The Royal Engineers Association
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.
Key takeaways
- The Association's organisational funding is centred on Royal Engineer units, REA branches, Sapper communities and Corps-connected organisations, so a group with no link to the Corps is unlikely to fit.
- Its listing says it is by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is a weak route, and the one open scheme for organisations is the CUBS Grant, applied for online through The Sapper Charity website.
- Requests should be modest: Operational Tour Grants run up to £5,000 for units and £2,500 for sub-units, while Adventurous Training Grants are £50 to £200 for Regular Sapper and £25 to £150 for Reserve Sapper.
- CUBS applications open in January and close on 30 November, and must include project details, finances, justification, quotes, endorsements and delivery timelines, along with a Unit or Branch contribution and evidence that other funding has been explored.
Overview
The Royal Engineers Association is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 258322).
The Royal Engineers Association was originally founded as the Royal Engineers Old Comrades Association, a name later changed to the Royal Engineers Association. Its purpose is to ensure that all members of the Sapper family have access to comradeship and support that enables them to live full lives. It provides financial and other assistance to serving and former members of the Corps and their dependants who are in need through poverty, and it makes grants to the Army Benevolent Fund and other charities that further its objectives. Its programmes include the CUBS Grant, Operational Tour Grants, and Sports and Adventurous Training grants, and it gives £102,000 a year.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The Association provides financial and other assistance to serving and former members of the Corps and their dependants who are in need through poverty, and makes grants to the Army Benevolent Fund and other charities that further its objectives. Its described organisational funding is centred on Regular and Reserve Royal Engineer units, REA branches, Sapper communities, activity clubs and Corps-connected organisations, with CUBS supporting community-building initiatives. It prioritises projects strengthening community, cohesion, wellbeing, esprit de corps and adventurous training. CUBS supports aspirational initiatives lacking necessary public funding and is used for the collective welfare of a Branch or Unit. The Association also offers Sports and AT grants to individuals and REA Groups and Branches.
Themes
- Benevolence
- Community-building
- Esprit de corps
- Adventurous training
- Sports
Geographic Focus
The UK; the rest of the world.
What they don't fund
- CUBS Grant only:
- individuals or their families as a means of charity or supplementing their pay
- any long-term commitment
- running or maintenance costs
- fees/licenses
- travel
- subsistence
- accommodation
- equipment hire
- Grants for expeditions, which are supported by Adventurous Training Funds, will not normally be provided
- Applications for equipment or clothing which should be fully funded by the unit/MOD will not be considered
- Operational Tour Grants only:
- Retrospective grants, i.e. after a tour has commenced, will not be considered
- ‘Tour T- Shirts’ or other mementoes will not be funded
- Under no circumstances should this funding be used to purchase deployable equipment especially IT in support of unit work output
- AT Grants inc. Ballard Legacy Fund only: Retrospective grants will only be made in exceptional circumstances; Applicants must be members of the Royal Engineers, members of the RE Days Pay Scheme, and making a personal contribution to the expedition
- TASS Grants only: The applicant must be a member of the Royal Engineers
How to apply
For CUBS, organisations apply online via The Sapper Charity website; applications are reviewed by Group HQs and then the Finance Committee.
Application windows:
- McCabe Community, Unit and Branch Support (CUBS) Grant: Applications open in January and close on 30 November.
Who can apply:
- To be a serving or former member of the Corps that person must have served at least one day in the Royal Engineers. Membership of the REA does not qualify the member for benevolence.
- TASS Grant: The applicant is a member of the Royal Engineers
- AT Grants inc. Ballard Legacy Fund: Applicants must be members of the Royal Engineers, members of the RE Days Pay Scheme, and making a personal contribution to the expedition
What to send:
- A confirmed job offer must be provided in the case of benevolence requests for course/training fees.
- A business case must be provided in the case of self-employment.
- McCabe Community, Unit and Branch Support (CUBS) Grant
- Applicants must provide project details, finances, justification, quotes, endorsements, and delivery timelines.
- Infrastructure projects must include clear planning, quotes, and early command engagement.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The CUBS Grant prioritises projects that strengthen community, cohesion, wellbeing, esprit de corps and support adventurous training.
- Event bids should outline the event's impact and the numbers involved.
- Applicants need a Unit/Branch contribution and should show that additional funding sources have been explored.
- Operational Tour Grant applications are assessed on their merits, with consideration given to the diversity and numbers of beneficiaries.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
- International
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Royal Engineers Association.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £1,326,966 | £1,445,496 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £1,359,139 | £1,903,521 | £273,970 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £2,436,674 | £2,398,573 | £256,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £1,437,036 | £1,966,681 | £201,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £1,731,738 | £1,989,007 | £102,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 4 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023; year to 31 December 2024; year to 31 December 2025: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
— No grants figure for that year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- reahq.org.uk/who-are-we · read on 30 October 2026
- reahq.org.uk/unit-branch-grants · read on 30 October 2026
- reahq.org.uk/sports-at-grants · read on 30 October 2026
- reahq.org.uk/benevolence · read on 30 October 2026
- reahq.org.uk · read on 30 October 2026
- reahq.org.uk/contact-us · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance
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Applying to The Royal Engineers Association?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required