Since 2009, Armed Forces Day has been marked annually throughout the UK with events large and small. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) provides funding each year to support groups and individuals to commemorate the occasion.
Local councils, voluntary and community organisations, schools, ex-service organisations and individuals can apply for grants of up to £10,000 for activities taking place across the UK. The amount of the grant depends on the size and format of the event.
The grant is match-funded. This means, a grant could cover up to half of the overall cost of the event. If the overall event cost is £7,000, the MoD could cover up to £3,500.
The 2025 event should be held within two weeks of the Armed Forces Day. This year it falls on 28 June 2025.
The funding can be used to pay for:
- Road closures required to hold an event, including to allow for parades and marches.
- Decorations, flags and banners.
- Local or national newspaper and radio advertisements to promote the event.
- Marshalling, security and first aid arrangements for the event.
- Insurance.
- PA and communications systems for events organisers.
The first step in the application process is to register the event on the Armed Forces Day website by 31 March 2025.
Once groups have registered their event, they will receive a confirmation email with a link to submit an application for funding.
The deadline for grant applications is 30 April 2025.
Share this page
