The Armed Forces Covenant for small businesses

What is the Armed Forces Covenant?

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that members of the Armed Forces community should face no disadvantage compared with other citizens when accessing goods, services or employment. Special consideration may be appropriate for those who have given the most, such as the injured and the bereaved.

The Armed Forces community covers serving regulars and reservists, veterans, their families and bereaved relatives. Businesses, charities, local authorities and public bodies can all sign the Covenant and set out how they will support that community.

What does signing the Covenant mean for a small business?

Signing is a public, voluntary pledge. You commit to uphold the basic principles of the Covenant and choose practical pledges that suit your size, such as supporting reservist employees, interviewing veterans fairly or avoiding extra costs for customers posted overseas. It is free and the commitment does not expire.

The Covenant is not a contract with a checklist of obligations. You decide your own pledges, either writing them yourself or choosing from the government’s example pledges. A sole trader might pledge fair treatment of forces customers; a firm with staff might add leave for reservist training.

The separate legal Armed Forces Covenant Duty, introduced by the Armed Forces Act 2021, applies to specified public bodies in healthcare, education and housing. It does not place a legal duty on private businesses that sign the pledge.

What can a small business pledge?

Government guidance groups business support into three areas: how you treat forces customers, how you employ members of the Armed Forces community, and how you show your commitment publicly. Pick pledges you can keep. A short list you deliver is worth more than a long list you do not.

• Customers: avoid charging serving personnel more because they are posted overseas, and make reasonable provision for injured or bereaved customers.
• Employment: consider veterans, reservists, military spouses and bereaved family members fairly when recruiting, and support reservist staff with time for training.
• Visibility: display your signed pledge on your website and tell your staff about your support for the Armed Forces community.

How do I sign the Armed Forces Covenant?

Complete the online Covenant form on GOV.UK, or email a completed pledge template with your website, company registration number and head office address to [email protected]. Defence Relationship Management carries out due diligence, then sends a pledge certificate for you to sign. There is no fee.

Due diligence usually completes within a week, though each request is handled case by case. After signing you receive a digital toolkit including the Covenant logo, and your organisation is normally added to the public list of signatories on GOV.UK within a few weeks.

Businesses of any size can sign, as can overseas-registered businesses with a registered office in the UK.

How does the Covenant connect to the Employer Recognition Scheme?

Signing the Covenant is the entry point to the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. Once you have signed, you can self-nominate for a Bronze award. Silver and Gold awards recognise employers who go further, for example by giving reservist staff extra paid leave and advocating the Covenant to others.

Read our guide to the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for the criteria at each level.

Why does the Covenant matter to veteran-owned businesses and buyers?

For a veteran-owned business, signing puts on record the values you already hold and gives you a route to Employer Recognition Scheme awards. For buyers, a signed pledge is a quick, public check that a supplier supports the Armed Forces community. Signatories are listed on GOV.UK.

Signing the Covenant is different from being veteran-owned. Any business can sign; only a business majority-owned by an eligible person can carry the British Veteran Owned hallmark. Many of the businesses in our directory have done both. See what counts as a veteran-owned business.