ACCT UK Grants

Matthew Bacon Bursary 

The Matthew Bacon Bursary Fund enables young people to take part in an Outward Bound Trust (OBT) 14 day adventure.

The fund helps Army Cadets who lack self-confidence, to develop important life skills that will see them reach their full potential. Through their Outward Bound Trust challenge they are able to participate in life changing adventures, build new friendships and improve their mental health and well-being. 

The Matthew Bacon Bursary was set up in memory of Major Matthew Bacon, an officer in the Intelligence Corps, who was tragically killed whilst on tour in Iraq on 11th September 2005. In Matthew’s honour, his family set up the Fund to help Cadets to develop and achieve.

Each Cadet awarded the bursary is encouraged to raise a personal contribution of £200 through fundraising. Full support and advice on fundraising will be given.

View more information on the Matthew Bacon Bursary here.

ACF County Grants

We support young people and Army Cadet Counties with grants towards the purchase of equipment not normally funded by the chain of command. 

Applications are open throughout the year. Please submit applications for equipment a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the activity for which it is needed.

The ACCT UK Grants Policy and application form are available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application. 

ACF Individual Grants

We support Army Cadets with individual grants to help them to participate in activities that promote the development of life skills and confidence, such as adventurous training, Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, Battlefield Tours and overseas events.  Our grants can help to reduce costs, making an activity or trip more affordable for all. 

As well as reducing the costs for the whole group, those cadets who cannot afford the individual contributions can submit a separate application.

Applications are open throughout the year. Please submit your application a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the activity for which it is needed.

The ACCT UK Grants Policy and application form are available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application. 

Personal Development Bursary

We value Army Cadet volunteers and we know the cadets could not thrive without their dedication and commitment.

We recognise the essential role played by the Adult Volunteers of the Army Cadet Force and as such have established a Personal Development Bursary Fund to support them to increase their efficiency in their role and advance their youth leadership abilities. These might be academic qualifications linked to leadership or more practical qualifications to enable them to lead exciting training and activities for cadets, such as archery or mountain biking. Volunteers can apply for a grant to cover the either the part or full cost of relevant qualifications, up to £1,500.

The ACCT UK Personal Development Bursary Guidelines and application form are available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application. 

Adventure Training Grants

ACCT UK supports Adventure Training in the Army Cadet Force. Grants are available to support activities and equipment that will enhance the cadet adventure training programme and/or make it more affordable. Looking for ideas? Some examples of activities we’ve supplied funding for:

• Specialist Instructors
• Sailing Trips
• Sky Diving Courses
• Rock Climbing
• Mountain Biking
• Kayaking
• Overseas Expeditions

The ACCT UK Grants Policy and application form are available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application. 

Sport Grants

Sport is so important for the UK and the well-being of its young people, yet too many cadets have little or no opportunity to play sport in their schools and communities. ACCT UK is proud to support the development of sport within the ACF as a key platform to the development of healthy habits and sport for life for young people in the UK. 

ACCT UK provides funds for the Army Cadet Force Sport Programme and offers grants for cadets and adult volunteers to participate in ACF sporting events. 

The ACCT UK Grants Policy and application form are available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application. 

Music Grants

Music is no longer routinely taught in state schools and thus many young cadets have little opportunity to discover its magic. Providing music training opens the doors to the ACF for some young people who may not otherwise join. 

ACCT UK provides funds for the Army Cadet Force Music Programme and offer grants for cadets and adult volunteers to participate in ACF music concerts and events. 

Do you need support to bring more opportunities to learn and practice music to your cadets?

The ACCT UK Grants Policy and application form are available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application. 

First Aid Grants

First Aid is such a valuable life skill and it is rare that a week goes by when cadets and adult volunteers do not use that training out in public responding spontaneously to incidents. 

In 2022 over 30,000 cadets and 2,000 adult volunteers completed first aid training. All First Aid training in the Army Cadet Force is supported by funding from ACCT UK. This training not only provides them with the skills to save lives in the community but it also opens up career opportunities and sparks a lifelong interest in the medical profession for many young cadets. 

Do you need extra support for your ACF First Aid programme?

The ACCT UK Grants Policy and application form are available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application. 

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Grants

DofE gives young people nationally recognised qualifications valued by employers. We are proud of the fact that the Army Cadet Force is one of the four founding organisations that participated in the DofE trial over sixty years ago which helped the Duke of Edinburgh to establish the award. 

ACCT UK supports the continued development of DofE in the Army Cadet Force with funding for additional equipment and programme costs 

The charity can provide support to cadets to bring down the cost of participating in DofE Expeditions – Gold, Silver and Bronze. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application.  The ACCT UK Grants Policy and application form are available for download here.

The ACCT UK DofE Resilience fund expedition Equipment Grant Application form is available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application. 

Battlefield Tour Grants

Since 2014 ACCT UK has awarded £190,000 in Battlefield Tour Grants. 

The importance of giving cadets a chance to learn about and understand their nation’s history cannot be underestimated. ACCT UK highly values the positive impact of Battlefield Studies and Tours.  Grant support from ACCT UK can help make the trip accessible for all cadets and CFAVs, not only a select few who can afford to travel overseas. 

Do you need support to organise a Battlefield Tour for your cadets? 

The ACCT UK Grants Policy and application form are available for download here. Please email grants@acctuk.org for any grant related questions or support in completing your application.