are awaiting funding, so the grant could never be more needed or impactful than now!”
Nicky Ness, Director of Broadcasting and Entertainment at BFBS added:
“It’s been an honour to review the applications and see the breadth of work that small charities are undertaking to support the British military community. We wish this year’s recipients the best of luck in delivering their projects and will look forward to telling their stories on BFBS. I’m always inspired by and grateful to our audiences and staff who work tirelessly to raise this money, every penny of which goes to the beneficiaries.”
Last year, the BFBS Big Salute grants supported a wide range of initiatives, including:
- Forces Children Scotland: creation of interactive school welcome packs for armed forces children
- ACVC Hub: funding for a new laser engraver/cutter to aid veteran craft projects
- Vector24 (Fares 4 Free): fuel support for volunteer drivers transporting veterans to essential appointments
- On Course Foundation: provision of golf buggies for veterans with mobility challenges
- Families’ Activity Breaks (FAB): support for camps for bereaved families
- Veterans Chaplaincy: wellbeing walks, and lunch gatherings aimed at reducing isolation among veterans
Charities interested in applying for funding can visit www.bigsalute.com for more information including eligibility criteria, and to request an application form.
The deadline for submissions is 30 September 2025.
