Local communities can apply for up to £10,000 to support an Armed Forces Day event in their area
Ministry of Defence awards grants for Armed Forces Day events across the United Kingdom
Armed Forces Week supports Government ambition to deepen connection between society and our forces, delivering on the whole-of-society approach in the Strategic Defence Review
The Ministry of Defence will provide up to £500,000 of funding for Armed Forces Day celebrations across the country this summer.
Organisations can apply for a grant of up to £10,000, to match their own funding, to help fund an Armed Forces Day event in their community.
Yorkshire and the Humber are home to 12,500 members of the UK Armed Forces, with a further 8,000 in the East Midlands and Lincolnshire.
They are based at military sites such as Catterick Garrison and the Army Foundation College Harrogate, which helps train new recruits to the Army.
The defence sector directly supports 3,200 industry jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber, and the Ministry of Defence spent £971 million in British business and industry in the region in 2024-25.
RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire is home to the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon fast jets, which frequently scramble the Quick Reaction Alert to monitor suspicious aircraft in UK airspace.
Last year, Cleethorpes in North East Lincolnshire became the first ever town to host the Armed Forces Day national event twice.
The funding is an important part of supporting hundreds of events across the United Kingdom as the country comes together to celebrate Armed Forces Day on Saturday 27 June 2026.
The events help deliver on the Strategic Defence Review’s call for a whole-of-society approach to defence, strengthening the bonds between society and our Armed Forces. And with industry, businesses, employers and communities all contributing to our shared security and prosperity.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
Our Armed Forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe. But they can’t do what they do without the support of their families, friends and communities across the country.
In June we look forward to coming together as a proud nation to celebrate Armed Forces Day, and I want this funding to help make this year the best yet.
If you back our Forces and want to thank them with a celebration in your local area, do apply for a grant and register your event with us so we can help you spread the word.
Armed Forces Day is an annual opportunity to thank the entire Armed Forces community – service personnel, reservists, veterans, cadets and military families – for all they do to keep us safe.
It’s hoped that this year’s events will help reconnect society with the Armed Forces and demonstrate how we all have a part to play in keeping the country safe as part of the whole-of-society approach to defence.
This government relaunched the Armed Forces Day National Event last year.
Event organisers across the UK can apply now to for up to £10,000 of funding for an Armed Forces Day event.
BRAVEHOUND, a charity which provides assistance dogs for medically-diagnosed veterans in Scotland, received a Ministry of Defence grant for its 2025 Armed Forces Day event.
BRAVEHOUND Armed Forces Day event manager Fiona Macdonald said:
At BRAVEHOUND’s annual Armed Forces Day dog show we make sure every part of the community can enjoy the celebrations. Armed Forces Day really shows the breadth and depth of support for the Armed Forces community right across the country.
We were very grateful to receive a grant for our event from the Ministry of Defence, which has enabled us to make our event free to enter and has helped take our Armed Forces Day celebrations to the next level.
Armed Forces Day events are hosted every year by local authorities, veterans’ organisations, schools, places of worship, charities and community groups.
Every year the Ministry of Defence provides £50,000 of funding to the hosts of the Armed Forces Day National Event and up to £450,000 in grants to community organisers across the country.
The Government is determined to ensure British people can take pride in their communities and enjoy safe and vibrant high streets, with community events like Armed Forces Day an important part of British life.
The Government has also increased defence spending to both support local jobs and keep families safe in an uncertain world.
This year, the Armed Forces Day national event will be hosted by Rushmoor Borough Council in Aldershot and Farnborough – a region with historic ties to the Armed Forces community.
Event organisers are encouraged to register their event with the Ministry of Defence so it can be advertised on the Armed Forces Day website. Visitors can search for events in their area and find out dates, times and details.
The events must be free for members of the Armed Forces community to attend. Provided an event meets the wider aims of Armed Forces Day, it may be considered by the MOD for a grant to match the value of funding from other sources.
Full eligibility requirements are available on the Armed Forces Day website. Grant applications must be submitted by 31 March 2026.
